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I believe there are three principal catalysts for this rapid evolution of technology: 1. The U.S. Department of Commerce Technology Administration – National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) funded a study in 2004 entitled Cost Analysis of Inadequate Interopera- bility in the U.S. Capital Facilities Indus- try. This study concluded that the AEC industry was behind all other industries, with the exception of farming, when it relates to the adoption of technology to conduct business. The billions of dollars of waste due to the inefficiencies in capital projects alone got the atten- tion of the federal government, most particularly the GSA. (http://fire.nist.gov/ bfrlpubs/build04/PDF/b04022.pdf) 2. The introduction of Building Infor- mation Modeling (BIM) practices, standards and software technology. While the initial adoption curve of BIM standards was relatively slow, the rate of current adoption and the ensuing breadth of projects that leverage these practices has put significant demands of technology usage on current projects. When the GSA mandated that all federal projects use BIM it had a widespread affect with contractors looking for work during industry low points in 2008, which subsequently forced these firms to embrace more tech- nology usage on their projects. 3. An incredible development pace being set by both software and technology hardware providers. Computers are getting smaller and more powerful. Smartphones are in everyone's pocket. Businesses and consumers are all using Cloud storage and services. Digital displays have higher resolution and printers are faster, cheaper and print at higher res too. Add to that all of the innovation being seen in 3D laser scanning equipment, Virtual Reality and Visualization tools using gaming engines, and we are experi- encing technology that not long ago we could hardly even imagine. Who in this country hasn't heard about 3D printing and drones? Firms of all sizes are embracing these technologies on projects that range from a few millions dollars in total value, to the one billion dollar and higher mega projects. We even are seeing the creation of new positions within these firms to address these needs. BIM Managers now have been around for a few years, but the title VDC (Virtual Design and Construction) Manager or Engineer has started to show up in firms across the country. This also has led to relatively new terms like Information Mobility, which elicits the concept of using and sharing the right data on the right device, or medium, at the right time. There are many examples and use cases of this happening from both the clients and the vendors providing these products or services. In the end, of course contractors are paid to build buildings and the technology is only sup- posed to assist in that process. Applying these technologies and developing the best practices to meet the actual business challenges the technology addresses is the priority. " When fulfilling major contracts, clear communication and accurate documentation is essential to get the job done on time and under budget. Finding the best way to do this when working with a multitude of subcontractors has a tremendous impact on our success." – Chad Neukirch, Area Superintendent, Southeast District, Hensel Phelps Technology designed to enhance commu- nication and collaboration has been one of the N ot all that long ago, the most advanced technology being deployed on a jobsite was a copy machine and a calculator. We have come a long way, as some of today's high-tech project sites feature technology that would have been considered science fiction in decades past. 145 JULY : AUGUST 2016 — COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION