Construction companies must control and standardize their data to make AI tools work

An executive for a construction progress-tracking platform provider says that construction companies in the age of AI must do better in managing and controlling their data.

“This isn’t about becoming data scientists or building technical infrastructure, but rather about taking command of data rather than hoping technology vendors figure it out for you,” says Amir Berman, Vice President of Industry Transformation at Buildots. A lack of standardized data has hamstrung the industry, he says.

For example, cost codes in accounting software or ERP don’t match what’s in the BIM model, he says. That means insights AI could or should provide are stymied.

“The construction firms that will thrive in the next decade won’t necessarily be the ones with the biggest technology budgets,” Berman says. “They’ll be the ones that recognize data as a strategic asset and take active steps to capture, structure, and leverage it.”

Construction companies should refuse to accept chaotic, unstructured information as a final deliverable, he adds. Construction professionals must take ownership of data strategy and implementation.