Construction Tech & Innovation Series
Join us for a cutting-edge series on Construction Tech & Innovation, hosted by Tenna. As the landscape for leading technology initiatives in construction has evolved, this series aims to dive into how modern tools and strategies are reshaping the industry.
Join us for a cutting-edge series on Construction Tech & Innovation, hosted by Tenna. As the landscape for leading technology initiatives in construction has evolved, this series aims to dive into how modern tools and strategies are reshaping the industry.
Program Highlights:
Session 1: Equipment Management: The Next Frontier for Construction Technology
Up to this point, clear data shows contractors have struggled with seeing real gains and value using construction tech. However, contractors are adopting construction-focused equipment management systems rapidly to see measurable improvements in communication, efficiencies, and finance. These contractors are positioned well to evolve as a business as construction tech evolves alongside them. The future of the industry is moving more towards a “cloud stack” and predictive analytics that will fuel advanced business intelligence we’ve yet to experience. This, combined with advancements in machinery such as autonomous equipment, robotics, assistive devices, etc. will raise the bar for the requirements in equipment management.
Hear lessons learned from 1,200 construction companies on construction technology and equipment management and learn how the construction industry and construction tech can partner up to best serve contractors. Learn more about how to leverage construction technology to mature your equipment management processes and drive meaningful improvements in your business and keep pace with our ever-evolving industry. Take away actionable steps on how to utilize technology to improve your operation.
Session 2: The New Normal for Construction Technology Leaders
Leading a construction company’s technology initiatives has changed drastically over the past five years. In addition to the traditional concerns around security and infrastructure, CIOs and CTOs are now charged with so much more. Technology now fuels business’s growth, and overseeing budget, selection, implementation, adoption, and profitability are all starting to fall to this vital role. Hear real ROI data from partnership with FMI & AEMP and learn from others on how they have successfully executed the technology leading role, what they’re still learning, and what they wished they knew when they started.
Session 3: Evolving the Construction Industry: People vs Process
With the emergence of new technologies changing the way businesses operate, the benefits of adopting advanced technologies are concrete with data and cost savings to back them up. However, implementing new processes and tech are not enough to have a well-rounded organization. The value of employing a diverse labor force is not always obvious by crunching numbers and reviewing timelines, but without making diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) a priority alongside other initiatives, companies will start to fall behind.
Session 4: CFO in the Know: How Leveraging Integrated Equipment and Financial Data Up-Levels the C-Suite
True equipment management is often a blind spot in the board room. C-suite executives typically rely on information that has changed hands many times before being finalized. A CFO can spend more time working with their team to verify their data is correct than they do making strategic decisions based on what their data is telling them. Construction executives typically rely on their ERP as the source of truth for their financial data. However, the C-suite is limited in decision making if real equipment data is not in their ERP.
Session 5: Arming Contractors for Integration Conversations
It’s difficult, if not impossible, to have one technology solution to manage all the core functions of a construction organization. As a contractor, you’ve likely been told, “there’s an integration for that,” and have had the term API thrown around synonymous with the promise of seamless data sharing and automation. But while providing the best system for each department and integrating these standalone systems is key, understanding the different types of integrations available to – and best for – your business is even more critical. Contractors want their systems to talk to each other without manual intervention, but just like equipment, these connections typically need maintenance and adding more to your fleet (or tech stack) isn’t always the most cost-effective or efficient solution.
Session 6: Equipment Economics: How Contractors Can Optimize Their Fleet
Equipment economics is the construction industry’s subset of economics that focuses entirely on equipment acquisition, operation, maintenance and disposal. As a study, it’s easy to define but in practice hard to execute. These seemingly obvious areas of focus require access to and deep understanding of several key robust equipment operations data points that can be difficult to outline and even harder to measure – especially with differing opinions from internal project and equipment groups. But without true equipment data to accurately charge their jobs, contractors often don’t know if they are losing money on their machines or whether their projects are profitable. And losing sight of the bottom line can put contractors millions of dollars in a loss position without even knowing it.
Session 7: Robotics, Drones, Safety Cameras and More
With the explosion of ChatGPT and the democratization of generative artificial intelligence (AI) applications, AI has become the engine for innovative companies across industries looking to maximize the impact of their ideas and overcome some of their business’s toughest challenges. However, when we look back at use cases for any emerging technology to market, there’s a common denominator among the most successful adaptors of these technologies, gleaning the highest ROI. Historically, the smartest companies have been those who partner with technology applications and platforms that work best (or specifically) for their industry use cases – and AI is no exception.
About the Instructors
As Chief Business Development Officer for Tenna, Russ oversees the growth strategy for the organization by working with sales, partners and customers to ensure success. Russ brings two and a half decades of experience from Google, Amazon, Oracle and FMI in best practices for technology strategy, selection and adoption. He applies his knowledge from these organizations to build awareness and provide thought leadership to the construction industry. He emphasizes the importance of technology and picking the right tool for the job.
Wuerfl is a senior operations and technology leader who has spent her entire career in the construction industry. Her experience in construction technology spans multiple roles including serving as the chief information officer at J.F. White—a heavy civil contractor based in Boston, Massachusetts—and years of consulting experience guiding construction clients in the right direction while implementing construction software into their businesses. She joined Tenna leadership full-time in 2022 after spending 18 months serving on the company’s Advisory Board.
Wuerfl has participated on several boards and committees including: AGC National IT Forum Steering Committee, Viewpoint Industry Advisory Board, Construction Industries of Massachusetts, Women in Transportation, J.F. White Executive Committee, and National Association of Women in Construction.
She brings extensive ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and acquisition integration experience, with deep knowledge in systems that Tenna integrates with such as ViewPoint Vista and Sage. Her experience lets her lead from both a business angle in terms of workflows and SOPs, as well as with the backend set up and data. This background, along with adept leadership skills, enables her to motivate construction business teams, drive process improvement, and enhance the collaboration between operations, accounting, and IT.
Jess has a strong affinity for connecting people to technology. Having spent eight years in tech for traditional industries like aerospace and field service management, construction was a natural next step. In her role as Technology Partnerships Manager, Jess focuses on helping technology users build better ecosystems and integrations, by building and supporting a strong partner network for Tenna. Industry topics she focuses on include diversity and inclusion, technology, innovation, and equipment. She is an active member of NUCA, NAWIC, CFMA, ABC, and AGC.
