Users of Autodesk’s construction solutions, such as AutoCAD and BIM 360, could be forgiven for feeling a little neglected of late. After all, the splashiest announcements in recent years have been for Autodesk’s manufacturing customers.
This year, that has all changed.
The big news now is about construction technology. Autodesk is betting that bringing manufacturing processes to the construction industry, what they call “industrializing construction,” will reduce waste, speed-up building timelines and improve quality, all while reducing cost.
Autodesk’s new CEO, Andrew Anagnost, lamented the state of the construction industry.
“We all know (the construction industry) wastes about 30 percent of its resources on every single project. It’s also responsible for about 40 percent of what we see inside landfills,” he said.
But Anagnost also enthused about the opportunity. The construction industry is huge.
Consulting firm Mckinsey estimates that 7 percent of the global workforce is employed in construction, and that it generates $10 trillion in annual revenue. Historically,construction companies have had a relatively low investment in technology. Brian Roepke, Autodesk senior director, estimated it at around 1 percent of revenue. However, he went on to state that now, “up to 80 percent of construction companies…