Not only is Aramco planning to use satellites to supercharge 4IR operations, it is also investing in the technology itself.

In the age of artificial intelligence and automation, engineers must develop internal processes that free their people up to design and innovate while automating time-consuming, traditional tasks.

While many AI technologies deliver crowd-sourced "answers," generative AI in construction is already delivering quality results.

Says Kit Miyamoto, founder of engineering firm Miyamoto International, after tour of hard-hit area: "The scene of devastation is unlike anything I have seen in my 20 years of working in disaster zones." 

A "smart infrastructure" approach demands that utility and IoT data inform major infrastructure programs from a database such as that in a geographical information system.

Conversational Artificial Intelligence technology such as ChatGPT can help contractors make better decisions, enhance communication and collaboration, and rapidly change the industry. 

Technology might make working remotely possible for office personnel, but you need to consider what that will mean for your company's culture, especially considering the very human diversity and inclusivity goals it has.

The disruptions, remote working and supply chain challenges that the pandemic presented will have both answers and lessons for construction professionals to learn in 2023.

For technology tools to make a real impact in construction they must be used beyond minimum requirements. That means understanding and respecting the processes of the jobsite.

Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner's "How Big Things Get Done" stems from Flyvbjerg's work at Oxford University studying megaprojects.