Caterpillar on-board with new era of technology

Senior figures at Caterpillar believe an autonomous construction site is a possibility in the future, with technology continuing to drive the industry forward.

George Taylor, vice president, marketing and digital division, and Tom Pellette, group president, construction industries division, spoke about the need for a new approach towards training the next generation of jobsite workers, with the industry moving towards a new era in technology.

“Although things are becoming autonomous, people still need to work the machines, so there will always be people needed, just in a different capacity,” said Taylor, “Things will have to change in terms of the way the next generation is trained.”

He added, “The advancement in technology is such that people can service their own machines, and we’re on board with that, we want them to be able to do this, and that’s why we’re offering support to our customers. This is another way in which technology is making things easier for everyone.”

Pellette noted that a shift in power is forcing Caterpillar to improve constantly. He said, “Technology is making everybody smarter, and our customers are becoming smarter. It used to be the case that we were pushing the customer, now it’s the other way around, we’re being pulled by the customer. This helps us to have a focus, as we know exactly what our customers want, and we can respond.”