On 2 November, the SPbGASU Department of Construction Management held a regional scientific and practical seminar “Master’s Readings”.
"This is our first experience, and I hope it will be positive. It is already positive - we have 24 reports," said Maksim Molodtsov, Associate Professor at the Department of Construction Management, at the opening of the seminar.
The presentations were devoted to topics relevant to the modern construction industry. Thus, students Bogdan Pismarkin, Aigul Orazdurdyeva and Daniil Koldyshev spoke about the creation of a digital platform with the working title "Jack of All Trades". The platform is designed to search for and plan labor resources in construction. The students' scientific supervisor is the Head of the Department of Construction Management Roman Motylev.
According to Aigul Orazdurdyeva, one of the most critical factors in the development of construction projects is the availability of labor resources at the right time in the right volume. Construction companies face a shortage of personnel, with the risk of hiring unskilled personnel; another difficulty is the large number of contractors and subcontractors.
The students managed to identify key problems: the lack of a universal platform for searching, selecting, checking and planning labor resources, which would combine the necessary functionality in one place; the lack of the ability to find workers with verified documents and confirmed qualifications in advance; the lack of a rating system that would inspire confidence in the customer and motivate them to perform work more efficiently.
According to Bogdan Pismarkin, in Soviet times, the issue of shortage of blue-collar workers was resolved with the help of vocational schools (PTU), which trained specialists for various industries. In the modern world, the situation has changed, government agencies no longer regulate this issue. The demand for higher education has grown, and the popularity of online professions is growing. There is a shortage of skilled workers, and people have to be hired from abroad. Digital platforms can simplify hiring, provide training and advanced training, and analyze labor market data.
The digital platform for searching and planning labor resources in construction is an innovative tool that automates the selection, verification, planning and management of personnel. The platform ensures effective interaction between customers and contractors. The product, which is being created by graduate students, will allow you to create an order and respond to it in one place, link the worker's availability calendar with the construction schedule of the facility; automatically check documents before offering a worker to the company, and confirm qualifications using integration with government services for checking documents. A rating system and gamification elements are also provided, which will allow workers to grow professionally, and customers to receive higher quality work results.
“The digital platform will become a reliable assistant for both customers and contractors, providing a wide range of opportunities for solving all issues in the field of organizing labor resources,” Bogdan is confident.
Student Yulianna Bobrovskaya (supervised by Associate Professor at the Department of Construction Management Maksim Molodtsov) suggests monitoring work at remote sites using modern equipment. The student is convinced that construction in remote areas contributes to their economic development, develops tourism, and reduces pressure on large cities. However, construction companies face a number of difficulties associated with the transportation of materials and equipment, shift work, and slow response to emerging problems. An unmanned aerial vehicle can simplify the developer's work by filming the site in real time and transmitting information to an IT platform. A specialist will track what is happening and promptly make a decision.
As an example, Yulianna cited the domestic unmanned aerial vehicle Optiplane S2, which has been produced for seven years and is constantly being modernized. The device is easy to operate and can withstand minimal temperatures. In addition, the manufacturer provides instructions.