Downtime Talk

Hosted by Trackunit

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Latest episode

Jul 2024

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About the show

The Downtime Talk brings you the latest insights and expert perspectives on the construction industry and beyond. We discuss trending topics, innovative ideas, and sources of inspiration shaping the world of construction. From cutting-edge technology to sustainable practices and the challenges this industry faces, our host Soeren Brogaard, CEO at Trackunit, explores new ways to eliminate downtime in construction with his guests. What is Eliminate Downtime? It's a global initiative bringing construction’s brightest minds to collectively push the industry forward. We genuinely believe that we can achieve the impossible and eliminate downtime. This is your invitation to join: https://trackunit.com/eliminate-downtime/join-the-movement/

Listen to episodes

12 recent

March 25, 202421 min

How Cloud Technology Fuels Collaborative Construction | Downtime Talk

Join a conversation on why cloud technology helps construction become more collaborative and limiting factors for new ways of working on construction. With a career at the intersection of tech and construction Britton Langdon, Chief Strategy Officer at Snaptrude, shares a perspective on how to bring workflows and people together even when processes aren’t perfectly linear. You want to hear more about data, tech and strategy in construction? Make sure to sign up to the Inside Eliminate Downtime newsletter.

March 15, 202419 min

From push to pull: How OEM’s connectivity ambitions change | Downtime Talk

Dedicating his professional career to construction, Fred Rio, SVP OEM sales at Trackunit, taps into the rich history he has with the industry for an account on what's driving connectivity with OEMs. A conversation about how ambitions are changing and what kind of people OEMs need to have at the table to not fall short on their digital journey. You want to hear more about data, tech and strategy in construction? Make sure to sign up to the Inside Eliminate Downtime newsletter.

December 19, 202317 min

Bringing the share economy to heavy equipment | Downtime Talk

Born out of the frustration with snow plowing equipment sitting idle, Kevin built a marketplace for heavy equipment. Kevin Forestell, CEO and Co-founder of Dozr joins Soeren Brogaard on the Downtime Talk to speak about a new model for equipment rental and machine utilization. You want to hear more about data, tech and strategy in construction? Make sure to sign up to the Inside Eliminate Downtime newsletter.

December 13, 202321 min

‘Yes we have’ - on IoT in construction | Downtime Talk

Matt Hatton provides an analyst’s view across different sectors, pointing to those that construction should look for inspiration and lessons learned. Tune in for an episode on all things IoT and how to avoid getting stuck in the proof of concept phase. Further reading and resources mentioned on the show: Report: Digital Transformation in the Construction sector You want to hear more about data, tech and strategy in construction? Make sure to sign up to the Inside Eliminate Downtime newsletter.

October 23, 202320 min

Tech, AI and Humans in Construction | Downtime Talk

How do humans and tech work best together on construction jobsites? Demi Knight Clark, founder of 1 of the 2% women-owned construction businesses in the US, talks with Soeren Brogaard about efficiencies, innovation, and how the human element plays into it. Demi’s energy and passion to make a dent in the industry is certainly contagious - tune in! Further reading and resources mentioned on the show: Watch Demi’s TEDx Talk on empowering girls and women in construction https://youtu.be/4nvs0Qtc2nA You want to hear more about data, tech and strategy in construction? Make sure to sign up to the Inside Eliminate Downtime newsletter.

August 28, 202318 min

From ‘Hard Down’ to Full Utilization in Rental | Downtime Talk

Why supply-chain constraints have completely changed what is considered downtime in the equipment rental industry and how to find the sweet spot in preventive maintenance processes. With serious disruptions of the equipment supply chain, simply adding new equipment to the fleet whenever you experience downtime is not an option anymore. Josh Nickell, Vice President, Equipment Segment at ARA, pulls from his extensive experience of running one of the fastest growing rental companies in the US and his work with ARA members and shares what other ways rental companies can look to keep their fleets moving. Further reading and resources mentioned on the show: RentalU – training on a variety of topics from customer service to safety: https://ararental.org/rentaluARA Certified - program for service technicians specifically in the rental environment https://ararental.org/Learn/ARA-Certified-Sales-Service You want to hear more about data, tech and strategy in construction? Make sure to sign up to the Inside Eliminate Downtime newsletter.

June 26, 202322 min

Digital and Dirt: Reducing the Carbon Footprint in Construction | Downtime Talk

From machine, to site, to the construction industry as a whole - Holger Pietzsch joins Soeren Brogaard on the the Downtime Talk to discuss emission tracking. Combining insights from his work at Hexagon and his role as Chair of the CECE Digitalisation Task-Force, Holger shares three steps to benchmark your efforts on reducing carbon footprint of your operations and why the opposite of downtime is not necessarily uptime. Tune in. Further reading and resources mentioned on the show: Sign up to the CECE newsletter. Learn more about Hexagon's Heavy Construction Solutions More about Leica Geosystems. You want to hear more about data, tech and strategy in construction? Make sure to sign up to the Inside Eliminate Downtime newsletter.

June 9, 202320 min

Sustainability in Construction: Asking the Right Questions | Downtime Talk

An inspiring conversation about the power of asking the right questions and how to reframe sustainability regulations as opportunities for business and people. With Flor Massei, hosted by Soeren Brogaard. Not sure where to even start? Tune in for great questions to ask when your organization is still figuring out its path to more sustainable operations. Further reading and resources mentioned on the show: EU CSR directive EU Directive on Energy performance of buildings re-vamped SCOR model including the sustainability angle Connect with Flor via LinkedIn You want to hear more about data, tech and strategy in construction? Make sure to sign up to the Inside Eliminate Downtime newsletter.

April 26, 202327 min

Talent, People, and DEI in Construction | Downtime Talk

Tune in for a conversation about talent and diversity in construction with Louisa Dickins, Co-Founder & Director LMRE and Romey Oulton, Consultant at LMRE. A unique outside in perspective on how construction can attract the people that are so much needed in an industry struggling with workforce gaps. Lousia and Romey are experts in the field when it comes to more diversity in hiring people and share their experiences and learnings. Further reading and resources: Sign up for the database and reach out to info@womeninconstructiontech.com for onboarding info. Educate yourself on industry trends, get exposure to new opportunities, and make new connections here or join the events here. If you haven’t already read this milestone piece of research, check out this article by McKinsey. LMRE’s DEI Digest series – celebrating changemakers who are championing DEI in the ConTech space: https://www.lmre.tech/interviews/the-dei-digest-with-maximillian-diez-25-ventures/ https://www.lmre.tech/interviews/the-dei-digest-with-jessica-herrala-constru/

April 24, 202317 min

How 'Situational Awareness' Eliminates Downtime | Downtime Talk

Soeren Brogaard welcomes Aarni Heiskanen, who’s been listed as a Top 100 construction tech influencer to speak about 'situational awareness'. Only about 30% of a construction worker’s time is spent on value-adding activities. Drawing from his experience with clients and studies, Aarni shares how situational awareness can tackle this productivity gap, reducing meetings, inspections, lead times and quality issues on construction jobsites. The Aalto University’s Building 2030 studies: https://www.aalto.fi/en/building-2030 Their research reports in English: https://www.aalto.fi/en/listing/162951 Read more on Aarni’s blog: aec-business.com You want to hear more about data, tech and strategy in construction? Sign up to the Inside Eliminate Downtime newsletter.