I was enjoying coffee this morning thinking about our successful trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan two weeks ago to attend The Second Annual Construction Technology and Innovation Conference.
Normally when I return from one of these gatherings, I discuss the innovative companies we ran across – and we saw plenty, including @ManufactOn, @SandBoxZero, and @VectorTechGroup.
We also heard some fantastic speakers, such as @VincentVasquez, the CEO of Precision Story and @CurtisRodgers from Brick and Mortar Ventures. Both discussed how technology is just starting to make inroads into the construction space and shared their take on the next few years.
What impressed me most about this conference was the intimate nature of the conversations with respected leaders in the industry. We spoke repeatedly throughout the day with @AnkoorAmin from @DPR Construction, a current client, with @aaronpeterson from @VueOps, and had the opportunity to brainstorm with @JasonTschetter from @Mortenson.
In each of these conversations, we were no longer battling inertia in understanding that data from the field is important. Instead, we got a really good grasp of some of the pain points we could solve for the industry.
For example, because Recon’s data transmission is totally automated, field workers are spared from having to manually scan anything or use an app or QR code to track tools. And because our sensors are motion sensitive, they also monitor asset usage, letting managers – including some at @DPR – know when tools can be moved to a different worksite and when they need maintenance.
What surprised me most, was how quickly everyone grasped the concept we’re selling, which is that Recon provides a data service. We don’t just sell the hardware and walk away saying good luck. They all understood how we work with each client to tailor the data to solve their specific problems and deliver actionable items that will make their operation more efficient. It was refreshing.