Commercial Integrator October 2021 - 10

#TECHTRENDING THE BUZZ ON TECHNOLOGY AFFECTING INTEGRATORS
#Construction
NSCA: Construction
Down in 2021, But
Will Rebound in 2022,
2023
TO NOBODY'S SURPRISE, total
U.S. engineering and construction
spending is expected to
end this year up just 2%, compared
to the 5% growth from
last year, according to new data
from the NSCA.
The AV industry trade group
has updated its biannual Electronic
Systems Outlook report
for Summer 2021 and found
that no construction segment
will end 2021 up by more than
5%, which isn't great news for
an industry that relies heavily on
new construction.
Further, spending in reported
targeted commercial segments
is actually forecast to end
2021 down 3% from last year,
which is actually worse than the
2% dip in 2020.
The only industries reporting
stable growth of up to 4% are
healthcare and manufacturing.
Lodging, office, commercial, education,
houses of worship and
government are all forecast to
decline, some as much as 18%.
However, NSCA's report said
commercial construction activity
should ramp up over the next
two years as the U.S. economy
recovers.
NSCA Executive Director
Tom LeBlanc said in a statement
that the AV integration industry
should rebound sharply over
the next two years.
" No vertical markets are likely
to end 2021 up more than 5%, "
LeBlanc said. " However, the
integration market is uniquely
positioned to align itself with increased
consumer confidence.
Customers across all vertical
markets are poised to invest in
their facilities to accommodate a
reimagined work environment.
Integrators will continue to offer
value for customers even amid
reduced construction. "
The report also says the growing
trend of remote and hybrid
work presents an opportunity
for integrators as their customers
require communication solutions
and new office technology, even
for customers that may reduce
their real estate footprint.
Targeted commercial construction
areas are expected
to increase slightly in 2022 by
about 1.5%, and rebound even
more by about 5.7% in 2023,
according to the report.
The report also touches on
current obstacles such as talent
and product availability challenges
as demand for technology
and services escalates. The
pandemic is forcing organizations
to invest in unified communications
and collaboration tech,
but lingering supply chain issues
and a stagnant AV workforce is
complicating efforts to finish that
work in a timely manner.
›› @NSCA_Systems
#Infrastructure #Integration
#Collaboration
Workers Are Still
Struggling with
Collaboration Tech
A large chunk of the working
world has been working remotely
- at least part of the time
- since the early part of 2020,
but many employees are still
having a hard time adopting
new technologies, according
to a new study.
The research from collaboration
intelligence company
Vyopta, conducted by
Wakefield Research, finds that
executives at 500 surveyed
companies do not fully trust
their staff to perform effectively
when working remotely.
In fact, that performance has
The only industries reporting stable growth of up to 4% are
healthcare and manufacturing.
10
Commercial Integrator OCTOBER 2021
been so poor that nearly one
quarter of respondents said
they have fired someone due
to errors made during a video
call, and 83% in total have seen
some disciplinary action due to
poor performance during a call.
According to the survey, 58%
of business leaders believe it is
the company's responsibility to
ensure that remote collaboration
technology is working, but
the remainder say the burden
is on employees to keep the
technology up and running.
Unfortunately, the consequences
of collaboration tech
not working is far worse than
an embarrassing moment. It
can also cost lost business, as
32% of respondents said they
have lost a client or business
opportunity because of technology
or connection issues,
and 41% said they have missed
a project deadline.
The survey also confirms
what we have been hearing for
months: organizations are becoming
more open to remote
or hybrid work models. Nearly
all respondents (97%) said they
are currently offering or plan to
offer hybrid work options, and
72% said they plan to maintain
or expand the number of
employees allowed to work a
hybrid schedule over the next
year, including 29% who expect
that number to grow.
As the floodgates open and
organizations going back to
the office in some capacity are
requesting conference room
systems and upgrades, AV integrators
have a glaring responsibility
to make sure that end
users are comfortable working
with the systems.
That means building meeting
room and collaboration
systems that are intuitive, easy
to use and accommodate employees
both in the office and
connecting in from home.
›› @WakefieldStats @Vyopta
#UCC
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Commercial Integrator October 2021

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