Procore's review of construction
By Procore Technologies
Procore Technologies has published the latest worker hours report for the Canadian construction industry which showed construction activity during the COVID-19 pandemic continues to recover in Canada after an initial drop in the spring. While Quebec has seen the strongest rebound of all of the included provinces, Alberta continues to experience less activity than before the pandemic. The figures were published as part of Procore’s Construction Activity Index.
Procore’s Construction Activity Index tracks weekly changes in worker hours from a baseline beginning the week of March 16 through the week of September 28, 2020. The most recent update includes data from British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.
Overall, worker hours rose 11 per cent above the March 16 baseline during the weeks of August 17 and September 14. These are the highest levels of activity tracked by the index.
However, activity in each province has differed (compared to the March 16 baseline):
• Ontario has been recovering since the week of May 25, with activity reaching a peak of 25 per cent above the baseline the week of September 14.
• Quebec saw the sharpest initial decline in activity, with worker hours dropping 97 per cent below the baseline the week of April 5, before recovering through May and June. During the Quebec construction holiday the weeks of July 20 and July 27, activity within Procore briefly dipped again (92 per cent and 95 per cent below baseline, respectively) and has been strong since then.
• In Alberta, activity has hovered around the baseline, rising to a peak of six per cent above baseline the week of April 20. But since the week of June 8, activity has been below the baseline for 17 consecutive weeks.
• Of all the provinces, British Columbia has been least affected. Its activity has been consistently above the baseline with the exception of a few small drops in April and June. At its highest, activity was 31 per cent above the baseline the weeks of June 15 and September 28.
“The pandemic continues to challenge everyone, and the construction industry is no exception,” said Jas Saraw, Vice President, Canada, at Procore. “The latest insights from Procore’s Construction Activity index shows that while construction continues to experience periods of recovery across Canada in the fall, conditions vary from province to province. Construction organizations are learning to adapt and move forward while the industry continues to deal with the pandemic and a new way to work. We hope the index provides useful context for industry leaders navigating this ongoing challenge.”
Provincial and national data from the Procore Construction Activity Index is available for download here. Results are available for British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. The data and charts are for public use. Procore previously shared Canadian insights from the Construction Activity Index in August 2020; similar data on how the U.S. construction industry has been affected is available in a separate report.
Seventy percent of Canadian construction firms are as or more productive than before the pandemic:
Procore Technologies has revealed the results of its inaugural How We Build Now Canada survey, which showed that more than 70 percent of Canadian construction companies responding had as many or more projects during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to before. The How We Build Now Canada survey –conducted by Procore – explores unified technology for on-site and remote workers in today’s safer construction environment.
Despite the challenges created with provincial shut downs and social distancing regulations, 10 percent of the construction professionals surveyed report being much more productive than before the pandemic struck; 17 percent are edging ahead of pre-pandemic levels and 44 percent remain as productive during the pandemic. Twenty-six per cent of the construction professionals surveyed were less (24 percent) or much less (two percent) productive than before the pandemic. Forty-three percent say they expect to increase projects over the next year.
“These results of Procore’s How We Build Now Canada survey provide a snapshot of an industry in transition,” said Jas Saraw, vice-president, Canada at Procore. “The high productivity reported is good news for construction, but belied by the continuing challenges of enhanced on-site safety protocols and external factors impacting the industry. Construction is very resilient, and Canadian builders will continue to look for, and implement, new solutions that will propel them through the pandemic.”
In spite of being able to adapt to new regulations and procedures, survey results show construction organizations need to better align employees to work efficiently on-site and remotely by using technology such as a unified platform that contains all information in one place. Eighty-three percent of respondents agree they would employ a single, integrated platform technology, drawn by the benefits of more transparency, visibility and collaboration across projects.
Almost seven out of 10 (68 percent) respondents believe what could help the construction industry excel after COVID-19 is to have one platform that connects all their people, projects and tools to increase productivity and efficiency, reduce reworks and delays, improve safety and compliance and provide more financial transparency.
Other key findings:
• More than one quarter (27 percent) of the respondents shifted between 76 and 100 per cent of their staff in the months after COVID-19 arrived while most were able to move some staff to full-time remote work, some quickly with existing resources.
• More than three-quarters (77 percent) of Canadian builders plan to maintain some or all of those new safety measures post-pandemic. Only 10 per cent of respondents anticipate a return to pre-pandemic safety measures.
• More than half (55 percent) of construction firms say they will spend the next 12 months dealing with the uncertainty of COVID-19, with about a third of respondents still challenged by having to maintain social distancing and safe working conditions.
• When asked what are the key success factors post COVID-19, 64 per cent cited increased productivity and efficiency – issues that transcend the pandemic. However, the impact of the pandemic shows in the fact that 53 percent feel the ability to work remotely will be a key success factor, and 38 percent realize improved safety and compliance will be critical going forward.
• Almost nine in 10 (88 percent) believe technology will either play a key role in the future of construction (50 percent) or will be the backbone of the construction industry (38 percent).
For more information on the How We Build Now Canada report, visit: procore.com/en-ca/ebooks/how-we-build-now-report.
