As more smartphones, iPads and Android tablets show up on the construction site, more construction apps become available. On the jobsite, our projects change quickly and we communicate visually. That combination makes construction a great industry to capitalize on this new technology. Coupled with the fact that many contractors don’t type well, a touch screen with menus, instant size changing and drag and drop capability further ups the value.

Think about having all your current project drawings kept up-to-date on a file transfer protocal (FTP) site like Box.net. It’s relatively easy to do, then your tablet computer can quickly pull up any drawing you need on the jobsite. Moving around the drawing and zooming in is easy. It’s not quite the same as paper drawings, but it’s more likely to be the current drawing instead of an older version.

Also, think about the calculations that you typically do on the jobsite, then see if you can find an app to easily automate them. If you can do that, you should be using a tablet computer on your jobsite.

The promise of a paperless office has been offered often but never realized. It’s still reasonably far away, but I think we can now see that the tablet computer will be the technology though which that promise eventually gets accomplished.

A big advantage of tablet computers has to do with the much lower costing software. For some reason, regular computer programs that cost $300 get released for the iPad and Android tablets for $10. I think the huge potential world market makes the pricing strategy different. Regardless, though, you should be thinking about jumping into this technology and learning how much your business (or your personal productivity) can be improved.

If you don’t have a smartphone, get one now. It’s the important first step. After you get accustomed to constant email access and certain helpful phone app programs, then consider a tablet.