Dive Brief:
- Bilt has added new project collaboration capabilities to its operational enablement tool to provide technicians and tradespeople with better training and upskilling.
- The new function allows users to work together on complex projects, collaborate in real time, contribute feedback and follow interactive 3D guidance on how to perform tasks, Bilt said in a Nov. 29 release.
- Within the app users can manipulate images and animations for each specific task while providing ratings and reviews that can help managers identify pain points and potential delays through analytics and insights, the company said.
Dive Insight:
The facilities management sector faces a “skilled labor crisis” across the U.S. and Canada, with operators struggling to upskill and attract talent amid an aging workforce, retiring staff and a decline in the number of young people seeking technical jobs, according to data from online recruiting platform Handshake.
To make the most of the workers available, many organizations are harnessing artificial intelligence to expedite training and streamline maintenance operations. Companies including Bluon, Marcone, JLL and Schneider Electric, for example, are integrating generative AI into operational processes to alleviate labor concerns and improve efficiency.
Bilt CEO Nate Henderson said in the release that the project-sharing capabilities of its tool can help professional technicians facilitate teamwork, reduce errors and improve training.
The need to bridge the skilled-labor gap led Siemens to partner with Bilt in October 2022 to provide its electricians with official 3D digital work instructions and assembly guides, eliminating the need to train workers on real, often-electrified assets. San Francisco Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committee Lab Instructor Christie Peterson noted the product is ideal for apprenticeships, called it a “game-changer in a training environment” and said it’s the next step in the evolution of training.
Improving apprenticeship programs could be crucial in addressing the skilled labor gap. A Nov. 13 report by the Burning Glass Institute and Multiverse states that 128 million U.S. workers — about 70% of the entire US workforce, including janitors, cooks and waitstaff — could stand to benefit from apprenticeships and on-the-job learning opportunities.
Bilt said educators can expect trainees to install products without ever having touched the equipment in the classroom if they have familiarized themselves with the 3D instructions.
