Transcript 0:00 [on-hold music] So for the foreseeable future, companies will need to determine how to best protect all of their workers. And all of you are gonna think about that when all of your workers go back. 0:14 So this will likely involve, as you've been hearing, masks and social distancing, enhanced cleaning, and virtual collaboration when possible, right? We'll, we'll have to kind of figure this out. 0:28 [upbeat music] Welcome to The Peggy Smedley Show, the podcasting voice of IoT and digital transformation, with your host, Peggy Smedley. 0:48 [upbeat music] Hello, listeners, and welcome to today's edition of The Peggy Smedley Show. As always, I'm your host, Peggy Smedley. I hope you are all doing well in this crazy pandemic. 0:59 Today, I'm going to be talking about the need for the healthcare construction market going back to work. I'll also be addressing how technology fits into this equation. 1:11 As we know, many ind-industries have kind of grinded to halt during COVID-19, and we're all kind of feeling frustrated and kind of feeling all of this pa- pain around us. 1:24 However, construction is considered an es-essential industry and is one that is continuing to work, many at least right now, during this pandemic, primarily due to the need for the temporary medical facilities and other in-essential needs. 1:43 At the same time, others are beginning to determine how to go back to work safely, we've been seeing all of the news reports and discussions about it, through the increased social distancing requirements. 1:57 We'll also talk about all of these different things here today. But first, let me share with you who will be my guests. 2:04 Today, I will be talking with Magnus Tibblin, who's the president of machine control at Hexagon Geosystems, and then I'm gonna wrap up things with Ethan Sorrel-Green, the chief product officer of Carmera. 2:18 So we've got some really wonderful guests on the show, as always. So let's dig into some of the numbers out there. 2:25 As of April twenty-fourth, the US Army Corps of Engineers has completed seventeen of the thirty-two alternate care facility construction projects. 2:36 Now, keep in mind, these numbers I'm citing don't include the facilities that states and cities are constructing entirely on their own. So I wanted to kind of give you those numbers. 2:48 These are just the sites that are the Army Corps of Engineers found, surveyed, and drew up with construction plans for. 2:58 The-- there are, I guess, if you kind of look at it, four standard designs that include college dorms, uh, let's say hotels, uh, sports arenas, or even convention centers. 3:11 All four designs can be adapted to kind of serve as COVID and non-COVID patients. 3:18 Approved site adaptations, for those of you who might not know, must be accomplished in as little as five days and at most two weeks to align with the state's projected virus infection peaks. 3:33 Now, for those who are working in the construction industry, you know that is pretty much an impressive feat, and we've seen some impressive turnarounds already. 3:42 So let's look at one example, uh, right here in my backyard, because we've been seeing the numbers climbing, and for me, I'm kind of like, "All right, enough already with all these numbers." 3:53 But let's talk about it, because it's here in my backyard, and I can give you something that I'm seeing every day and we're talking about. 3:59 McCormick Place here in Chicago, Illinois, has been turned into an alternative or an alternate care facility, and the r- facility is roughly one point five million square feet and has a bed capacity of three thousand. 4:15 The contract was awarded on March twenty-eighth and was completed one day ahead of the schedule on April twenty-third, and this is just one example. 4:24 So contractors are hard at work setting up, I guess you could say, alternate care facilities all across the country, which for all of us, that's important because if you look at the numbers right now, we're over a million cases that are confirmed cases of COVID, and every day you're hearing the numbers go up and up and up. 4:42 So I'm not gonna give you exact numbers, but you know that's what's happening because as soon as I give you a number, someone's gonna say, "No, I've heard more numbers," but that's not the point. 4:49 The point is, we have to look at what's happening, and we want people to get well because we've lost a lot of lives, you know, 'cause the numbers go up, and we hear, you know, another death and, and we have to think about, you know, not only the people who are getting sick, people who are dying, and we have to be aware of what's going on around us. 5:06 So for the remainder of this segment, I, I would like to paint a picture of what that might look like, I guess, overall for the construction industry and what this means for what they're doing. 5:17 So working in office and at the job site might look very different than it once did and what that means when we think about these things. 5:26 So for the foreseeable future, companies will need to determine how to best protect all of their workers, and all of you are gonna think about that when all of your workers go back. 5:36 So this will, um, likely involve, as you've been hearing, masks and social distancing, enhanced cleaning, and virtual collaboration when possible, right? We'll, we'll have to kind of figure this out. But 5:49 I, I like what CEO Brendan Bechtel wrote in his response to the White House request for his perspective on the economy. 5:59 I encourage you to go check it out because I think it's really interesting, but let me read just a small portion of whatIt, he said here, and, and here's what he writes, so I'm gonna read it to you. 6:10 "Re-engaging America's engineering and construction workforce will be critical to restarting the US economy. The engineering and construction industry is among the nation's most important economic engines. 6:24 In recent years, it has produced five to six percent of America's gross domestic product and provided quality jobs for more than five percent of US workers." 6:38 He goes on to explain how this engine has been idle by the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and how to help accelerate a return of growth, one key way is by focusing on infrastructure. 6:53 What do I have been talking about for years now? Infrastructure investments. And he has three key considerations for the industry moving forward. So let's talk about that even more. 7:04 First, we need widespread test and trace capabilities as a prerequisite for a safe return to work at scale. We've all been saying that as well. 7:15 He so wisely states, and this is what I like about what, what he says, that worker health and safety must also be our first priority. 7:22 Until a vaccine is available, which we all know we have to wait for, but companies will need to be able to test and track viruses, uh, exposure at all scale, because that's gonna be very important. 7:34 So thus, he recommends the federal government prioritizes this capability. Now, we all wish that that could happen. I think that's important. But second, we need to increase 7:44 the public sector demand for projects to offset the retreat a- of the private sector, c- because we have to kind of think about that. 7:53 So what a great point I think he makes there, and I think we all need to think about this. Demand for the new private sector projects has virtually disappeared, right? And, and we need to think about that. 8:04 Even projects that were already w- awarded have been just completely disappeared, canceled, delayed, whatever's happened, and that is really something we've gotta talk about. 8:15 So the federal government has a big opportunity to initiate a large-scale public sector projects that can help put Americans to work and stimulate this economy, 'cause that's what's happened. It's just stalled. 8:29 It's disappeared. And we were doing so well as an economy, but now what's happened? It's frightening what's happening around us. I mean, our, our US economy is, is disappearing. 8:40 So finally he says, we need to im-improve the efficiency of project permitting and approvals to help accelerate recovery in the private sector demand. So we need these approval processes to be faster and more affordable. 8:58 I, I even, I even add to this to be more agile, to limit any more delays. I mean, I think we're not what we need to be. So we need fewer duplicate reviews. We need to get to work faster. 9:11 These are all great points, and we need to kind of continue to move forward as an industry. I think that's so very important. I wanna circle back to his first point for a few moments here. 9:23 A- as, as we need to get back to work, we need to get and return to work soon. I know we're all, and the governors are having to look at this, but it's likely a phased-in approach. That's what we're seeing. 9:35 We're all hearing this phased-in approach, and we'll all need to figure out how to do this safely as possible. 9:41 But for those of us trying to get ready to ramp up, you know, let me leave you with a few tips from OSHA about how to keep our workers safe during this time. Do encourage workers to stay at home if they're sick. 9:52 We get that. That's important. Allow your workers to wear masks to stop the spread of the virus. Continue other typical safety practices such as using a PPE. We get that. 10:04 But do advise workers to avoid physical contact with other workers when possible. You know, if work trailers are used, all workers should maintain six feet distance when inside the trailers. Be smart. 10:17 I mean, come on, people, we all need to understand that. Train your workers on how to use protective equipment. I wanna give out-- get out there and give talks to people. 10:27 I wanna help people understand what we need to do to be safe. But we've gotta get back to work. We've gotta stimulate this economy. That's what I've been doing for years, is training people how to be smart about things. 10:38 You know, we also have to train them on how proper respiratory etiquette, like how to cover coughs and sneezes. I mean, I, I don't understand that. Our parents taught us this years ago. Why have we forgot how to do this? 10:51 If equipment must be shared, make sure to do proper cleaning techniques. I'm telling you, ask my children. We-- they've learned how proper cleaning techniques work in my home. Let's do it in the office, anywhere we are. 11:03 These are the things. Keep meetings as short as possible. Even better, if we can do them virtually, let's do that. But we need to have meetings. We can't just say everything's going to be virtual. 11:14 We are a human society that needs to interact. Let's not just say the world is virtual. We're just not a society that's going to do that. If they m-must be done in person, we need to do them in person. It's necessary. 11:27 That's how we perform better. You know, maybe we have to limit the number of workers, okay, I get it, in attendance, but let's not just say we're never gonna be in a group together. But let's be smart about it. 11:38 Encourage your workers to report any safety and health concerns. Bottom line, stay safe out there. You know, with all that in mind, here's my opinion. We need to look at this as an opportunity. 11:51 It's an opportunity right now. I'm choosing to look at this as an opportunity to work in a new and different ways. Will you consider looking at, at that way too? I mean, that's how you have to do it. 12:03 Don't look at this as negative. Look at it as positive. Here's my tip for today. Now, this is a chance for your company to leverage technology. I say it all the time. Be smart. Leverage technology when you can. 12:16 Limit new technology. Implement new technology. Get rid of the stuff that doesn't work, but look at new technology to help you ramp up business in a way that is both safe and secure. 12:28 Collaboration, reality capture technology can help you stay connected from a distance if you have to, but don't use it to say you're never gonna get together, 'cause that's not the right positive thinking. 12:41 Be more intentional about using 3D data. Understand the role and benefits of BIM. 12:48 Builders can offer virtual appointments when necessary, 360 degree virtual tours on websites if you want to, but you also need to see people face to face. Now is the time to be creative. 13:00 I'd love to hear your thoughts on using technology in new and different ways. But remember, we're still people that need to get together, but be smart about it. 13:09 [upbeat music] All right, listeners, that's all the time we have for this segment. Please check out our website at connecttheworld.com or thepeggySMEDLEYshow.com. 13:16 This is The Peggy Smedley Show, the podcasting voice of IoT and digital transformation. Remember, with great technology comes great responsibility. We'll be right back after this commercial break. [upbeat music]
