How To Implement AI In A Building Company

Adopting AI tools in the wrong way can negatively impact team morale and reduce productivity.

Done right, AI implementation can drastically improve your operational efficiency and output.

You need to find an implementation approach that best suits the company’s culture, resources, and long-term goals.

Whether you choose to engage a consultant, manage the implementation internally, or take a collaborative approach involving your team, each strategy offers distinct benefits and challenges.

Let's delve into these options…

Option 1: DIY Approach

For companies with sufficient internal technical expertise, taking a DIY approach to AI implementation can be cost-effective and highly customised.

This approach allows you to build and tailor AI solutions that are perfectly suited to your specific operational needs and to deepen your team’s expertise in AI technologies.

Implementing AI yourself involves setting up your own testing frameworks. You might start with small, low-risk projects that allow your team to get comfortable with AI. As these projects generate positive results, you can begin to expand usage, integrating more complex AI tools into different areas of the business, from project management to customer interactions.

Take one APB member who owns a building company in Perth, Australia. He started by utilising AI to help write a business plan, some job ads, and a few internal procedures. Now? He has taken the use of AI to a new level by automating the creation of project folders and grouping them into departments. This is a great example of the DIY approach to AI implementation growing organically.

DIY implementation requires you to stay proactive about learning and adapting. As AI technology evolves, you’ll need to continue educating yourself and your team, adjusting strategies and upgrading tools to leverage the latest advancements.

Option 2: Bringing Your Team On The Journey

A collaborative approach involves the entire team in the AI integration process.

This strategy not only leverages internal insights and ideas but also fosters a sense of ownership and acceptance among staff, which is crucial for the successful adoption of new technologies.

By involving your team, you can utilise their detailed knowledge of company operations to identify the best testing grounds for AI. Collaborative testing can help ensure that AI tools are user-friendly and effectively address the real challenges your employees face.

As these tools are adopted and their value proven, scaling up can be managed through training sessions, workshops, and continuous feedback loops with all stakeholders.

As part of the AI Action Plan for members of APB, we provide a template that you can use to encourage cross-department sharing of AI tools, use cases, and ideas for testing. We have a similar hub of information at APB and discuss it at weekly leadership meetings and team huddles.

This approach naturally lends itself to continuous improvement, as team members contribute to and critique AI functionalities. Regular team meetings to discuss AI performance, share successes, and address challenges can drive ongoing innovation.

Option 3: Using A Consultant

Engaging an AI consultant can streamline the AI implementation process, especially for building companies that may lack the internal expertise or resources.

Consultants bring specialised knowledge and experience, providing insights into the latest AI technologies and how they can be tailored to specific business needs. They can conduct thorough audits of your processes, identify the best opportunities for AI integration, and develop a customised roadmap that aligns with your strategic objectives.

With a consultant, you can benefit from proven methodologies for testing AI applications. They can set up pilot projects to demonstrate how AI can work in your specific environment, allowing you to see the results before fully committing.

Once these pilot projects prove successful, the consultant can guide you on how to scale these solutions across your operations, ensuring that AI tools are integrated smoothly and efficiently.

Consultants can also establish metrics and monitoring systems to continually assess the performance of AI tools. This ongoing evaluation allows for tweaks and enhancements, ensuring you adapt with the technology landscape.

Making The Right Choice

The key to successful AI implementation lies in a clear understanding of your company's needs, thoughtful planning, inclusive testing, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Each strategy, whether consultant-driven, DIY, or collaborative, has its merits and can be effective if aligned with the company's culture and goals.

By focusing on your overarching goals, your building company can successfully integrate AI into its operations and ensure a long-term competitive advantage in the industry.