What if I told you that you could accomplish all of those things without a physicalfence?

Welcome to geofencing.

Below, I’ll detail what geofencing is, how to use it, and some tools that can help you adopt it to your construction site.

What is geofencing?

Gartner defines geofencing as “creating a virtual boundary in which a device, individual or asset can be tracked and monitored or detected if the boundary is violated.” In other words, geofencing is a tool that creates and tracks virtual boundaries. It uses GPS technology along with dedicated software to track equipment and people. The software can also send users alerts and notifications about the premises that they’re tracking.

Many industries use geofencing technology. For example, retailers use it to identify customers near their locations, helping them send targeted marketing messages. Transportation companies use geofencing to track their fleets. Healthcare facilities use it to improve patient care. Animal farms use it to track their herds.

In fact, geofencing is growing so rapidly that Global Market Insights predicts the global geofencing market will exceed $500 million by 2023.

Construction, along with the other abovementioned industries, should expect an explosion in the use of geofencing in the next few years.

One need only Google the construction labor shortage to confirm this. For example, a recent report in Reuters featuring data from the National Association of Homebuilders showed that nearly eight years after the housing bust—which drove an estimated 30% of construction workers into new fields—homebuilders across the country are struggling to find workers at all levels of experience.

The association estimates that there are approximately 200,000 unfilled construction jobs in the United States, marking an 81% increase in the last two years!

Kukun found the same to be true in our own analysis of major construction markets across the U.S.

For example, the number of construction jobs in New York State increased from 2011 to 2015, with the number of work permits rising from 98,781 to 129,267 at a value of $137,507,266 to $231,297,337 (up over $93M), respectively.

This is just one of the large markets across the U.S. for construction and the pattern here is indicative of our larger research, showing that as the demand for construction work increases, there is a lack of labor to meet this need.

The big picture is that without enough workers, the supply of residential construction workers trails demand for homes and the shortfall will dampen the overall U.S. economy.

It is imperative that the construction industry works to bring the traditionally offline industry of construction online. If we want to attract Millennials to careers in construction, we have to speak their language!