The Swiss construction industry needs to rethink
Not the cheapest, but the best survive. That is the conclusion of the building study by PwC Switzerland. Since March 2020, due to the new events, it has been supplemented by further analyzes of the effects of the Corona crisis.
The almost complete study on the situation and future of the Swiss construction industry by PwC Switzerland was revised and updated in March in view of the Covid-19 pandemic and its economic effects. There was a clear change in future expectations. The assessments “since Covid-19” were derived from the additional feedback and these were compared with the original assessment “before Covid-19”, according to a press release from PwC Switzerland on the study . Only 58 percent of the 130 companies participating in the study are now positive (92 percent before Covid).
PwC Switzerland names its study “Make change, take with you what has been tried and tested”. Among other things, it says: “Only those who differentiate win. Creativity and a pioneering spirit are required. The construction industry is facing a paradigm shift towards more differentiation through networked collaboration. Digitization in particular offers interesting opportunities for this. It reduces interfaces, increases the quality of the planning and management processes and promotes the reduction of error costs and idle times in construction. "Covid-19 is likely to drive the" demolition of silo structures in the construction industry and the upcoming reorganization of rigid thought patterns. "
"Even before the crisis, it became clear that a paradigm shift was required in order to survive in construction – even though the Swiss construction industry will continue to play a major role in many areas of life in the future," said Roland Schegg, Director and Head of Consulting at Family businesses & SMEs at PwC Switzerland.
87 percent of companies see an opportunity in digitization, but only 62 percent give it a high priority. The use of digital technologies began years ago, according to PwC. But he is mostly limited to administration, marketing, communication or drawing the plans. It is necessary to digitize construction and operation as well. In particular, the planning and execution processes, which are often separated today, could be intelligently linked.
The construction industry in Switzerland contributes around 15 percent to the gross domestic product. Around 330,000 full-time positions are located in civil engineering. That corresponds to a third of all employees in the industrial sector.