How ready mixed concrete producers can tackle information technology expenses while staying competitive. Provided you haven’t spent the past decade off the grid hiding from doomsday in a prepper shelter, you know that modern businesses run on information technology. Advanced IT systems have become a hallmark of leading companies in every industry—and while each sector has different needs, all need…
Read MoreAuthor: Craig Yeack
Shining a Light on Construction Complexity
Plato and the power of integrated project tracking.Plato, the Greek philosopher born in the 4th century B.C., believed ignorance is the root cause of all difficulties. Construction projects, particularly those involving perishable and structural ready mixed concrete, are complicated and difficult. Given that nothing exists in the dark of ignorance that is not revealed when the light of knowledge is…
Read MoreHow to Choose RMC Tech Wisely
Tackling the top technology concerns for producer leadership. Technology applicable to ready mixed concrete (RMC) production is rapidly evolving—more so in the past two years than in the previous two decades. Your options are to choose right and prosper or choose wrong and perish. The stakes are high, and it’s imperative to avoid being blindsided by the promised opportunities and…
Read MoreIntegration vs Interoperability
Financial markets, tax regulation, environmental policies, and blazing new technological changes have firmly pushed the ready mixed concrete (RMC) industry into one of the most competitive eras of the last century. Simply adhering to business practices of the past is no longer enough to prevent vast swaths of the industry from being acquired, phased out, or deemed obsolete. So what…
Read MoreDriver Safety with AI Scorecards
Onboard cameras equipped with artificial intelligence can help drivers improve their performance and producers defend themselves against lawsuits. Professional athletes watch film; lots of film. They look for patterns in what they did right and (most importantly) what they did wrong. When that knowledge is paired with dedication and hard work, it removes coincidence and paves a proven path to…
Read MoreStaff Alignment at Zero Cost Through Gamification
How one producer uses a rewards-based app to tie driver behavior to the bottom line. An employee gives a company around 36,000 heartbeats per workday—heartbeats they will never get back. It’s our job, and our responsibility, to make those heartbeats count for all involved. Simple alignment is one of the best things we can do to make this happen. “The…
Read MoreOptimization for Ready Mixed Concrete Dispatch
Expect artificial intelligence to impact all aspects of the fulfillment process. “If it ain’t late, you ain’t making money.” Sound familiar? This has been a decades-long mantra of ready mixed concrete (RMC) dispatchers all over the world when pressured to minimize the typical 17 to 23 percent of total costs due to logistics. And the bookend customer complaint to dispatchers…
Read MoreAfter the Artificial Intelligence Crash
What ready mixed concrete jobs will look like after the AI bubble pops. Economic booms and subsequent busts, especially those associated with innovation, have been a part of history for centuries. So what should we expect as the wax (hype) starts to wane for generative artificial intelligence (AI) powered by large language models a la ChatGPT? The likely answers will…
Read MoreBatching Evolution and the Future
A look at how game-changing technologies have been transforming ready mixed concrete and batching. Cementitious materials have been around for a very long time, with the ancient Romans often cited as the first accomplished engineers to exploit them via volcanic pozzolanas. Throughout the 1700s and 1800s, significant development took place in England and France. Ultimately, ordinary portland cement—named after the…
Read MoreAre We Ready for Electric Concrete Trucks?
The economics of switching from diesel to electric—and what must be done to reach viability The Ford flathead V8 from 1932 is near-mythical. The engine’s rumble and power transformed road vehicles into speedsters that were often favored by moonshine runners. The 1909 Harley-Davidson V-twin engine, with its patented sound, is equally iconic. So why are we messing with the fabled…
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