Education

Just a few years ago, enterprise adoption of drones was out of reach for even the largest contractors, due to tight Federal Aviation Administration regulations and limited options in the drone hardware and software marketplace. But with the development of the Small Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Part 107 regulations in 2016 — eliminating the requirement that commercial drone…

There are three main factors that drive the demand for mobile technology in the construction industry: leadership request, an increasingly mobile workforce and the growing need for real-time information. According to a recent study, more than 80 percent of construction professionals surveyed said that mobile capabilities are “very important” in improving their workflows. While the…

Construction jobsites will one day be bustling with “terminator-type,” humanoid robots, according to Scott Peters, president and co-founder of Construction Robotics, but that future may be a long ways off for the industry. For now, the Victor, New York-based company recognizes that human workers have unique expertise and problem-solving skills to offer, and that to increase…

When McKinsey released a report in February 2017 about construction’s productivity gap, much attention was given to the industry’s abysmal 1% annual productivity growth rate, which is less than half of the 2.8% global construction growth rate. However, McKinsey’s report said U.S. contractors could increase productivity in part by “infusing digital technology, new materials and…

You’re an engineer on a tight schedule to design a power supply for a robot that will automate a factory. Or maybe you’re designing the power supply for an automotive braking system. Or a remote-controlled toy airplane.  Or a smartphone. You’ve got decisions to make. You need a switching regulator for DC/DC conversion, but there…

At a recent Congressional hearing, Congressman G.K. Butterfield (NC-01) brought to light a very serious issue that the National Association of Minority Contractors has been echoing for some time now. There is a digital divide between minorities as tech consumers versus minorities as entrepreneurs or employees. These differences cannot be ignored. On one hand, the…

H-E-B continues its path toward becoming a dominant force in the digital retail space, announcing that it has signed a long-term lease for a building in East Austin. The largest privately-held employer in Texas will develop a world-class tech facility and innovation lab for its growing H-E-B Digital team and Favor, the Austin-based on-demand delivery service that is a…

By: Lea Bogle Healthcare costs have skyrocketed and small businesses that have historically provided healthcare benefits have either gone to plans with high deductibles, or have stopped offering it all together.   Other small business who would like to have a company provided health benefit, can’t simply because of the costs.   Additionally, many employees have decided…