The Internet of Things (IoT) is changing the way we interact with the world around us – not just how we live, but also how we work.

From homes to heavy industry, manufacturing to medical care, everything is being revolutionised by sophisticated sensors and real-time analytics.

In this blog we look at the impact the Internet of Things is having on construction from site safety to project delivery.

While most of us are familiar with the internet, there are a lot of complexities around the Internet of Things (IoT). Put simply, IoT is the concept of connecting basically any device with an ‘on/off’ switch to the internet, and if necessary to each other.

In your home, this can include things like smart meters, lamps, even your coffee machine. So, when you’re at work, for example, your house will receive a signal from your phone as to when you’ll arrive home, turn the lights on, and get a fresh cup of caffeine on the go for the minute you walk through the door.

In construction, boiling up a brew might not be considered a major advantage but what if it increases the likelihood of hitting project deadlines on time, alerting you when materials are running low in supply, turning on drills when required, even proactively deploying maintenance teams BEFORE equipment has failed?

It may sound like the stuff of sci-fi films, but analysts believe there will be more than 26 billion connected devices by 2020 – and that’s a safe estimate, with those in the know predicting closer to four times that many.

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is changing the face of construction, from small building sites to global engineering firms.

Companies like Caterpillar have already turned their hand to data collection and analytics, with sensors to monitor the payload and distribution of materials on earth movers.

Another, Michelin, has developed tyre sensor technology with features including pressure monitoring to detect slow leaks and performance data to encourage fuel-efficient driving in HGV fleets. Live monitoring of sensor data on engine condition and fuel levels means that vehicles can be serviced and refuelled long before they fail.

Technology is becoming so accessible it will allow smart sensors and powerful analytics to be dropped into any workflow where there is an ‘on-off’ switch.

Data from connected devices will feed into cloud analytics and machine learning algorithms will enable companies to adjust processes and working environments for greater efficiency and service, resulting in improvements and savings.

In construction, tracking capabilities could eventually mean high-value materials and equipment can be easily located even on vast sites used by hundreds of people.

Also, instead of frustrated builders contacting manufacturing companies to say that equipment has failed, they instead will be contacted and told that problems or failure are likely to occur if certain parts are not replaced or maintained.

At Premier Guarantee we don’t need the Internet of Things to stay connected with our clients.

We have more than 100 surveyors ensuring that every customer is always fully supported by local people who know the area and can be on site promptly when required.

The surveyor team keep in regular contact with our customer service team over all on-site and off-site issues which allows us to deliver a first-class service.

If you’d like to know more, get in touch and let us see how we can help.