DesignBUILD - the ultimate industry event for construction technology and other elements of the construction industry is in hitting Sydney next week, and Buildsoft are set and ready.  

With $10 trillion spent each year on construction and 7% of the world’s working population working in construction-related professions, there’s no questioning the industry's economic size and impact. Despite this, there is an obvious, underlying dormancy in the industry's productivity (productivity as the total amount of output per worker). Shown below, the productivity gap between the construction industry and other non-farming industries is exponential.

Disruption is a buzzword that clearly sums up how innovators are fundamentally altering products, services and business models. It is a driving factor behind the advancements and improvements in all industries. This got us thinking - what will be the next big game-changer in the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry?

So, a termite walks into a bar and asks "Is the Bartender here?" Bad jokes aside, we’re certainly happy Bartender is here, and from much of the feedback we’ve gotten, you guys are happy too. Bartender has been servicing the industry with us for more than a year now, and we’ve hit some great milestones since we launched.

We’re excited to be delivering MudShark 7, which includes our most flexible and user requested features to date so you have unparalleled control over your earthworks projects. We’ve kept our customers at the front of our mind as we designed and developed MudShark 7, and we can’t wait for you to use take advantage of our work.

With the increased prevalence of tech innovation in the construction industry, more businesses are releasing apps catered to the construction and building industry. While this is welcome news, it can be hard to sift through the myriad of apps out there to find the ones that truly add value to your daily work – without the need to pay subscription fees or to make in-app purchases.

Buildsoft has released an important update to Cubit. See details of the release below. 

Cubit 9.0.3 Release

Fixes:

• Fixed an issue where the text on some Vector plans would cause an error message to display when imported.

• Fixed a rare issue where using Revisions on imported jobs from older versions of Cubit would display an error message.

• Fixed an issue where the Legend in the viewport will disappear when zooming in or out of the plan.

• Fixed a rare issue that allowed an Item in the Estimate Sheet to have a calculated Total when it only contained a Rate.

• Fixed an issue where Manual Totals were not transferring when the Item was inserted from a Template.

• Fixed an issue where Bartender Picked Rates were not replacing a Rate Sheet Item's Estimate rates when the Job was exported.

• Fixed an issue where merging Jobs containing Bartender Picked Rates would display an error message.

• Fixed an issue where the dropdown for the Grouping Code of your Job would not display correctly if you were using a resolution of 4k or higher.

• Fixed a rare issue where importing a DWG plan on a new install of Cubit would display an error message.

• Fixed a rare...

2019 is already flying by, with January nearly over. While we can be tempted to gradually get back into the swing of work and slowly build up momentum, now is the perfect time to review your business processes and resources, to ensure you are set up to make this year one of your best.

Attracting customers to your construction business is a continuous process. While traditional methods such as word of mouth, referrals and print advertising may have worked for your company, there will always be a glass ceiling to growth if you don’t leverage online marketing techniques. 

Construction materials have come a long way over the years. From the use of timber and concrete to cigarette butts and cardboard, builders are looking for newer and more effective materials for their projects. Builders are taking advantage of innovative solutions that will reduce the time and cost of designing new structures. 

Builders across the country are realising the importance of using green building materials and techniques. While traditional construction materials such as concrete have been used for many years, they result in fossil fuel depletion and greenhouse gas emissions.

Here at Buildsoft, we’re always striving to deliver you innovative and better ways of working. That’s why we’ve introduced some more enhancements to Bartender, to give you improved visibility and access to your data, so you have greater flexibility and control over how you work.

Here’s what we’ve added.

The construction industry is growing steadily from year to year. In 2018, construction comprised 8% of the country’s GDP, and we can expect that positive trend to continue. 

Automation and robotics is the hot new trend in many different industries. Businesses are looking for ways of automating repetitive, time-consuming, and dangerous tasks to enhance efficiency and improve the safety of workers. The construction industry is no different. In fact, automation is an excellent solution for builders to increase operational efficiency and to cut down on costs. 

With over 1.1 million people employed by the Australian construction industry, making up around 8% of the nation’s GDP, the physical health and safety of industry workers are of utmost importance. A topic that is rarely talked about, however, is the mental health and safety of industry workers.

As the construction industry in Australia continues to grow, workplace safety has become a top concern. The biggest risks that face workers on a construction site are the fatal four: falls, electrocutions, being struck by an object, and being caught in-between. In fact, 28% of all construction injuries involve persons falling from elevated heights. 

We’re proud to bring you our latest advancement in estimating and takeoff, with Cubit 9.

Enhancing usability, speed, and efficiency is always at the fore of our efforts at Buildsoft, so we can deliver on our commitment to making construction easier. Working with the important feedback we get from our customers, coupled with our drive for innovative technologies, we’re excited to bring developments that continually improve the way you work.

We know estimating can be time consuming. There’s a lot of competition to your business and everyone’s wanting to find a faster way.

Estimating with Cubit is already fast, up to 10 times faster than traditional methods, and 3 times than that of other systems. Now we’ve changed the game.

Australia’s commercial construction industry is expected to grow by 8% in 2019 alone. Because commercial buildings are such a large part of the overall economy, it’s important to remain up to speed with any emergent trends that will shape the industry moving forward. Construction trends are constantly changing, and companies in this sector need to remain at the fore so they don’t fall behind their competition. 

Generating leads is critical to the success of any business. In the construction industry, lead generation (through online and offline channels) is essential to keeping the pipeline full, extending your reach and growing your company. 

In the world of construction, many trends come and go. Some fall by the wayside in a short period of time, but others grow to become an integral part of the industry as a whole. Sustainable construction definitely falls under the latter.

Builders have used traditional advertising for many years, such as print media, TV, radio, flyers and apparel to gain the attention of customers. But the way that consumers buy products has changed dramatically over the past decade, meaning there are now new opportunities to attract and convert customers. 

It’s an attractive time to start a building business in Australia. Strong sector growth, growing demand for both residential and commercial projects, and a steadily rising population are leading many Australians to ask how they can get in on the action.

2018 was rife with innovation in the construction industry, with the advance of artificial intelligence, breakthroughs in construction robotics, and an increasing importance placed on sustainable architecture and accessible design.  

With urban areas of Australia experiencing significant population growth, construction activities are rising to meet demand. The global construction industry is expected to grow by 4.2% between 2018-2023, and the Australian construction sector is enjoying its piece of the pie. 

It’s an exciting time to be designing staircases. From transparent stairs to giant spiral staircases, architects have more choice than ever. Staircases are no longer just a functional feature of a building: they’re a central element of the design.

At Latham we’ve had the good fortune of having all of our stair and flooring product manufacturing needs met by Australian workers. However, some organisations in the construction and manufacturing industries don't have the same luxury, with many facing constant skill shortages and budget constraints. In such instances often the only option is hiring overseas building contractors to tap into a wider pool of skilled talent.

With rapid advancement of technology across all sectors, an increased focus on sustainability and changes to the contractor hiring landscape, 2018 is set to be a year filled with opportunities and innovations.

We’ve rounded up 6 exciting building and construction trends to keep an eye on this year – and what they mean for you.

Tactile indicator studs are an essential tool for ensuring pedestrian safety in busy or slip-prone areas. They also help anyone who is blind or visually impaired to navigate the world; by warning people when they are approaching a hazardous situation, such as stairs or a train platform, as well as providing directional cues for getting around in public spaces.

With widespread adoption of BIM in project management and new legislation around hiring international contractors, construction project management has changed a great deal in 2017.

Floor coverings can pose many OH&S risks. Highly polished or slippery floors cause falls in wet weather conditions, reflective surfaces trigger migraines or confusion for those with visual impairments, and poorly secured floor surfaces or obstructions can cause access issues for people with mobility disabilities.

BIM (Building Information Modelling), is shaking up the architecture, engineering and construction industries in fundamental ways, leading to new ways of working through projects. Before project managers take the leap into this new paradigm, however, there are various BIM pros and cons to consider.

To create great buildings, architects need great clients. That's why your first meeting with a potential client as an architect is crucial.

Imagine you’re preparing for a major client presentation tomorrow and you know you’ve got a late, caffeine-fuelled night ahead.

Burning the midnight oil can be inevitable to meet tight deadlines but effective time management can minimise the long hours and stress. If you’re juggling multiple projects and feeling the strain it could be time to look at new architectural project management software and strategies to add to your toolkit.

When it comes to robotics, the construction industry has remained relatively untapped due to the difficult nature of automating manual construction tasks. However, the industry is on the cusp of a revolution: a string of innovations and developments in the field of construction robotics this year are paving the way for exciting developments that will shape the future of our industry.

Construction job sites can be risky places to work. Not only do employees have to contend with heights, moving and falling objects, respiratory dangers and moving vehicles, but they also have to exert their powers of concentration in the midst of all these hazards.

Australia’s construction industry is one of the largest growing sectors in the country, with commercial construction work expected to increase by 9.3% in 2018 alone. With such rapid growth, the industry will continue to demand a larger share of the overall GDP, employ more people, and contribute to the larger economy of Australia. 

Building a new home as an owner-builder allows you to get more hands-on during the design, financing and construction process; bringing your dream home to life on your terms.

No matter what the industry, businesses that are quick to adapt to new technologies are driving efficiency, accuracy and profitability, and gaining a competitive edge. The construction industry is no different.

A lot of home builders are incredibly skilled at building houses, but not so confident in building an effective marketing plan.

Following our ethic of ongoing improvement, we’re listening to your feedback, implementing new functions and delivering updates to further enhance Bartender’s usability.

Change orders can derail your carefully crafted budget and cause delays and conflicts within your project schedule. 

Good relationships between contractors and architects can be beneficial to both parties, but a recent report showed that architects often receive poor satisfaction ratings from contractors. Clearly, some of these contractor/architect relationships are strained.

Some industries seem especially well-suited for social media marketing, and the building industry is one of them. Since personal recommendations are so important for builders’ sales and contracts, the personal touch of social media is an ideal landscape for finding new customers and instilling people with confidence in your brand.

Buildsoft has released some important updates of Cubit. See details of the release below. 

Cubit 8.2.3 Release

Fixes:

• Fixed an issue where an error message might display when you upgraded or installed Cubit if you had an older version of PostgreSQL installed on your computer.
• Fixed an issue where new multiplier columns were not displaying when creating a Grouped Job if Calculation sheets is checked under the Transfer options.
• Fixed an issue where PL Codes were not attached to an Item when using Add Rate from Insert from Price List.
• Fixed an issue where creating a Row Reference in a Job, from a Price List was not updating the Item Total.
• Fixed an issue where the date format was not using the regional settings on the installed computer.
• Fixed an issue where there were no character limits for Job names when sending a Job to Bartender for the first time.
• Fixed an issue where a copied Job, a Template Job or Imported Job, that was created using a Price List as a Template was not displaying Totals for Items created within that Price List.
• Fixed an issue where Cubit could not connect to Xero, for Importing Cost Codes and sending to Xero as a Purchase Order...