The Building BITE

Please tune in to this episode of The Building BITE Podcast, as we hear from industry experts about key topics to help you be successful. The Building BITE hosts Valerie Bono and Mike Diercksen, CRIS, welcome Hamzah Shanbari, Director of Innovation at The Haskell Company. Hamzah opens the show by sharing his background, having attended the University of Florida with their VDC group. One of the first courses that led him to Construction was Building Information Systems. Hamzah was intrigued by this course in that it was centered around the concept of innovation, enhancing efficiencies while also increasing safety. This interest stuck with him, even throughout his Ph.D. dissertation where he looked to improve the education aspect using technology. He designed/created a video game that simulates a construction project that taught students construction management skills. In his episode, Hamzah shares more about Haskell’s Innovation program centered around its people – Dysruptek. Dysruptek is Haskell’s venture arm dedicated to scouting, piloting, and investing in emerging technologies, as well as capitalizing on the innovations born within its diverse employee base. Our listeners get an inside look at some of their current endeavors, including pipe welding, testing piping within buildings, and how they are tackling solutions to existing problems while getting out of the mindset of “we have always done it this way.” Hamzah leaves are audience with three takeaways which include: 1. Innovation is a mindset: Just because you are using technology or tools, it’s a constant mindset and continuous cycle of always trying to be better while being more efficient. Similarly, Hamzah recommends always trying to be safer and deliver a higher quality product. 2. Technology is not the overall solution: Sometimes, it’s not technology; it’s the workflow and process. It’s looking at how we get from point A to B and finding solutions to recalculate the process. 3. Capability Trap – After you get through the first two takeaways, many people fall into the capability trap – which is when you introduce new technology or workflows, productivity will dip and go down. It takes time to work through it efficiently – which circles back to innovation is a mindset. To learn more about Haskell and their technology adoption, tune in to Hamzah’s episode on Driving the Construction Industry Forward through Innovation and Technology. Please like, share, and subscribe to this podcast!