Episode 40: An Expert Snapshot of the Construction Industry in Australia

Wondering how your counterparts are doing Down Under? Curious about the current state of the construction industry in Australia? Then tune in to Episode 40, with our Australian expert guest, Alex Fernandez-Soncini.

Alex will give you a snapshot of the Australian construction industry, where the attitudes are, where the industry is right now based on a survey of several countries across Asia Pacific, that Procore did recently.

Our very own, Steve Randall, talks to Alex Fernandez-Soncini, a Strategic Construction Technologist for Procore Technologies, not only about the state of the construction industry in Australia but also about how technology is now playing a major role in the industry.

It is no secret that Australia is lagging behind when it comes to the construction industry

It is no secret that Australia is lagging behind when it comes to the construction industry. Alex claims this is due to the lack of mobile technology utilised compared to Asian parts of the industry that have utilised mobile technologies from the start. However, Alex believes that the introduction of new technologies to the industry has allowed them to gain some ground on Asian countries.

“If you look where Australia is starting out, it is a lot more of a mature market to be honest, we have not had a lot of that mobile technology…”

How is climate change affecting the industry in Australia?

Climate change is affecting all industries and the Australian construction one is no different. Alex explains how increased rain and inclement weather are making the job of construction workers much more challenging than before.

“Yeah definitely, the rain activity has not helped construction. We have already got all of these other issues and then you go and add a whole bunch of inclement weather and then all of a sudden that is putting a lot of pressure on builders…”

About Alex Fernandez-Soncini

Alex Fernandez-Soncini is the Team Lead for Strategic Product Consultants at Procore Technologies.

As Team Lead, Alex utilises his extensive construction knowledge and experience to direct a team and offer guidance on the role of cloud-based technology and best practices to key customers and internal stakeholders. In addition, the team collaborates with industry stakeholders to communicate enhancements for the industry.

Using his in-depth understanding of what makes Australian construction professionals tick, Alex is an innovator who contributes to improving and developing construction technology for the industry. In addition, he possesses the skill to communicate solutions in a way everyone can understand.

With over 10 years of experience in the construction industry, before joining Procore in 2017, Alex’s resume consists of most recently working as a Contracts Administrator at Renascent Australia. He was also with Philip Chin Group working as a Building Code Consultant before joining Parkview Group to take on the role of BCA/Design Coordinator.

Procore Technologies

Procore Technologies are a software development company based in Australia. Using their award-winning suite of project management tools, Procore Technologies aim to provide cloud-based construction software to their clients across the globe.

In June 2022, Procore published the third edition of the report How We Build Now. The aim of the report is to challenge construction leaders to think differently about technology.

Alex believes as the pandemic has heightened costs around the world, there is no doubt that leaders need to think of new ways to boost profitability.

Procore encourages its clients to make the switch from paper-based documentation to cloud-based solutions, drastically improving project efficiency and accountability, therefore boosting their profits. Procore estimates that clients can save on average 20% on their total project spend when utilising the right technologies.behind