Wednesday 26th October saw the launch of BRE’s new resource hub for the smart construction professional – SiteSmart.
This centralised hub unites our current software tools, SmartWaste and Yellow Jacket, in addition to providing a platform for relevant construction industry resources and information; ensuring the provision of enhanced performance across the industry.
To get a better insight into the thoughts behind SiteSmart and what it aims to be, I asked Simon Cross, Director of Building Futures Group at BRE, a few questions regarding the new hub.
To you, what is SiteSmart?
“SiteSmart was created to be a single access platform for digital tools to enable construction sites to measure collate and report critical site information that will assist in making the sites safer, healthier, more environmentally friendly and ultimately more productive. Taking this further, SiteSmart also acts as a hub for information, resources and industry news enabling it to be a central platform for construction professionals.
Ultimately, SiteSmart will give up-to-date industry leading information and know how in a live environment that will make construction sites more profitable at site, division and company level.”
How do you see SiteSmart aiding in what you view to be the main challenges facing those working in the construction industry?
“One of the largest challenges facing contractors are single figure margins. This results in the need for any means to reduce risk and improve productivity to assist contractors in becoming more profitable. Such a requirement often leads to the need for making construction sites a better, healthier and safer place to work being side-lined.
The current and in development digital tools hosted on SiteSmart help to tether profitability and improved practice through the collecting of critical health, safety and environmental legal information effectively.”
How do you see SiteSmart helping those working in the construction industry?
“SiteSmart will make the process of reporting more effective through increased ease of input, a uniform language and the provision of access to near-live information for decision making processes.
Importantly, the tools, resources and information present on SiteSmart will help facilitate necessary behavioural and culture changes within people and organisations.”
What do you think makes SiteSmart unique?
“Governance and development by BRE, an independent organisation with a rich background in research and technical knowledge, gives SiteSmart a unique edge in the construction industry market. Focus of many years of experience in the construction sectors of sustainability, waste management, health, safety and digital tool development into this platform enables SiteSmart to provide a broad, yet knowledgeable, service to construction industry professionals.”
How do you view SiteSmart developing in the future?
“There are already a number of developments awaiting SiteSmart in the near future, including the introduction of the DataHub, a new KPI data-based tool, in early 2017. In addition to major add-ons such as this, SiteSmart will continue to develop such that it can be used across multiple data platforms making it easier to use and access.”
Any final words on SiteSmart?
“We are only just beginning to understand the power of digital tools and in time I believe that we will see a faster improvement in the construction sector due, at least in part, to SiteSmart.”
For further information about our digital tools, SmartWaste and YellowJacket please contact our SiteSmart team here.
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