Tech Trends / Tech Talk Articles

Interoperability: The Digital Mindset

May 4, 2023

Topics: application programming interface, Concrete Products

What if you could reconfigure your business processes to be faster and less costly by easily offering new products and services from emerging providers … and offloading your non-core competencies…

AI Part 2: The Concrete Case for AI Bots

Topics: OpenAI, Concrete Products, ChatGPT

Providers of AI foundation models like OpenAI and their ChatGPT can harness deep learning. Just imagine what we can do with construction...

The End Game of Digitization

February 20, 2023

Topics: ChatGPT, artificial intelligence, ready mix concrete

Microsoft is investing $10 billion in OpenAI, a startup company specializing in artificial intelligence (AI). OpenAI is the maker of ChatGPT (an...

Embrace the paradox: A recession makes talent and time abundant

January 26, 2023

Topics: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Concrete Industry, Digital Enterprise

As the United States slides into a recession and the construction industry is starting to feel it, BCMI’s Craig Yeack warns that...

A ‘Bit’ on Digital Currency and Ready-Mix Concrete

October 18, 2022

Topics: Cryptocurrency

We have all heard of the cryptocurrency called bitcoin. Ether (ETH) is the second most popular cryptocurrency, and it’s about to expand...

Alternative Materials to the Rescue!

November 28, 2022

Topics: concrete, geopolymer concrete, steel

Steel and concrete have a love-hate relationship. Steel brings tensile strength to concrete, making it stronger for structural applications. Alas, concrete lets...

Producers’ Choice

September 7, 2022

Topics: Concrete Technology, Ready-Mixed Concrete

Concrete technology options in the ready mixed industry can be likened to the hospitality ecosystem in Orlando, Fla. Much like the independent ecosystem...

Five trends in technology changing the concrete industry

January 31, 2017

Topics: Concrete Producers, Supply Chain

Here’s why producers who embrace technology will come out on top.By Craig Yeack In the past, concrete producers’ success was based largely...

Technology: The trust differentiator

Topics: Concrete Producers, Ozinga

Concrete producers become indispensable partners by ‘coming clean’ with customers. By Craig Yeack Ozinga recently invested in streamlining its entire quote-to-cash process....

Would millennials want to work for you?

Topics: Concrete Industry, Irving Materials Inc.

How can an industry with a low-tech reputation attract and keep the best and brightest minds?By Craig Yeack “Millennials won’t come...

Producers level the playing field with technology

Topics: Concrete Producers, Smith Ready Mix

Tech is an equal-opportunity differentiator for producers of all sizes. By Craig Yeack Remote dispatching at Smith Ready Mix. Innovative concrete producers,...

Tapping into Wireless Technology

Topics: Concrete Producers, Wireless technology

Producers will be able to measure and manage almost every aspect of the ready-mix business with mobile devices.By Craig Yeack Wireless technology...

Wireless technology makes life easier for concrete producers

Topics: Aggregates, Miles Sand & Gravel, Ready-Mix

Producers just “scratching the surface” with what wireless technology can do. By Craig Yeack Last month we focused on Miles Sand & Gravel’s efforts...

Can intelligent equipment make you smarter?

Topics: Aggregates, Asphalt, Graniterock, Internet of Things

The Internet of Things is changing the construction and building materials industries. Here is what producers need to know. By Craig Yeack...

Predicting the next economic downturn

September 13, 2017

Topics: Concrete Producers, Ready-Mix, Titan America

How to mine your data for early warning signs of the next recession. By Craig Yeack What if your ready-mix sales fell...

Five things producers should know about BIM

October 19, 2017

Technology trends are driving adoption of modeling software in the concrete industry. By Craig Yeack Building information modeling, or BIM, has come...

Hi-Tech Solutions to the Ready-Mix driver shortage

November 21, 2017

Technology can ease the pain of meeting customer demand while understaffed. By Craig Yeack As I am in and out of concrete...

Concrete producers should work smarter, not harder

December 21, 2017

Topics: Concrete Producers, Technology

Technology helps producers run more efficiently, instead of running into the ground. By Craig Yeack When I ask concrete producers what keeps them...

Driving down cost for concrete producers

February 8, 2018

Topics: Aggregates, EBITDA

Case study: Subtracting a few minutes of driver time equals six-digit savings. By Craig Yeack PRODUCER PROFILE Name: WW Ready Mix2016 revenue: $475 millionLocations: 85 plantsEBITDA: 10.4%Key...

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