Construction 2025: Between Order Slump and Skilled Labor Shortage
The German construction industry is facing a divided economy. While the infrastructure sector is growing due to investments, the construction sector is suffering from weak demand. A real revenue decline of 4% is expected in the main construction industry for 2024. At the same time, the shortage of skilled workers remains one of the biggest challenges; 41% of German construction companies report personnel shortages, a peak rate in Europe.
This tense situation forces companies in the construction sector to optimize their internal processes to remain competitive. The key lies in increasing efficiency, as around 45% of affected companies are already feeling negative impacts from personnel shortages on their revenues. Projects must be completed with fewer employees in shorter timeframes and with greater precision. A well-thought-out digitalization strategy, as is crucial for the construction companies for major projects , becomes the most important lever. However, the implementation of complex software often fails due to acceptance issues among on-site employees.
The solution must therefore be simple and integrable into everyday working life without training effort to effectively boost productivity.
Communication Chaos on the Construction Site as a Cost Trap
On every construction site, smooth communication is crucial for project success. Nevertheless, many teams still rely on unstructured WhatsApp groups, which leads to significant problems. Information gets lost, agreements are not documented securely, and language barriers in international teams lead to daily misunderstandings. These inefficient processes not only cause delays but also substantial costs.
Clear communication and documentation are essential to avoid errors and increase efficiency. The challenge lies in finding a solution that is accepted by all employees. Here are the most common issues arising from unstructured communication:
- Missing assignment of information to construction projects or specific tasks.
- No secure archiving of crucial agreements or approvals.
- High manual effort to transfer photos and notes into the construction diary.
- Loss of data during employee turnover or device loss.
- Language issues that lead to misinterpretations and costly execution errors.
Ein Job as a Construction Manager in the Building Sector requires the coordination of numerous trades, and resolving these communication problems is one of its main tasks. Therefore, optimizing these processes is not an optional step but a business necessity.
Legally compliant construction documentation: More than a tedious obligation
Complete construction documentation is the foundation for the legal security of every construction project. It not only serves to comply with regulations from the HOAI and VOB but is also a crucial tool for defending against unjustified claims and enforcing one’s own rights. However, documentation is often viewed as a necessary evil, leading to considerable risks. Without clean documentation, defects, construction progress, or obstructions are hardly verifiable.
Manually creating daily construction reports often costs construction managers several hours per week. This time could be reduced by over 70% through digital tools. Good documentation must meet several criteria to hold up in court. It must be objective, complete, and comprehensible. The following elements are essential:
- Construction Diary: Daily recording of weather, present personnel, equipment used, and construction progress.
- Photo Documentation: Visual proof of the construction state, defects, and special occurrences.
- Correspondence: Systematic filing of all relevant emails and records.
- Defect Management: Recording, assigning, and tracking construction defects until they are resolved.
- Delay Notices: Formal reporting of disruptions in the construction process.
Transitioning to a digital solution that covers these points is a crucial step for every modern construction company . This transforms an obligation into a strategic safeguard for project success.
Valoon: The Bridge Between the Construction Site and Office in Building Construction
Digitalization in the construction industry is advancing, but the sector remains lagging behind. The reason is often the low acceptance of complex software among employees on site. This is where Valoon comes in: We utilize WhatsApp, a tool already used by over 2 billion people every day. This eliminates any training effort for your on-site team. Employees send photos, videos, text, and voice messages as they normally would via WhatsApp.
Our platform automatically transforms these unstructured data into legally compliant and project-specific information in the background. This reduces the administrative burden for a site manager in building construction by up to 5 hours per week. Valoon specifically addresses the core problems of site communication:
- Automatic Daily Construction Reports: All relevant information is automatically summarized in a VOB-compliant construction diary.
- Legally Compliant Archiving: Every message and image is saved unalterably and time-stamped.
- Live Translation: Our AI translates over 130 languages in real-time, thus overcoming language barriers.
- Efficient Defect Management: Defects are recorded by photo and directly assigned to the responsible person.
With Valoon, data collection for everyone in the construction company is as simple as sending a message. This lays the foundation for efficient and legally compliant project execution in building construction.
Conclusion: Efficiency and Legal Security as Competitive Advantage
For companies in construction, optimizing processes is vital in light of cost pressures and skilled labor shortages. Digitization of communication and documentation is the crucial lever. A fragmented or unstructured working method leads to errors that can quickly incur costs exceeding 10% of the total construction price per project.
Valoon offers a practical and straightforward solution that specifically addresses these issues. By using WhatsApp as the input medium, 100% acceptance on site is achieved. The automatic structuring and legally compliant archiving of data in the office saves valuable time and minimizes risks. This not only increases efficiency but also creates the necessary legal security for your construction projects.
Would you like to see how easy it is to digitize your construction documentation? Book your free demo now and learn how Valoon makes your projects more profitable.
More Links
Fraunhofer IESE provides a blog post on the digitization in the construction industry based on a comprehensive study.
Der Central Association of the German Construction Industry (ZDB) presents its position paper on the digitization of the industry.
PwC publishes a press release on its 2023 construction industry study that highlights the state of digitization and sustainability.
de.digital, an initiative of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, offers information on the digitization index.
Der Main Association of the German Construction Industry dedicates its topic page to the digitization in the construction industry.
BIM Germany is the national center for the digitization of construction and offers comprehensive information.
Der VDI (Association of German Engineers) provides information on the guidelines VDI 2552 for Building Information Modeling (BIM).
KPMG presents a study on the use of generative AI in the German economy by 2025, with a special focus on the construction industry.
FAQ
What is included in legally compliant construction documentation in building construction?
Legally compliant construction documentation includes the construction diary, comprehensive photo documentation, construction plans, minutes of construction meetings, correspondence, approvals, acceptance protocols, and documentation of defects and disruptions. All documents must be structured, comprehensible, and securely archived.
How does Valoon help to tackle the skilled labor shortage in construction?
Valoon helps mitigate the effects of the skilled labor shortage by maximizing the efficiency of existing employees. By automating documentation and simplifying communication, the administrative effort for construction and project managers is drastically reduced. This leaves more time for the essential core tasks on site.
Is data collection with Valoon really as easy as using WhatsApp?
Yes. Your employees on site use WhatsApp just like they do privately. They send photos, voice messages, or texts to a project-related number. Valoon automatically processes this data in the background and creates a structured, legally compliant documentation from it. No new app or training is required.
Can Valoon also overcome language barriers?
Yes, Valoon has an integrated live translation function for over 130 languages. A voice message sent, for example, in Polish can be immediately read as text in German in the office. This prevents misunderstandings and ensures clear communication in international teams.
Is the documentation sent via WhatsApp legally compliant?
Yes. Valoon ensures that all data received via WhatsApp – including timestamps and senders – are unalterably and securely archived on German servers. The automatically generated daily construction reports and records are VOB-compliant and can serve as evidence in legal disputes.
For which companies in construction is Valoon suitable?
Valoon is suitable for all companies in construction, from medium-sized construction firms to large general contractors, who want to make their construction documentation and communication more efficient and legally compliant. The solution is scalable and adapts to the requirements of projects of any size.
