The IT Nerd

I wanted to share an update about the Procore Groundbreaker Awards which were announced at Groundbreak earlier this week. 

Celebrating the 2024 Groundbreaker Award Winners

This year’s Groundbreaker Award winners were announced at Procore’s annual industry event, Groundbreak. The Groundbreaker Awards celebrate the top companies, projects, and individuals that drive excellence across the construction industry.

The competition was very close this year, with Procore selecting 21 companies, projects, and individuals as finalists. Head of Procore’s Construction Education Program, Kassy Slaughter, presented the seven awards to the winners.

Canadian company Multiplex Construction won in the Excellence in Sustainability category. 

Multiplex Construction Canada is committed to sustainability, with goals of achieving net-zero carbon emissions across its supply chain by 2050 and eliminating on-site and office emissions by 2030. As the first Canadian construction company with a Science-Based Target and the first global contractor to sign the World Green Building Council’s Net Zero Carbon Commitment, Multiplex follows a Decarbonization Roadmap that includes alternative fuels, embodied carbon assessments, and low-carbon solutions. Through these initiatives, Multiplex fosters industry-wide collaboration to drive emissions reduction across the construction process.

To see all the Groundbreaker Award winners, please see: https://blog.procore.com/celebrating-the-2024-groundbreaker-award-winners/

 Procore Technologies, Inc. today kicks off Groundbreak 2024, the construction industry’s most innovative conference. Procore is unveiling Resource Management, the industry’s first all-in-one solution for comprehensive labour, equipment and materials tracking and planning, along with new AI-powered Scheduling and Safety tools that enhance efficiency and streamline safety management.

Bringing together industry leaders, innovators, and professionals, Groundbreak 2024 focuses on connecting construction through technology and people. More than 4,500 attendees will attend Groundbreak from over 35 countries to hear from Procore leaders, industry executives, and keynote speakers Emmitt Smith and Bear Grylls. Key announcements include:

Enhancing Productivity with Industry-Defining Integrated Resource Management Solution

Today Procore unveiled Resource Management, a new product category that enables contractors to manage labour, equipment, and materials in a unified, intelligent offering across the entire build lifecycle. Resource Management, generally available now, unlocks greater control, forecasting, and visibility to help contractors increase profit margins, reduce delays, and boost productivity. 

To accelerate this capability, Procore has acquired Edmonton-based Intelliwave Technologies, a leading industry provider of intelligent materials management software. By combining Intelliwave’s materials solution SiteSense® with Procore’s existing labour and equipment capabilities, Resource Management delivers robust control over essential project resources. In addition, Procore AI Agents will further unlock value with automated risk detection and actions, delivering unprecedented levels of visibility into resource performance.

Across Procore’s unified, intelligent platform, Resource Management embeds with the existing Preconstruction, Project Execution, and Financials solutions for end-to-end visibility, accurate forecasting, and automated budget tracking. Powered by next-generation platform capabilities like Agents, Maps, and Scheduling, Resource Management allows users to visualize and manage resources on a map and coordinate the deployment of resources. 

AI-Powered Safety and Scheduling Built for the Field

Procore also unveiled Scheduling, a new solution designed to provide smart scheduling, and will integrate directly with contract schedules and field data. Powered by Artificial Intelligence, Scheduling will proactively flag potential risks, helping ensure projects remain on time and within budget.

Announced today, Procore’s significantly expanded Safety solution will centralize safety tasks with new capabilities like pre-task plans, jobsite hazard analysis, certification tracking, onsite orientations, and toolbox talks. With deep integrations with Procore’s project management suite and wearable devices, Safety will help eliminate administrative overhead, while providing insights to promote better safety outcomes. With Safety, Procore helps ensure that everyone in construction returns home safely everyday.

Learn more about Groundbreak

Groundbreak offers over 85 breakout sessions aimed at helping industry professionals enhance their leadership, teamwork, and building skills. Procore will honor companies, projects, and individuals making a positive impact on the construction industry through the annual Groundbreaker Awards. 

To watch the opening day of Groundbreak and gain access to sessions, register for Groundbreak Live.

On top of that, Procore also announced the launch of its Procore AI solutions. This includes its new AI-powered Agents, artificial intelligence platform capabilities designed to enhance project efficiency, improve decision-making, and enable smarter, faster, and more seamless workflows. 

Procore AI, built on Procore’s unified, intelligent platform, is powered by Procore Agents, Insights, and Copilot. With Procore AI, customers can transform how teams collaborate, forecast, and execute projects. This will pave the way for a future where predictive insights and automated actions enhance efficiency and drive success in every project.

Procore Agents and Agent Studio Delivers Automated, Proactive Workflows
Available next year, Agents leverage AI to automate routine tasks, reduce manual workloads, and provide insights that allow construction professionals to focus on higher-value work. Across Procore’s platform, Agents will streamline complex processes like managing RFIs, scheduling, and submittals, which helps automate routine tasks and reduces administrative overhead. These new capabilities will support users and workflows across the full project lifecycle.

Agent Studio, coming in 2025, will allow users to customize Agents to meet their unique project requirements without any coding. This tool empowers contractors and owners to tailor AI-driven answers and automations for their business, unlocking a new era of efficiency where manual processes are replaced by trusted, customizable AI agents.

Procore Insights Helps Mitigate Project Risk to Improve Project Outcomes
Announced today, Insights is an AI-driven solution that helps users better understand project risk across their most-used workflows, including submittals, RFIs, and daily logs. Powered by Procore’s comprehensive construction dataset, Insights enables users to benchmark performance, predict potential challenges, and receive recommended actions to mitigate risks, which ultimately enables more informed decisions to help improve project outcomes. Insights will be generally available in early 2025.

Procore Announces Procore Copilot is Available Globally
Procore Copilot enables users to quickly retrieve information with instant access to key documents, summarize complex documents, and provide data-driven insights—saving time and improving productivity on jobsites.

For more information about Procore’s latest product innovations, visit here.

Yesterday, Procore announced the nominees for its Groundbreaker Awards 24. Two of the nominees are from Canada, including Toronto-based Multiplex Construction for the Excellence in Sustainability Award; and Burnaby, B.C.-based Houle Electric for the Excellence in Culture & Workforce Development Award. 

Procore’s Groundbreaker Awards 24

Procore looked for the companies, projects and people behind the construction industry’s boldest achievements in the following categories: 

• Excellence in Sustainability
• Excellence in Innovation
• Excellence in Health & Safety
• Excellence in Community
• Excellence in Culture & Workforce Development
• Groundbreaker of the Year
• Excellence in Project Delivery – People’s Choice Award

Two Canadian companies are among this year’s nominees.

Excellence in Sustainability
This award celebrates the company or project that most efficiently uses resources and embraces environmentally responsible processes throughout every stage of construction.

Nominee: 

Multiplex Construction (Toronto, ON)
Multiplex Construction Canada is focused on their path towards sustainability— they intend to reach net zero carbon in their supply chain by 2050 or earlier, plus zero Scope 1 & 2 on-site and office emissions by 2030. Multiplex is the first Canadian construction company to set a Science-Based Target and the first contractor globally to sign the World Green Building Council’s Net Zero Carbon Commitment. As they progress on their Decarbonization Roadmap, they utilize alternative fuels, conduct embodied carbon assessments, embrace low carbon solutions and engage their supply chain to track and collaboratively reduce emissions throughout the construction process.

Other nominees in this category:

REI Distribution Center 4, Al. Neyer (US)
Ceylon E-8 (Responsive Arts & STEAM Academy) for Denver Public Schools, U.S. Engineering (US)

Excellence in Culture & Workforce Development
This award celebrates the company that displays a focus on company culture including, but not limited to diversity, equity and inclusion and best promotes a continued focus on developing the next construction generation.

Nominee: 

Houle Electric Limited (Burnaby, B.C.)
As BC’s leading electrical contractor and systems integrator, Houle is a company that puts people first–empowering communities through local projects that positively impact people’s lives. Houle champions diversity, equity, and inclusion and is committed to fostering a workplace where everyone is valued, supported, and provided the opportunity to grow. In addition to initiatives that focus on employee development, professional advancement, and continuous improvement, Houle supports programs for underrepresented groups, provides training for 300+ apprentices annually, and has higher than industry average participation of women in the electrical trade. By connecting people with purpose, they’re building a safer, more inclusive workplace and industry for everyone. 

Read more about Houle Electric.

Other nominees in this category: 

McCarthy Holdings, Inc. (US)
Hardy Corporation (US)

Winners will be announced and celebrated at Groundbreak 2024 in Denver, Colorado, on November 20-21, 2024. For more information on this year’s award nominees, please visit: https://www.procore.com/groundbreaker-awards. 

Procore today announced a donation to the Calgary Construction Association Education Fund to inspire youth to learn about the skilled trades. The donated funds will be used to support two initiatives, including elementary school programming that will bring skilled-trades curriculum to over 30,000 students in Calgary this fall, and the TELUS Spark Science Centre BLUPrint program. 

Calgary Construction Association, in partnership with Honour the Work, a not-for-profit organization, will deliver an innovative curriculum that will reach 850 classrooms across the Calgary Catholic School District and the Calgary Board of Education. Honour The Work was created by educators and supported by industry leaders to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world skilled trades careers. The program features STEAMS (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics and Skills) Kits, designed for students in grades 1-6. These kits offer hands-on activities that align with the curriculum and include lesson plans, digital resources, building materials, and diverse children’s books that highlight the value of skilled trades. First launched in Ontario with great success, the program is now set to pilot in Calgary schools. 

The association’s partnership with TELUS Spark Science Centre will create a series of exploration spaces called BLUprint (Build + Learn + YOU), one of the first youth programs to showcase the application of STEAM in real-world trades careers in a Canadian science centre. This new program consists of a space where youth can experience real tools, get hands-on learning related to carpentry, plumbing, and electrical trades, and understand the science connections. Youth can also learn about the trades through virtual reality.

In Procore’s most recent construction industry benchmark report How We Build Now: Technology and industry trends shaping Canadian construction, respondents consider hiring and retaining skilled labour as one of the top challenges they face over the next 12 months. Almost 30 per cent report they have been unable to take on more projects in the past three to six months due to labour shortage. Thirty-two (32) per cent fear that some of their most experienced people will retire within the next few years and take valuable knowledge with them. Twenty-seven (27) per cent agree there is too much competition in construction for talent. 

Advancing the industry through education
Procore is committed to advancing the construction industry through advocacy, education and technology. Procore.org, the company’s social impact arm, works with 15 Canadian universities and colleges to provide complimentary training, tools and certifications designed to get students up to speed quickly with the latest technology. In Alberta, Procore.org partners with Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), University of Alberta and Red Deer Polytechnic. 

This year, Procore.org launched an Educators’ Training Centre for instructors with educational resources such as presentations, student exercises, sample project data, and a special video certification course for Canadian students.

Diversity and inclusion are at the heart of Procore’s values. We recognize the importance of creating opportunities for underrepresented groups within the construction industry – and today we are proud to announce our deepened expansion into Canada through strategic partnerships with the Afro Canadian Contractors Association (ACCA) and the Canadian Association of Women in Construction (CAWIC). These partnerships mark a significant milestone in our commitment to supporting diversity, inclusion, and innovation within the construction industry. By joining forces with ACCA and CAWIC, we aim to empower Canadian contractors and construction professionals with the tools, resources, and support they need to thrive in today’s dynamic market. 

Through our partnerships, we will provide training, technology solutions, and support to minority contractors, diverse-owned firms, and women in construction across Canada. Procore will offer comprehensive training programs, access to our industry-leading construction management platform, and discounted buying programs to eligible members. These initiatives aim to equip contractors and construction professionals with the skills and resources they need to succeed in today’s competitive landscape. Whether it’s project management, collaboration, or resource planning, Procore’s platform is designed to streamline workflows and drive efficiency at every stage of the construction process.

“As the President of the Afro Canadian Contractors Association, I am proud to partner with Procore in this significant initiative. This collaboration is a testament to our shared commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion within the construction industry. By providing minority contractors with cutting-edge technology and comprehensive training, we are equipping them with the tools they need to thrive in a competitive market. Together, we are paving the way for a more equitable and innovative future in construction,” said Stephen Callender. 

“We are excited to partner with ACCA and CAWIC to empower minority contractors and diverse firms in Canada with the technical tools and skills they need to thrive in the construction industry,” said Dr. Irish Horsey, Procore’s director of industry advancement. “By providing access to Procore’s innovative construction management solutions and training resources, we aim to break down barriers and foster a more inclusive ecosystem.”

In addition to providing access to technology and training, Procore, ACCA, and CAWIC will collaborate on thought leadership initiatives, including webinars, articles, and industry insights. These efforts will provide valuable insights and best practices to support the growth and success of our partners and their members. By sharing knowledge and expertise, we can collectively drive innovation and excellence within the Canadian construction industry. 

“I am thrilled to see Procore’s commitment to diversity and inclusion within the construction industry. This partnership with Procore represents a powerful step towards providing women in Canada with the resources and opportunities they need to succeed. Together, we can break down barriers and foster a more inclusive and innovative construction industry,” said Lisa Laronde, President, Canadian Association of Women in Construction (CAWIC).

Procore is proud to partner with ACCA and CAWIC in expanding our presence in Canada and supporting the growth and success of contractors and construction professionals across the country. Together, we will empower diversity, foster innovation, and build a brighter future for the construction industry in Canada. 

We invite contractors, construction professionals, and industry stakeholders across Canada to join us in building a better future for the construction industry. Together with ACCA, CAWIC, and our valued partners, we can drive innovation, diversity, and inclusion within the Canadian construction industry. To learn more about Procore’s commitment to empowering diversity and inclusion, visit procore.org. 

More about Procore.org:

In Canada, Procore.org currently works with 15 colleges and universities, offering free accounts with unlimited user licenses, access to all of Procore’s tools and features, and several complimentary training sessions for professors led by Procore’s implementation training team. These educational institutions in Canada include Red Deer Polytechnic, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, University of Alberta, Centennial College, Conestoga College, Algonquin College, George Brown College, Lambton College, Cégep de Saint-Laurent, Concordia University, Cégep du Vieux-Montréal, La Cité Collégiale, New Brunswick Community College and University of New Brunswick.

Recently, Procore.org created an Educators’ Training Centre for instructors with educational resources such as presentations, student exercises, sample project data, and a special video certification course for Canadian students.

Procore Technologies, Inc. today announced Procore Copilot, a new artificial intelligence-powered conversational and predictive experience that will provide customers the ability to automate time intensive, manual processes across the Procore Platform.

The introduction of Procore Copilot underscores the industry’s high demand for technology that can cut down on manual tasks and streamline arduous workflows. According to the 2023 How We Build Now Report, 28 per cent of total project time is spent on rework, while 18 per cent of project time is spent searching for data, significantly impacting project performance.

Procore Copilot will work in the background to flag important information and help customers operate in a more proactive and productive manner, all while running on data from within the Procore Platform. Procore Copilot acts as an extension of the project team, and can quickly search and surface information securely on web or mobile. And, two of the construction industry’s most trusted technological partners, Procore and Microsoft, are working together to extend the power of Procore Copilot enabled by Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, into the Microsoft products Procore’s customers use every day.

Procore Copilot is currently under development and functionality will be rolling out in beta over the coming year.

To learn more about how Procore is revolutionizing construction workflows with AI, register for Groundbreak Live.

Today Procore Technologies released its construction industry benchmark report, How We Build Now: Technology and industry trends shaping Canadian construction in 2023. 

The survey was conducted by independent research company Censuswide. A total of 502 construction decision-makers and influencers across Canada participated in the report. 

How We Build Now examines the general sentiment of the industry on issues including the labour shortage, the supply chain, digital transformation, sustainability in construction, and diversity and inclusion in the workplace. 
Construction firms in Canada understand that digital transformation is required to overcome the labour shortage: 22 per cent of construction businesses consider themselves a digital-first business and 51 per cent are ‘well on the way’ to adopting digital formats and workflows. Construction decision makers recognize that technology provides benefits, particularly around resource efficiency through less rework, an enemy of sustainability. The survey shows 27 per cent of the total time spent on a project is spent on rework or rectifying issues. Other findings: 

• Almost half of all projects go over budget (50%) and over schedule (49%) according to respondents
• Over 30 per cent of respondents identify needing new technology to improve operational efficiency and cost controls amid economic volatility
• Paper remains a common medium for Canadian construction decision makers. About a quarter of respondents (23-28%, depending on the workflow) still use paper-based records or non-digital processes as part of their workflows 

According to the report, the industry realizes the value of data yet they are not able to leverage it to the fullest. 

• 41 per cent of respondents feel that they would be able to make better decisions if they had better access to real-time and historic information on project performance. 
• Respondents believe they could save up to 12 per cent of their total spending on projects if they captured, integrated and standardized data more efficiently

The full report can be found here: http://www.procore.com/en-ca/ebooks/how-we-build-now-report-can

In partnership with Procore Technologies, Inc., a leading global provider of construction management software, Dodge Construction Network today released the results of its 2022 Top Business Issues for Specialty Contractors Report. This report highlights key issues impacting specialty contractors, including workforce management, technology and profitability to help businesses better understand recurring trends while broadening industry awareness of the advantages that can be created by leveraging digital solutions.

This global research was completed by five types of specialty contractors: mechanical, electrical, plumbing, steel and concrete. Key findings include:

Labour Shortage and Supply Chain Will Continue to Afflict the Industry

Research found that over 90 per cent of specialty contractors report their projects have been negatively affected by a shortage of skilled labour. Experts anticipate the current shortage to worsen: on average, 33 per cent of the current workforce is likely to retire in the next five years.

The labour shortage, alongside supply chain disruptions, is having a significant impact on the industry. About one third of specialty contractors (31 per cent) cannot pass materials cost increases on to owners on half or more of their projects. This is highest among steel contractors (43 per cent), who face a very volatile cost market. Specialty contractors identify poor resource management (ie: labour, materials, equipment) and poor client communication as top drivers of rework.

To counter the negative impact of labour shortages, specialty contractors most frequently cite construction technology investments to improve productivity.

Rework is Significantly Impacting Profit Margins

Poor resource management often drives unplanned rework, which is a key drain on productivity, schedule management and cost control. In addition to that, unbillable change orders represent major lost revenue, especially for larger companies. On average, 30 per cent of project revenue is lost because of unbilled and unpaid change orders, according to survey respondents.

Leveraging Construction Technology Can Help Alleviate Some of the Industry’s Most Pressing Challenges

On average, specialty contractors report that 20 per cent of workers’ time is currently spent on low-productivity tasks, such as tracking down information or documenting information on paper. According to the report, an average of 39 per cent of respondents state they still primarily use whiteboards, spreadsheets and other outdated processes. This lack of standardized processes hurts field-to-office communication, negatively impacting the effectiveness of key project processes.

In order for contractors to advance and evolve to meet the needs of their clients, the report suggests company leaders must identify where inefficiencies are present within their organizations and adopt more dynamic technological solutions to address them.

Best practices for technology evaluation and implementation include:

• Identifying needs before evaluating options
• A phased roll-out plan
• A structured process for engaging key stakeholders
• Metrics to determine success

To learn more, download the report here.

Xero, the global small business platform, has partnered with leading global provider of construction management software, Procore Technologies, Inc., to provide a new integration between Procore’s construction financial management solution and Xero’s cloud-based accounting platform.

The new app integration is now available on the Xero App Store in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. It helps solve some of the biggest challenges small and medium construction firms face by enabling them, and their advisors, to connect field and back office teams with real-time, accurate, financial data in the cloud. This in turn supports the delivery of multiple complex projects on time, and on budget.

According to McKinsey, the construction industry accounts for 13 per cent of global GDP, but productivity has grown by just one per cent annually over the past 20 years and digitalization is lower than in nearly any other industry.

You can try the new Procore app in the Xero App Store here.

Procore Technologies, a leading global provider of construction management software, today announced a new integration with Building Transparency, a nonprofit organization with the mission to enable broad and swift action to address the construction industry’s role in climate change. The integration enables Procore users to leverage the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) in an effort to drive sustainability across the global construction industry.

Between 2015 and 2050 worldwide, two trillion square feet of buildings are expected to be built or renovated, and the World Green Building Council estimates that construction materials account for approximately 11 per cent of global carbon emissions. In order to address Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and sustainable building practices, the EC3 tool is a free database that calculates the embodied carbon emissions associated with design and material procurement, ultimately helping specialty contractors, general contractors and owners reduce embodied carbon emissions in construction. The EC3 calculator was co-conceived and developed by Skanska and C Change Labs; it was jointly seed-funded by Skanska and Microsoft. 

The EC3 integration provides Procore users the opportunity to reduce construction waste and rework, accounting for nearly $500 billion annually across the globe according to the 2018 FMI Report. By giving construction professionals the tools to benchmark and assess their carbon footprint, the tool actively helps companies realize their sustainability targets and reduce carbon emissions. 

To learn more about how Procore is partnering with Building Transparency to support greener construction practices, register for Procore’s global Innovation Summit taking place April 19.