Blog Post

Anna Robak, P.Eng, PhD
Executive Director, Research & Innovation – WSP Canada
Adjunct Professor, Department of Civil Engineering – UNB

Measure Once, Save Twice:
How Digital Monitoring Cuts Costs and Carbon on the Jobsite

For construction SMEs, sustainability is no longer a separate initiative—it’s quickly becoming a practical response to rising costs and tighter expectations. That’s because, when paired with technology that measures, manages, and reports what’s happening on the jobsite, SMEs can track and improve carbon emissions and waste, while savings costs.

This article lays out:

  1. Why sustainability is becoming a bottom-line issue for SMEs,
  2. Why digital monitoring is a practical starting point, and
  3. A shortlist of SME-friendly technologies that can reduce costs while improving sustainability and reporting.

The cost of construction projects is escalating due to climate change and its impacts on workers, supply chains, and insurance. If sustainability feels like one extra thing to deal with, consider that jobsite and fleet technologies can pay back quickly—for example, digital tracking and GPS have been associated with fuel savings of up to 30%, while also improving safety and timelines. On top of that, measurable data makes service providers more attractive to provincial and federal government clients pursuing green bonds and other sustainability-linked financing. Bai et al (2025), for example, have shown that measuring jobsite operational efficiency makes companies more attractive to financiers.

Why start with monitoring?

Because it helps direct your efforts and offers the carbon reduction evidence financiers look for. Capturing basics like equipment utilization, idle time, material movement, and site access creates a simple baseline—one you can use to cut waste and costs immediately, and then reuse the same evidence in bids, client reporting, and financing conversations.

One of the highest-impact monitoring investments for many construction SMEs is a real-time location system (RTLS). RTLS creates a digital map of a site where equipment, materials, and personnel can be located in real time using tags and sensors. In practice, this approach helps teams spend less time searching for assets; reduces losses and unauthorized removal through geofencing; improves site logistics by reducing movements and deliveries; and supports safety through collision avoidance and automated alerts.

There are other technologies that can support sustainability while also reducing costs (see Table 1). The shortlist focuses on options that

  1. have a clear cost-saving pathway,
  2. generate data that can be used for reporting, and
  3. are realistic for SMEs to adopt.

RTLS is one of the most wide-ranging—touching safety, cost reduction, waste, and emissions—but it does require investment, so GPS fleet tracking can be an easier first step.

In New Brunswick, RTLS adoption among construction SMEs appears to be limited—my working estimate is under 10%[1].

Table 1. SME-worthy construction technologies to improve sustainability and reduce costs

Technology 
Sustainability Benefit 
Cost-Saving Potential 
SME Accessibility 
Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS)  Reduces fuel use, idle time, and material waste through just-in-time delivery  Up to 10% overall construction cost savings; 64% labor savings on long projects; up to 50% accident reduction   High 
GPS Fleet Tracking  Cuts emissions and fuel use by optimizing routes and reducing unauthorized use  Up to 30% fuel savings  High 
Carbon Tracking & ESG Tools  Enables transparent reporting of embodied and operational carbon  Helps win sustainability-focused bids; supports compliance  High 
Machine Tracking & Predictive Maintenance  Improves uptime, reduces breakdowns and emissions from inefficient equipment  Reduces repair costs by 10-40%; reduces downtime by up to 50%; improves scheduling and productivity  High 
BIM (Building Information Modeling)  Improves design accuracy, reduces rework, supports lifecycle carbon tracking  16–20% cost reduction; 200% ROI with IPD contracts  Medium 
Modular / Off-Site Construction  Reduces material waste, emissions from transport, and on-site energy use  Up to 40-90% waste reduction; 20–50% faster timelines  Medium 
Low-Carbon Concrete (e.g., CarbonCure)  Reduces embodied carbon in concrete without compromising strength  Comparable cost to traditional concrete (validated by the Carbon Leadership Forum) 

 

 Medium 
AI-Driven Energy Modeling  Optimizes building design for energy efficiency and carbon reduction  Up to 30% reduction in lifetime building emissions  Medium 
Electrified Equipment & Fleets  98% reduction in carbon emissions; reduces noise and maintenance  Up to 25% lower operating costs; long-term fuel savings  Low–Medium 

These technologies make companies in the construction industry more competitive not only because of the reduced operating costs, but also because they:

  • Open new finance opportunities. New Brunswick’s Climate change fund and NBIF’s Cleantech Momentum Program can be applied to fund emissions-tracking or energy reduction technologies. Export Development Canada and Business Development Bank of Canada also provide support for export and growth financing. While these funds are not currently accepting applications, subscribing to their newsletters is a good way to stay informed and be notified when new opportunities become available.

  • Make you a more attractive bidder. It supports provincial and federal agencies’ green bond impact reporting by making emissions and efficiency outcomes measurable—an increasingly common requirement in procurement. This aligns with green-bond-financed projects under Canada’s Green Bond Program. Service providers can also reduce their own costs of adoption by offering paid pilots or pilot pricing to government clients. And New Brunswick governments should want to engage New Brunswick SMEs as much as possible, because investing in local, independent business has been shown to recirculate up to 4.5 times more revenue than multinationals.

  • Attract and retain talent. The use of technology with a sustainability vision engages new, motivated, tech-savvy people to your company.

By adopting these technologies, SMEs can strengthen New Brunswick’s economy, environment, and innovation ecosystem. There don’t appear to be any RTLS service providers based in New Brunswick—a challenge for firms that want to procure locally, and a clear opportunity for local startups and service companies to step in.

What you can do as an SME that wants to start digital tracking on the jobsite:
  • Financing and funding
    • Contact BDC or EDC to explore whether your emissions-tracking investments qualify for sustainability-linked financing.
    • Connect with the Pond Deshpande Centre (PDC) to access aggregated funding information and partnership opportunities.
    • Contact government clients to propose pilots.
  • Technology advice and procurement
    • Connect with PDC to identify New Brunswick technology suppliers.
    • Search for RTLS providers and GPS fleet tracking in New Brunswick.

If New Brunswick wants faster progress on construction emissions and productivity, we’ll need more support for SME adoption to supplement the current R&D focus, and more local service capacity to implement, train, and maintain these digital tools.

Digital monitoring and reporting is a practical place to start because it creates quick, bankable savings through reduced fuel consumption, time, loss, and rework, and produces the evidence clients increasingly expect. Pick one workflow to digitize on your next site—often fleet tracking first, then RTLS for higher-value sites—measure the results, and use that data to guide your next investment and strengthen your bids.

Of course, technology is only one part of the sustainability toolkit—maintenance and renewal over new build, smarter consumption nudges, green infrastructure, and local low-carbon materials (such as mass timber where appropriate) can all be impactful too. The advantage of digital tools is that they help you set a benchmark for future decisions. And set you up to be an attractive part of a more resilient and efficient supply chain.

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[1] There are no publicly available data on this, but globally, 60% of construction companies use some form of lot. SMEs tend to be 3-5 years behind in technology adoption because of the financial investments required. New Brunswick is smaller still, and with likely further lag.

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This blog is a part of the research summaries for the Green Horizons project. For more information on the project and more, visit www.ponddeshpande.ca/green-horizons.