There is a lot of discussion across construction about AI, automation and the next generation of digital tools. But before asking what these technologies can do for project delivery, I think there is a more basic question: is our project information ready for them?

Twelve years working across construction and infrastructure has shown me how differently organisations are preparing for digital transformation. During my research into BIM and project delivery, I interviewed senior professionals with decades of industry experience. 

One theme came through consistently: technology alone does not improve project delivery. 

The organisations that get value from digital technology are those that build the right foundations around it. Good information, clear governance, capable people and well-defined delivery processes all matter.

Technology is a part of the story

Construction is expanding beyond traditional BIM use cases. Digital twins, automation, AI, offsite manufacturing and robotics are increasingly being used to address real delivery challenges.

A comparison I have heard in the industry captures this well. Digital technology is like a Formula One car. With the right driver, team and infrastructure, it can perform exceptionally well. Without those foundations, sophisticated technology will simply help organisations make poor decisions faster.

The cost of getting the foundations wrong can be significant. The Get It Right Initiative estimated the wider cost of error in UK construction at around 21% of construction spend, with poorly communicated and coordinated design information identified among the contributing causes. A landmark US study by NIST, based on earlier industry data, estimated that inadequate interoperability between systems cost the capital facilities industry $15.8 billion annually. These studies measure different issues, but they reinforce an important point: fragmented and poorly coordinated information has a real cost.

Fragmented information limits what technology can do

On major infrastructure programmes, information rarely sits in one place. Design, programme, cost, risk, procurement, construction and commissioning information can be spread across multiple Common Data Environments (CDEs), contractor platforms and specialist systems.

It is not uncommon for information to be represented differently across multiple systems, requiring alignment before it can be used effectively. Before meaningful automation or analysis can happen, someone has to establish whether those records refer to the same asset, then match, clean and validate the information. That takes time and creates risk.

APIs, automation and data integration can help connect existing systems, while analytics and AI can help teams identify relationships and emerging risks. A delay in design approval, for example, may affect procurement, which could then affect construction and commissioning milestones. Integrated dashboards can help bring this information together, but the dashboard is not the outcome. The real value is having trusted information that helps people understand dependencies and make better decisions.

Start with the end in mind

Good information management should not begin at handover. It should start with a clear understanding of what information will be needed when the asset is operational.

Information and asset requirements should be defined from the outset - not only based on what the project team needs during design and construction, but also on what operations and asset management teams will need once the asset is in service. When information is structured, consistent and maintained throughout delivery, handover becomes more than transferring documents. The information created during design, construction and commissioning becomes a valuable asset in its own right.

ISO 19650 provides an established framework for managing information across the asset lifecycle, but its value depends on consistent implementation across all organisations involved in delivery. Information also needs clear accountability. In the same way that scope, cost and programme have accountable owners, so should information.

People and collaboration still matter

Digital construction cannot belong only to BIM, digital or IT teams. Project leaders, commercial teams, designers, contractors, operators and clients all influence how information is created, shared and used. Commercial arrangements matter too. If teams are encouraged to protect information rather than share it, technology alone will not create collaboration.

Five priorities for construction leaders

1. Start with the end in mind. Define information and asset requirements from the outset based on what will be needed through delivery, handover, operations and asset management.
2. Establish clear information ownership across the asset lifecycle.
3. Connect existing systems through common standards, APIs and appropriate integration rather than creating more information silos.
4. Invest in people who understand both digital technology and project delivery.
5. Measure outcomes, not technology adoption.

The real opportunity

Digital construction is ultimately not about having more technology. It is about creating an environment where trusted information leads to better insight, better decisions and better project outcomes throughout the asset lifecycle. AI and automation will continue to develop, but they will not replace engineering judgement, leadership, accountability or good information management. Used well, they can strengthen all of them.

Technology will continue to advance. The question for construction leaders is whether the information foundations beneath it are advancing at the same pace.