The Simple Innovation Giving Builders A Competitive Edge In 2024

How can you find the time to create marketing content, document standard operating procedures and write job descriptions, as well as keep projects moving and sales flowing?

Well, if you’re constantly feeling short on time and want more capacity to focus on the future of your business, you need to get artificial intelligence (AI) on your company’s strategic agenda.

Some builders see AI as a threat, but professional builders see it as an opportunity.

Here’s the truth… AI will NOT replace you or your building company. However, a building company using AI better than you could make you obsolete in a heartbeat.

One thing that history tells us is the pace of change increases exponentially over time…

• The industrial revolution took 80-100 years
• The electric age took 50-70 years
• The computer revolution took just 30 years to complete
• The information age, which included smartphones, took less than 20 years.

And now, AI is transforming the way businesses operate overnight.

According to IBM, 77% of businesses are using AI to streamline their operations and increase productivity.

How will you compete with those building companies in 2025 if you are still doing things the old way?

We recently polled our members about how they are using AI in their building companies. I must admit, I was surprised by how many use cases there are already in play!

High-performing building companies are using AI in their takeoffs, estimating, communication, project management, recruitment, operations and marketing.

They are also using it to completely automate tasks that previously could only be done by human beings, enabling administrators, marketers and salespeople to work on more productive tasks that increases productivity for the whole company.

But it’s not too late to start. You just need to make it a strategic priority before you fall behind the pack.

A Roadmap for ai integration

The first step is to assess where AI can make the most significant impact on your building company. 

Is it in operations, where AI tools could optimise resource allocation and project management, leading to faster completion times and reduced costs? 

Or is it in customer service, where AI can analyse client data to provide personalised service recommendations, improving client satisfaction and retention? 

Or perhaps your marketing team stands to gain the most, with AI helping marketers create content in a fraction of the time it once took them.

Get started by creating a roadmap for AI integration in your business.

This roadmap could be as simple as having a series of tasks that breakdown the AI implementation process into manageable chunks, including deadlines, task owners, and descriptions. 

For example, you may start by setting up a ChatGPT Workspace where you can add all of your team members. You may also want to get the subject of AI top of mind for your team and firmly embedded into your discussions by adding it to the agenda of weekly meetings. These would be two items on your roadmap. 

AI implementation in practice

One builder in the APB community from West Virginia in the United States introduced an “AI Innovations” segment to their team's weekly meeting. In the very first meeting with AI on the agenda, the marketing team explained their use of ChatGPT to create tailored blog articles using multi-stage prompts. 

This process quickly became used for content creation across sales for customer email communication and operations for creating standard operating procedures. 

If they didn’t add AI to the meeting agenda, these cross-functional efficiency improvements may have never come to light!

Creating an AI roadmap provides an opportunity for leadership to align the organisation's long-term goals with the transformative potential of AI. It’s an opportunity to envision a future where your company not only survives but thrives by leveraging the most advanced tools available.

In essence, placing AI on your strategic agenda means recognising AI as a critical factor in your company’s future growth and competitiveness. It’s about making a commitment to transform the very culture of your organisation, fostering an environment that embraces innovation, values data-driven decision-making, and seeks continuous improvement through technology.

Remember that the goal is to integrate AI seamlessly into your operations, complementing the skills of your workforce, not replacing your team! By doing so, you will not only enhance your operational capabilities but also empower your employees and satisfy your clients like never before.

Click on the link below to get access to The Ultimate AI Toolkit for Builders, and discover how to unlock the full potential of your business.