These are the 6 Critical Low-Code Statistics In Construction for 2023 based on 293 users surveyed
We were curious about how mobile forms and no-code business apps are making a difference in the construction industry, so we surveyed 37 different industries with 293 responses to identify low-code/no-code trends and statistics in 2023.
57 responses were from construction professionals. And Construction made up 19.5% of the industry responses. It’s safe to say that the results were pretty conclusive – moving to digital data capture and construction mobile apps is the goal for any construction firm that wants to get ahead.
In fact, construction is one of the key industries seeing the benefits of mobile business apps and digital transformation.
Link to the full 7 Industry & Enterprise Low Code Platform Statistics in 2023.
The TL;DR Summary of low-code/no-code Trends and Statistics in Mobile Business Apps for Construction
TL;DR: The statistics of our Low-Code/No-Code Trends & Statistics In Construction showed that 50% of the focus is specifically on paperless and digital forms, 28% on data transfer and field data capture, 19% on compliance, safety, and inspections, 8% on efficiency and automation, 7% on improved communication and connectivity, 6% on customisation and professionalism.
There is some overlap between responses. So I grouped them as much as possible using specific keywords hence the results were at 118%.
The key objectives that our users wanted to achieve were: mobile forms for site working, better communication between the site teams and the office, streamlined and more efficient processes, compliance with safety regulations, and making their data capture systems digital for faster transfer of data from the field to the office.
Read on for the in-depth low-code survey results…
What did we ask our construction mobile business app users
Respondents during the onboarding process were asked 4 questions:
- What industry were they in
- Their role (we’ve kept that confidential)
- What would you like to achieve with forms2 no-code app builder?
- What are your main pain points & what obstacle do you think will be hardest to overcome?
During our forms2 onboarding process, we asked them to share their reasons for wanting to use mobile forms and business apps in construction, how they aimed to solve challenges with citizen development tools and we proved mobile forms, data capture apps and low-code/no-code mobile business apps would help them overcome any challenges in their daily operations.
It’s safe to say that when we actually analysed the survey responses, we found it pretty fascinating that these low-code/no-code trends and statistics undeniably show how the construction industry is embracing digital transformation and how paper forms are quickly becoming a thing of the past.
We found that mobile forms and business apps are truly making a difference by enhancing efficiency, communication, and overall project management across different aspects of the industry. Whether making better toolbox talks in the construction industry increasing safety or building custom business apps.
In this blog, we’re going to dive deep into the data and explore the exciting ways the construction landscape is being transformed by low-code/no-code business apps.
How we analysed the data
I segmented the audience by percentage and identified that construction accounted for 57 lines. 57 of 297 lines is 19.4%.
Along those lines, I identified key trends using keywords such as data, paperless, digitize, automation etc. To determine percentages.
Here’s what I found.
Construction Business App Trend 1: Paperless and Digital Forms
It’s pretty obvious, especially as mobile business apps help make things like toolbox talks faster, and more reliable, but of the standout trends we discovered is the growing popularity of paperless and digital forms in the construction industry.
It’s clear that professionals are eager to reduce their reliance on paper documents and streamline their workflows using digital solutions.
Although multiple users wanted to move away from paper, 6 users specifically stated they would like:
- Mobile forms for site working and speed up paperwork
- Replacement of existing electronic field form system to their work mobile(device)
- Paperless form solution
- Using forms to collate data from site
- A Paperless Site and returned forms
- A request form, approval or rejection of request, execution of request
What were the results?
In our survey, 50% of respondents highlighted their interest in adopting paperless and digital forms. This significant percentage shows that going digital is no longer an option or “nice-to-have” but a necessity for modern construction businesses that want to survive.
What would be the benefits?
The benefits of using paperless and digital forms for data capture, especially, are off the charts.
- They include:
- Improved efficiency by reducing time spent on manual paperwork
- Cost savings due to decreased paper usage
- Positive environmental impact through reduced waste.
- Audit trails
- Required fields
- JHA work form approvals
- The list goes on.
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Construction Business App Trend 2: Data Transfer and Data Capture
One of the biggest obstacles and recurring themes from our surveyed respondents in our Low-Code/No-Code Trends & Statistics In Construction was that they had “Too many paper forms, no ability to do anything with the data without excessive data entry”
Mobile business apps solve this problem in the construction industry in days. We know because we’ve helped hundreds of businesses achieve digital transformation – just check our success stories!
Accurate, efficient and timely data transfer and date capture are crucial elements for the construction industry, as they directly impact decision-making and overall project management.
5 users said they specifically wanted solutions for:
- Moisture mapping and data collection
- Using forms to collate data from site
- Make our system digital and allow for faster transfer of data from the field to the office.
- Collecting a large volume of data
- Accessing data on construction sites
What were the results?
About 28% of respondents emphasised the importance of accurate data transfer and data capture in their adoption of mobile forms and business apps in the construction industry.
Low-code/no-code business apps speed up the information flow within the industry. There was some crossover with this number as multiple users said this was part of their objective in addition to other goals.
What would be the benefits?
Mobile forms and apps can significantly improve data transfer and capture by accelerating the flow of information on a construction site.
- You can gather data in a digital form and instantly send it to your tech stack or back office.
- Improve decision-making by accessing real-time data including images, and videos
- Get iron-clad audit trails with digital signatures
- Access job sheet data, completed work forms and JHA information
Basically – you can get a holistic 360 view of your construction operation in the palm of your hand!
Construction Business App Trend 3: Compliance, Safety, and Inspections
We’ve actually discussed how access to mobile BI can actually save workers’ lives. So it makes sense that construction firms are waking up to the benefits of mobile construction apps when it comes to Compliance, Safety, and Inspections.
Ensuring you comply with safety regulations and conducting regular inspections and toolbox talks are vital for construction companies.
So it makes sense that our survey found that mobile forms and business apps are increasingly being used to manage and report on safety.
4 users specifically stated the following objectives:
- Would like to form a site safety file for each project
- A streamlined health & safety system
- System for safety checks in construction
- Compliance
What were the results?
This was the 3rd biggest concern with roughly 19% of respondents prioritising compliance, safety, and inspections as important areas they hope to address using mobile forms and business apps for construction.
This demonstrates the industry’s (and the firms we surveyed) dedication to maintaining high safety standards and regulatory compliance on an international level.
What would be the benefits?
Business apps for the construction industry built with forms2 can:
- Streamline inspections and reporting,
- Centralise safety documentation
- Help companies stay up-to-date with ever-changing regulations.
- Audit safety inspections
- Leave an audit trail
- Make toolbox talks 10x faster
- Ensure multi-language safety inspections are adhered to (you can translate the platform)
A business app used in the construction industry can make a world of difference when it comes to safety. Making toolbox talks faster, answering toolbox talks FAQs on the spot and reaping the benefits of toolbox talks in the construction industry.
Construction Business App Trend 4: Efficiency and Automation
Our survey also revealed the construction industry’s keen interest in leveraging mobile forms and business apps for efficiency and automation. Professionals are searching for ways to streamline their processes and reduce manual labour and basically automate reports.
3 users stated they wanted:
- Better organisation within my company
- Automate daily reporting form from Excel
- Automate work orders
What were the results?
About 8% of construction respondents focused on efficiency and automation as crucial aspects of their digital transformation journey.
This highlights the growing need for technology that simplifies and automates tasks within the construction sector.
What would be the benefits?
Automating toolbox talks and automating job tasks and job sheets are obviously a huge benefit here!
But there’s also more benefits of automation like:
- Mobile job sheets and apps reduce mistakes when inputting data
- They help your engineers get the correct information at the beginning of each job
- You can keep track of tasks in real-time
- Increased customer satisfaction
- Streamlined workflow
- Save money on paper costs by going digital
Mobile forms and business apps help construction professionals achieve efficiency and automation by simplifying staff submissions, automating work orders, and enhancing workflow management. Basically, you’ll get way more peace of mind when you automate using a mobile construction app.
You already know you can’t rely on paper!
Construction Business App Trend 5: Improved Communication and Connectivity
Another key construction business app trend emerging from our survey of the construction industry is the need for better communication and connectivity between field teams and the office.
This makes total sense, because let’s face it, getting information from site, back to the office and uploaded to a system manually is a nightmare. It’s unreliable as forms can be lost, and sometimes sheets can be filled out incorrectly or signatures missed.
Construction professionals understand the importance of streamlined, reliable information flow to ensure project success whether it’s health and safety checks, contactless signature capture or multi-site project management and reporting.
4% of users specifically stated they would like:
- Good communication between the site teams and the office
- Better information coming back from the site
What were the results?
7% of respondents emphasised their need for improved communication and connectivity specifically. This figure overlapped a few times, but the need for communication across multiple sites highlights the critical role that mobile forms and business apps play in bridging (see what we did there?) the communication gap within the construction industry.
What would be the benefits?
By accessing data tech stacks and your office-based reporting systems, like Google Docs, excel sheets, task sheets and having all the data you need on your device, construction companies can benefit from real-time updates, faster decision-making, and improved collaboration across various project stakeholders.
Plus, if you have a notification alert set up or use Google Workspace-enabled business apps, you can ensure that the right people get the right messages and the right data, at the right time!
Construction Business App Trend 6: Customisation and Professionalism
Stakeholders, clients and managers appreciate the professionalism in the construction industry, as well as streamlined, accurate data delivered promptly. Professionalism in the industry makes you stand out from the crowd.
You also need mobile apps and mobile forms that you can customise to your needs – including branding – which is especially handy when delivering reports to stakeholders and clients.
The survey responses indicated a growing demand for customisable and professional mobile forms and apps in the construction industry. Companies are looking to tailor their digital tools to match their unique needs and strengthen their brand image.
What were the results?
Approximately 7% of respondents emphasised the importance of customisation and professionalism.
What would be the benefits?
Although we have hundreds of mobile form templates, customisation is important when it comes to business apps.
You may want to:
- Add Branding and Personalisation
- Specify which forms go to which users
- Customise required fields on forms
- Customise specific forms for specific sites
- Make it easier for users to operate
- Customise toolbox talks per site/group
- Send out client-facing reports
By using professional-looking and customisable mobile forms and business apps, you can set your business apart from the competition and show you’re ahead of the curve, taking advantage of bleeding edge technology. This can help you attract and keep customers, partners, and employees who appreciate innovation and getting things done efficiently. You can even start upskilling your staff with citizen development roles. Building with low-code/no-code is also way cheaper than traditional development.
So what’s the conclusion?
In conclusion, our survey data presents a clear picture of the construction industry’s evolving relationship with digital transformation. As construction sites, safety professionals and residential/commercial construction IT professionals and company owners continue to adopt mobile forms and business apps, the landscape of the industry is being reshaped in various ways, including the transition to paperless and digital forms, improved communication, increased efficiency and automation, enhanced compliance and safety and more efficient data transfer and capture.
How Can I make a construction mobile app?
Super simple. Speak to our platform specialists today and let’s get you started in 2 minutes. We have templates ready for you to try and a team standing by waiting to help you streamline your processes, capture data and increase safety on site.
Go from low-code beginner to expert in days, not months.
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Still on the fence?
Read our mobile forms and business app case studies to see how we’ve helped construction industries improve their processes with low-code/no-code business apps, mobile forms and toolbox talks for construction.
If you want to know whether low-code/no-code is the future (it is), then all you have to do is compare the costs of low-code vs traditional development and you’ll get a good idea. In short – it’s WAY cheaper than building an app in the traditional way!
The forms2 low-code/no-code platform = $18-23 per user per month/$216-300 per year
Traditional development = $70,000-100,000+ (explained below)
We’ll let you do the maths!
Examples of categories and percentage splits as follows (some overlap, so results have been rounded up to the nearest percent):
1. Paperless and digital forms (50%):
- – Mobile forms for site working and speed up paperwork
- – Paperless form solution
- – Limit paper forms
- – Paperless field reporting
- – Digitise paper-based forms for site-based operatives
- – Form Filling
- – A Paperless Site and returned forms
- – Eliminate paper-based exercises where possible
2. Data transfer and data capture (28%):
- – Make our system digital and allow for faster transfer of data from the field to the office
- – Provide us with the ability to fill out service reports digitally
- – To be able to fill out service work orders in the field digitally and have them uploaded
- – Moisture mapping and data collection
- – Using forms to collate data from site
- – Locate all site forms in one location being able to assign forms to individual sites for multiple users
3. Compliance, safety, and inspections (22%):
- – Replacement of existing electronic field form system to work mobile device
- – Would like to form a site safety file for each project
- – A streamlined health & safety system
- – COVID secure
- – HSE forms
- – Survey form
- – system for safety checks
- – Compliance
- – Subcontractor agreements
- – Submission on Tool Box Talks
4. Efficiency and automation (16%):
- – build a form for staff submission
- – Efficient processes
- – Automated Work Order
- – CREATE MOBILE JOB SHEETS
- – Automate daily reporting form from Excel
- – Automate forms
- – Produce workflows
- – Better organisation within my company
5. Improved communication and connectivity (16%):
- – Easy Field Team Reporting
- – Have good communication between the site teams and the office
- – On-site form send info back to office
- – Better connectivity from our staff and our office
- – Better information coming back from site
- – Conveying info from dealers to Salvo for company
6. Customisation and professionalism (6%):
- – more professional forms
- – Creating my own mobile forms
- – To have professional mobile forms completed and signed to send to our clients
- – Forms for real estate customers when completing a new home tour, reservation etc.(interlink)
- – simple on-site app for mobile phone
