As one of many industry-related niches in digital signage, the construction sector is certainly untapped. After a couple of conversations with various individuals within that industry, I have come up with several reasons why small digital signs would be helpful for those in construction management.

Those who work in construction are mostly likely familiar with the United States Green Building Council. The Green Building Council has something called LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), which is an internationally recognized green building certification system. The system provides for third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies for water efficiency, energy savings, CO2 emissions reduction, stewardship and resource sensitivity, and improved indoor environmental quality. From the org's website:

LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

LEED is flexible enough to apply to all building types – commercial as well as residential. It works throughout the building lifecycle – design and construction, operations and maintenance, tenant fitout, and significant retrofit. And LEED for Neighborhood Development extends the benefits of LEED beyond the building footprint into the neighborhood it serves.

In our "green-focused" economy, you can never be too environmentally conscious. The benefit to construction managers is not just the warm fuzzies of completing a project that may have helped the environment. No, that is not the only motivation. There is an actual monetary compensation available to those who comply to the LEED system.

There are three separate tiered levels of LEED qualification for every sector of building including: commercial interiors, core and shell, retail, new construction, healthcare, homes, and neighborhood development. The three tiers of certification are bronze, gold, and platinum. Each tier offers a differing level of compensation for the organization

How can digital signage be of assistance?

Increasing LEED points is a big deal for companies looking to be at the forefront of the environmental movement, but more importantly, the compensation available is nothing to be scoffed at. Thousands of dollars are given for those who can meet and exceed point levels and expand their business as an environmental leader.

We are currently working with two separate entities who are using digital signage to pull information from a live, updating database to display statistics on how well the team is doing on a "real-time" basis. This gives them real-time stats on what they can improve on to increase their LEED level of certification.

Small form-factor signage can also act as a method of educating builders on specific nuances of the LEED program. The sign can give daily tips on improving operations and give them a reason to change methods and performance. Using digital signage in this fashion would be similar to the signs used in manufacturing facilities for improving operations and performance. Those familiar with the industry know that manufacturer's use the screens with a similar motivation in mind.

There are currently 41 countries using LEED and the opportunities for improvement and compensation are vast. Using digital signage to increase LEED points is a way to effectively measure the ROI of a digital sign squabbling about the "sales lift" of a retail location.