Gut vs. Spreadsheets an Analysis Part I

Gut vs. Spreadsheets an Analysis Part I

This past week we did a live test of the HP Site Layout System and while this is not so much a testament to HP or anything related to them, it's more of a gut feeling towards the technology and process in general.

Now the technology is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination and in the case of our scope of work, which is framing, more specifically on this project the load bearing panels.

One of the current downsides is the machine really can't print the exterior wall due to its distance from a leading edge and safety measures the machine has in place. As a result, a user is left to do offsets or different things like that that still require tape measure.

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Each of the main players in the space has this struggle currently and different work arounds (again blog post is not a tech review).

While it's not perfect, it's better than skipping the entire scope. One must understand that a lot of this technology is going to be developed into the future and there are in this case (3) main players in the US competing for market share (1) Dusty, (2) Rugged, and (3) HP with probably more entrants to come.

As a business leader we have all see the technology adoption curve. One must choose were they want to operate on this curve. You know, the typical curve that everybody's seen used on LinkedIn.

You know, where do you want to be? Do you want to be a laggard? You know, do you want to be part of the masses?

Like where do you want to be on that curve?

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Right now, we are not the innovators. There are others currently using this technology and developing it, but its my opinion to be an early adopter as an operator.

Its not a decision chosen to generate clicks or views, but on rooted in history.

Andrew Carnegie.

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Andrew Carnegie did not invent the Bessemer process or the other steelmaking technologies he used. The Bessemer process was invented by Sir Henry Bessemer in England during the 1850s. Carnegie was, however, one of the first industrialists in the U.S. to aggressively adopt and refine the process, scaling it for mass production.

Similarly, the open-hearth furnace was developed by Carl Wilhelm Siemens and Pierre-Émile Martin, and Carnegie later integrated it into his steel mills when it proved more effective for producing high-quality steel.

Carnegie's real innovation was in business strategy—he applied and improved existing technologies, introduced vertical integration, and optimized efficiency better than his competitors. His ability to recognize and implement the most advanced steelmaking methods at scale is what made him a steel industry titan.

That's the view I use to analyze tools. In the next post we will break down some of the numbers using product rates and pros/cons, etc.

Eric Blackburn

Design Technology Manager

6mo

Surprisingly, I view robotic printers as a short-term solution. Where do they get their information to print from? From the BIM model. When we can use that directly to guide construction, that is achieving the goal. Today’s goggles and headsets fall short in cost, accuracy, durability, safety, battery life, etc.

Lonnie Cumpton

Visionary Technology Leader in Building Design & Construction | 33+ Years of Experience | Fostering Innovation-Driven Teams | BIM/VDC | Prefabrication & Industrialized Construction | AI & Data-Driven Processes

6mo

Such a great artical James. I personally beleave that most of the “construction tech” out today is at a similar place as your example. Like your history example shows it is almost never just the tech or even one tech that causes big breakthroughs for an industry. The construction industry is no different the big jumps come when someone combines significant industry expertise with advanced technology knowledge. That seems so obvious but time after time we see tech companies lean one way or the other or just forget one or the other. I do believe that right now is the best opportunity the construction industry has ever had to make a massive lead foward. We just need to aggressively find that right balance. As Christian said in his comment it is business and strategy that start the process, but you can not lose sight of that as you build your solution. Again fantastic article James. I very much look forward to the next.

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Billy Marks

Preconstruction Manager

6mo

🤔

Franklin Dickson

Vice President - Southland Partners

6mo

Love the article. Thanks for sharing. I look forward to the follow up.

Christian Steinert

I help healthcare companies save upward of $100,000 per annum

6mo

Business & strategy has to come first to activate the value of a technology fully. Focusing only on tools is a trap that racks up unneeded costs and unmet expectations. Great post, James. Applies to the analytics / data science space as well.

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