The Role of the Product Owner in Construction

The role of product owner is becoming more popular in the construction industry. Companies that want
 to be on the cutting edge of the digital transformation of the industry are hiring in-house for this role, which serves as a liaison between software developers and company stakeholders. While the concept
is relatively new in construction, the role is a game changer for companies looking to take their digital performance to the next level.

What is a product owner?

Product owners serve as a go-between in software development projects, bridging the gap between programmers, developers, and stakeholders. They are primarily used in the tech industry, but as more construction and design companies are seeing the benefits of digitalization and automation, they are rising in popularity in construction. They are often found in teams working on software add-ons, customizations, data integrations, and other custom software solutions.

Product owners have a unique skill set that doesn’t necessarily require a background in either construction or software development. They work to facilitate communication between programmers and company stakeholders, ensuring that everyone gets what they want in the end. They also serve as the point of contact for digital development projects.

Who is usually the product owner?

The product owner serves as the liaison between several people or groups. These include company stakeholders, leadership, users, and the software development team. They must have robust knowledge about the company’s technology, clients, and future goals so they can serve all these groups effectively.

The role should be held by one individual, not a team or committee. It’s beneficial to select someone within the organization, if possible, as they will already have a deep knowledge of your customers and projects. However, you shouldn’t just add product owner responsibilities to someone with an existing job title. It’s recommended to have a full-time person in this role to ensure that they can focus all their efforts on existing tech projects.

How do product owners support your digital transformation?

The role of a product owner for construction companies is to help the organization embrace digital assets and automation to increase productivity. They take on the project management duties required to bring
a concept into reality. Team members rely on them to keep projects on task and to facilitate communication. They are also a great source of innovative ideas, as they often spend time researching the latest and greatest tech in the industry and identifying opportunities for improvement.

They also continuously strive to understand your company’s pain points and the ways digital processes
or automation can help improve processes. From their unique perspective they can often recommend solutions that those in the trenches may not be able to see.

Why are product owners becoming highly demanded?

As construction companies realize that hiring product owners can help reduce future costs and alleviate uncertainty and instability, they will be in increasing demand. 

Recent research has found that the industry is embracing cloud tools and platforms engineered
to increase collaboration and efficiency. Companies that embrace this digital revolution and strive
to be ahead of the game are hiring in-house software engineers to develop custom solutions. These projects require specialized skills and knowledge that can be provided by the product owner role. 

As more construction companies embrace technology and digital tools, there will be an increasing need for product owners to help these companies drive this change and stay ahead of their competitors.