Trending in 2025: Increased Industry Information
Posted by Bryson Wilson on January 19, 2025
When we predicted trends in the construction industry in the past, our focus was on innovations and the methods needed to adopt them. But as those innovations, like hyperscale data centers or liquid cooling, become industry standard, we're seeing a more macro trend emerge: information.
Of course people stay informed in relevant aspects of their job, that's nothing new. But we have seen an increased emphasis on education and information gathering from both our clients and our competitors which we predict will only increase in 2025.
Client Education
Perhaps the biggest shift we've seen in our industry over the past year or so is the emphasis on speed to market. Milestones are being achieved in record time, only for those records to become the new time to beat. As aggressive timelines become more and more normalized, price sensitivity is decreasing. Cost is still a top consideration, but budget is being sacrificed in favor of timeline in many situations.
One way to help meet advanced timelines is prefabrication, a method we at Unistrut Midwest have been leveraging for years now. Just a few years ago, a conversation about prefabrication with our clients could be met with skepticism and apprehension. The difference now is that clients are coming to us asking for prefabrication. They have done their research, they see what their competition is doing, and they want to keep up. More and more clients are dedicating resources to prefabrication when previously the industry saw off-site manufacturing as a threat to on-site labor. Clients are informed and prepared to adopt new methods.
It isn't just prefabrication either. We have clients approaching us looking to implement liquid cooling and other cutting-edge methods. With our clients staying so on top of new techniques, our team’s focus becomes educating ourselves on how to support these modern systems so that we can continue to go above and beyond for our clients.
Partner Education
In order to advance our offerings for our clients, we have to stay informed on what's happening in the industry. As demands continue to evolve, it is our responsibility to know the best way to accommodate those demands. This requires continual training and education.
Our team recently attended a conference about advancing data center construction. There we discussed innovative new construction methods and emerging trends as well as things like how to discuss these projects with residents of the area where construction is taking place. Viewing these projects holistically increases our knowledge and our ability to help our customers.
Industry education doesn't have to come only from formal sources like conferences, however. Our team is keeping an ear to the ground, spending time reading and researching what competitors are up to, and comparing top projects to determine commonalities. The industry is changing quickly, and it is our responsibility to keep up. When clients have questions, we need to have the answers. The Unistrut Midwest team is dedicated to continuing our education so that we can continue to competitively serve our clients.