Have your say on digitalisation: Take part in the new NBS Digital Construction Survey

NBS, the platform for connected construction information, has launched its annual survey with a new direction this year.

For over ten years, NBS has been tracking the adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) via its National BIM Survey. The survey, previously known as NBS BIM Survey, will become the Digital Construction Survey from this year onwards.

The survey, which is the most comprehensive in the sector, allows those working in construction, architecture and engineering among others, to better understand the status quo and developments to make informed decisions, leading to a safer industry.

The construction sector has been implementing BIM widely over the last few years, with adoption standing at 73% in 2020. NBS wants to capture exciting new developments through the new iteration of the BIM survey with the aim of gaining a more comprehensive understanding of the current picture of digital transformation and day-to-day usage of technology.

For example, the survey will monitor offsite construction, collaboration in the cloud and the impact of COVID-19 on the sector's digitalisation.

The 2020 BIM report represented the views of over 1,000 industry professionals showcasing the adoption of BIM has grown substantially across the industry. Where as in comparison, a decade ago, 43% of respondents had not even heard of BIM.

The BIM adoption by many in construction has helped transform how people work. While recognising that there are different views about the process of embedding BIM, NBS also sees other new ways of working and new technologies.

NBS Research Manager David Bain said, “We have been monitoring BIM adoption at NBS for over a decade. Digital transformation is changing the industry, and it will continue to do so. We know an increasing number of construction professionals are beginning to adopt virtual reality and other technologies like modern methods of construction, and the effects of the pandemic have undoubtedly accelerated this. These new digital tools are transforming the construction sector and will likely lead to a better built environment.

“In this year’s survey, we are taking a step further and plan to look beyond BIM to some of the new technologies being used in the built environment. We look forward to seeing what progress we have made as an industry and what changes we anticipate in the next year.”

The Digital Construction Survey is for designers, specifiers, manufacturers, contractors and others working in the built environment.

You can complete this year's NBS Digital Construction Survey, here www.theNBS.com/digitalsurvey1

For every completed response, NBS will donate £1 to the charity Crash. The survey should only take 10-15 minutes to complete. A pre-release report is sent to all participants, so those taking part will be among the first to access the findings.