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It is often said that technology makes the world go round. Each year televisions seem to get bigger (yet thinner), computers get smaller, and Internet speeds get faster 鈥� especially on our mobile devices. We anxiously await the latest and greatest, and watch as the early adopters line up outside retail spaces to be the first to get them.

Just like in the world around us, the construction industry is always hungry for new innovations. Access to new technology is increasing efficiency in our industry, improving work quality and helping contractors build the highest-performing buildings the world has ever seen.

In fact, we get something new and then we wonder how we ever lived without it. Then, two years later it’s a paperweight collecting dust in the corner as something newer, faster and cheaper replaces it.

鈥淚t wasn’t long ago that we wondered how we got by without fax machines,鈥� explained an ABC member I visited with recently. 鈥淚f our fax machine rang right now I would probably wander around the office for ten minutes trying to figure out where the sound was coming from.鈥�

Contractors get bombarded everyday with new technological advances. The options are endless, but the budgets to pay for them rarely are. I really enjoy seeing how contractors are using new products, and I’m often reminded that the applications aren’t just good for the contractor 鈥� they also benefit the customer.

Smartphones, tablets, mobile apps and even social media are providing contractors new ways to find efficiency and collaborate across their field teams.

The ability to snap a photo 鈥� or video 鈥� from a smartphone or tablet and leverage people across an entire company to troubleshoot a problem is helping contractors solve tricky problems while sending fewer employees to a job site.

New building technologies are driving energy consumption down through innovative control systems that better regulate temperatures, enhance the use of natural light and save the customer enough money to justify the expense.

Even social media is proving itself beneficial to contractors looking to engage a variety of audiences about latest industry developments, share best practices and contribute to larger conversations in their community.

鈥淪ocial media isn’t just talking about your company and posting a picture of your latest project,鈥� explained a contractor recently. 鈥淚t’s about engaging with the community around you, adding to the conversation, and building a network that would not have otherwise existed.鈥�

Technology isn’t just about computers. It is also providing us all with amazing new building materials and construction methods. From multidimensional computer modeling to high-performance engineered wood products and energy-saving eco-roofs, a variety of new options are emerging to deliver better buildings to construction consumers.

Unless you have a side business printing money, you never want to adopt new technology or innovation just for the sake of doing so. You’ll wear out your workforce and you’ll probably waste a lot of money in the process. When weighing whether to adopt new technologies, consider:

鈥� Is the latest technology cost-effective?

鈥� How will something interact with other tools already in place?

鈥� Will it improve efficiency for the team?

鈥� How soon will it be obsolete?

It is exciting to see how new technologies and applications aren’t just the domain of teens posting via Instagram, but the way we use them can improve the bottom line and drive efficiencies in traditional trades.

Share with us how technology is changing the face of the industry by tweeting it to us via Twitter: @abcpnw

Laurie Kendall is president of the Associated Builders and Contractors‘ Pacific Northwest chapter. Contact her at 503-598-0620 or at [email protected].