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commandalkon.com | 8 is also necessary in addressing the shortage of labor. U.S. construction spending remains at an all-time high, but unemployment simultaneously remains at record lows. This labor shortage is genuine across many industries, but is especially tough for contractors, material suppliers, and others struggling to meet hiring requirements. "Even before the COVID crisis, labor has been a major issue," said Kerry. "It is difficult to recruit skilled workers to work long hours either doing manual labor in the elements or sitting in a truck for extended periods of time. As the unemployment rate has been decreasing, the number of job openings has been increasing, creating huge talent shortages for companies across various industries. As a result, the talent pool for the construction materials industry has shrunk even more, which is why automation and technology is so important. Operations need to do as much, if not more, with fewer people." Terms like big data, analytics, and the Internet of Things (IoT) have become buzzwords in the heavy building material markets in recent years, and industry members are learning that they need to abandon a lot of manual processes and embrace this technology-driven era. Luckily, this new generation of workers already has a thirst for technology and the means to better understand it. "Right now, we are at a crossroads where the older generation who has ran the business for the past few decades is moving away from the operation of the business and the younger generation is stepping in," said Mark. "By nature, this younger generation is more adaptive to technology and is interested in taking the data and discovering ways to best utilize it." Data Is the Oxygen of the Operation Access to accurate, timely data regarding safety, quality, maintenance, and performance metrics has never been more important. Managers need up-to- the-minute information from the field to operate with the agility that today's volatile environment requires. Foreknowledge of surfacing trends, critical issues, and operational efficiency can make or break the operation. Often the challenge is not a lack of access to data, but rather the ability to collect the right data and to put it to work in the right way. Data is the fuel that supports teams in the decision-making process. Making data easily accessible to business users is the first step in empowering teams to make data-driven decisions. Scaling this capability across the organization can significantly improve productivity and streamline operations. All constituents can quickly gain insight from the data they are collecting to uncover new opportunities and areas for improvement. Cloud-based solutions allow all employees and specified trading partners to connect and exchange information from one single source, providing a deeper understanding of what is happening within the operation and the supply chain as a whole. "Sharing knowledge has not only become easy, but it's become a regular part of business. If COVID would have happened 30 years ago, life would have been a series of phone calls," said Mark. "Now, because we utilize solutions that offer connectivity across the operation, most plants were able to weather the storm without missing much of a beat." Aggregate operations are increasingly conducting business through digital collaborative platforms to orchestrate connections, workflow, and collaboration among all so that everyone works smarter, faster, and safer. Collaborative digital technologies transform the way internal and external partners work together to turn knowledge into action and create new ways to succeed – and this is a trend that we don't see going out of style any time soon. Kerry Dougan serves as the Aggregate Market Manager at Command Alkon, and Mark Kuhar serves as the Editor of Rock Products and Cement Americas. Often the challenge is not a lack of access to data but rather the ability to collect the right data and to put it to work in the right way. Collaborative digital technologies transform the way internal and external partners work together to turn knowledge into action and create new ways to succeed – and this is a trend that we don't see going out of style any time soon. PREDICTIONS

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