COPIED
6 mins

TECHNOLOGY'S VALUE PROPOSITION

Technology has the potential to help solve many of construction’s pain points, such as a lack of workers and the need to reduce emissions, ROB PAINTER, Trimble CEO, tells

Technology has the potential to help solve many of construction’s pain points, such as a lack of workers and the need to reduce emissions, ROB PAINTER, Trimble CEO, tells

ROB PAINTER, CEO OF TRIMBLE

The first time I meet Rob Painter, CEO of Trimble, it is alongside thousands of other people. Painter had appeared on the rather large main stand at the Trimble Dimensions event in Las Vegas, US, and was talking to the crowd of Trimble employees, customers and dealers. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one in the audience ‘meeting’ Painter for the first time – he has been with the company since 2006, but became CEO and President in 2020 and, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this was the first time Dimensions had been held in four years.

Painter spoke well on stage, setting out his vision for the company before inviting Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak on stage for an enjoyably un-corporate conversation. Over 5,700 people attended Dimensions, making it the largest in Trimble’s history, as people embraced the opportunity to meet faceface. When I next met Painter for a relaxed conversation on a sofa later in the week, it was clear how much he was enjoying the event and the opportunities that technology can provide for construction.

TECHNOLOGY AS A PROBLEM SOLVER

“Look at the value proposition of what technology delivers. We have a labour shortage; our technology enables an inexperienced operator to become good and a good operator great,” he says.

“We can bring in a new set of workers into this industry, upskill workers. We literally have examples of people who’ve worked at a sandwich shop and become competent operators within a matter of weeks through the application of technology.”

This lack of skilled workers, alongside supply chain issues and rising prices of materials is also providing those in the industry, whether it is contractors or project owners, extra incentive to look at how they can be more productive and cut costs. “You need technology more than ever in that inflationary environment to be able to do more with less,” says Painter.

Another reason for the Trimble CEO – and indeed all in construction – to be positive is the amount of money that is being invested into infrastructure around the world. It is estimated that US$79 trillion will be invested in infrastructure in the next 15 years.

In our conversation he mentions the HS2 rail link in the UK, the Grand Paris Project in France, and some ‘thought-leading’ infrastructure work in the Nordics, as well as President Biden’s infrastructure bill in the US. On this, Painter says, “It’s a generational opportunity to do something about our infrastructure. The size of it and the opportunity that comes along with it is a positive catalyst for the results that we have, and many in the industry are growing right now.”

The growth that Painter talks about has been substantial, with the CEO saying, “It’s been a record year for our business across the board. We’re seeing levels of growth that exceed anything we’ve had in the past. We have the mix of software and hardware, and I think that’s working. It provides the connection between the field and the office and the physical and the digital world.”

MACHINE CONTROL IS AN INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

At Dimensions there were several new product launches, including the Trimble Construction Cloud powered by Microsoft Azure, an industry cloud to streamline construction projects. The product has been designed to help accelerate the digital transformation of construction. One of the ways it will do this is by providing a ‘common data environment’ – having one centralised and common data environment that connects the office with site operations tools should mean that data is less fragmented and in fewer silos.

Painter tells me a key focus is, “making it easier for customers to access more of the technology. There’s also an aspect of moving more of the business models to recurring business models turning CapEx [capital expenses] into OpEx [operating expenses]. When you go through these turbulent times, it’s making it easier for a customer to adopt.”

Reducing costs from a large upfront payment to a monthly subscription charge and having all the data in one place should make it easier for customers. But what about the fact that data from different technology providers and OEMs doesn’t always talk to each other – how big a problem is this? “Oh, I think it’s a very large issue for the industry,” he replies.

“Our platform strategy is an open interoperable system. This is a gigantic industry, it’s a fragmented set of stakeholders that come together. Think about a subcontractor, sub-subcontractors on a project. There’s no such thing as one ecosystem that’s going to do it all, or one company that’s going be able to meet every single need that’s in a project. That drives a mentality we have around being open and interoperable with the data.”

DATA AND AUTOMATION

Trimble has spent around US$2 billion in recent years on research and development, and of that strikingly large figure the largest proportion has been invested in data and autonomy. The Trimble Construction Cloud powered by Microsoft Azure would be an example of investment in data, and Painter says that automation and autonomy is an area where the company has “stepped up investment” over the last couple of years.

Painter comments that Trimble sees, “autonomy as a progressive series of automation,” and in a way the company have been doing it for 20 years; it was just called machine control. So-called ‘full’ autonomy is a long way off, but automation can play a key role in increasing productivity.

“The ability to add perception sensors and functional safety is really one of the gaps to be overcome as we move higher up the technology stack. We think about workflows that make sense to be further automated and to become autonomous. I don’t think everything should be automated; construction is generally a very bespoke operation, it’s not a mine, which is more of a closed loop, controlled environment,” he says.

“We don’t think that every site project is going to make sense to be done autonomously or every linear project to be done autonomously. We do think that they can become more automated. We do think they can become more productive, and we can take two person operations and make them a oneperson operation.”

Being more productive ties into a major issue – arguably the major issue – facing construction: how to be more sustainable. In simple terms, the more efficient a project is then the fewer emissions are produced. As Painter neatly summaries, “The first place where you achieve sustainability benefits is through productivity.” He says that on a recent trip to Europe and Asia sustainability was in the top two priorities for “every customer.”

When talking about the potential of technology to play a key role in the drive for sustainability, Painter – who comes across as calm, measured and thoughtful – becomes excitable and animated. “It’s an exciting, inspiring time. How do you use your heartbeats in life? What do you want to work on, what do you want to do? Do you want to make a positive difference? With this work our ability to make a difference is enormous. That’s inspiring.”

It would be no surprise to anyone if at the next Trimble Dimensions, Painter, from the oversized stage, devotes a large section of time talking about sustainability and exactly what the technology sector is doing to help the giant and fractured construction industry reduce its emissions.

THE EXPO HALL AT TRIMBLE DIMENSIONS SHOWCASED A HOST OF TECHNOLOGY
This article appears in January-February 2023

Go to Page View
This article appears in...
January-February 2023
Go to Page View
COMMENT NEW STARTS
It is the start of the year, a
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
PHOTO: DOOSAN Visit www.khl.com for your daily
STRONG SALES WHAT'S HAPPENING?
OEMs have been releasing their fourth quarter and
WHAT IT MEANS
These results reflect the overall health of the
INTERMAT RETURNS
The Intermat exhibition will be held in Paris,
ICONIC STADUIM UPDATE
PHOTOS: FCBARCELONA.COM The remodelling of the historic
US$5 TRILLION ECONOMIC AMBITION
India aims to become a US$5 trillion economy, but to do so must address infrastructure gaps. Catrin Jones looks at how the country is planning to meet its ambitious goals
POTENTIAL FOR WORLD-LEADING MARKET
India has invested heavily in infrastructure in recent years and that trend looks set to continue as the country looks at moving from a regional power to a global one, writes Scott Hazelton
TALL BUILDINGS, HIGH DEMANDS
To accommodate the world’s growing population cities are building taller buildings, but how does this fit with the global target of increasing the sustainability of infrastructure? Catrin Jones reports
WALKING THE WALK
Bauer Maschinen CEO, Dr. Ruediger Kaub, on the challenges – and opportunities – of electric power and automation
FROM THE EDITOR
I’d like to tell you about some important
McIntosh Power Plant, Florida
PHOTO: TOTAL WRECKING & ENVIRONMENTAL US demolition contractor
2022: The year in quotes
D&RI/JOE MATHER PHOTOGRAPHY Excerpts from inter views and
30 years of the RVA Group
A video interview with managing director and D&Ri
PP O’Connor’s starring role in football stand demolition
PHOTO: WREXHAM AFC While the film industr y
Site Report: Mainline Demolition and the Broun Avenue bridge
PHOTO: MAINLINE DEMOLITION Behind the scenes at the
Tomorrow’s thinking today
Construction and demolition are changing rapidly, leading to observers on both sides of the Atlantic analysing how this will translate into actual equipment manufacturing and deployment.
Demolition – the view from a trainee
Demolition companies are not just focused on the
The starting point
Quick couplers are just one example of excavator at tachments leading to an increasingly safe workplace. D&Ri looks at the latest developments.
In search of new markets
HYDRAULIC BREAKERS Rotair has unveiled a vision to
Lezama’s power plant challenge
How a Spanish demolition contractor drew on 25 years of experience to come up with two dif ferent methods for projects in the energy industry.
‘ Where the future begins’
The 90,000 sq m outdoor exhibition space at
President Panseri’s thoughts for 2023
Despite uncertainty in the demolition sector, EDA president Stefano Panseri is hopeful that the progress made in 2022 will continue.
ACHIEVING PEAK EFFICIENCY
Engine manufacturers have been steadily improving diesel technology, reducing emissions and also improving fuel economy, reports Julian Buckley
'BIGGEST EVER' SHOW
CONEXPO-CON/AGG
THE SKY'S THE LIMIT
Drones are increasing accepted as part of the construction process and their applications for the sector are ever evolving, discovers
TECHNOLOGY'S VALUE PROPOSITION
Technology has the potential to help solve many of construction’s pain points, such as a lack of workers and the need to reduce emissions, ROB PAINTER, Trimble CEO, tells
WHY EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS ARE BUYING
Construction equipment manufacturers have been engaged in an arms race to buy up technology firms to make their machines more efficient, more environmentally sustainable and safer, reports
'FUTURE PROOF' AIRPORT
Where is it? Between Warsaw and Łódź, Poland
Looking for back issues?
Browse the Archive >

Previous Article Next Article
January-February 2023
CONTENTS
Page 72
PAGE VIEW