The construction industry is experiencing a digital reckoning. While cutting-edge platforms, data systems, and automation tools continue to flood the market, the actual process of technology adoption remains uneven. What’s holding the industry back isn’t a lack of innovation but a lack of alignment between people, process, and data.
Nicole Waits, Senior Director of Preconstruction Advancement at Ryan Companies, has seen this struggle firsthand. In her experience, the key to successful transformation isn’t simply buying new tools. It’s also about rethinking how people interact with those tools.
And there’s another challenge: knowledge loss. As Garrett Vance of Join puts it, “A seasoned estimator carries a mental library of project strategies—but what happens when that knowledge walks out the door?” Without systems to capture and share institutional intelligence, lessons get lost, and mistakes are repeated.
To address these challenges, leading firms are adopting a more holistic approach to technology in the construction industry—one that prioritizes effective communication, workflow redesign, and actionable insights.
To understand how technology spreads (or stalls) within the construction space, let’s zoom out and look at the technology adoption life cycle. Popularized by Everett Rogers and later refined for business applications, this model outlines how different user groups adopt new tools, ranging from innovators and early adopters to the early majority, late majority, and laggards.
The model is typically visualized as a bell curve, illustrating that only a small group accepts the change right away. But the majority need clear proof and support before following suit. In other words, traditionally cautious construction professionals mostly end up on the right side of the curve.
Nicole Waits’ early efforts to implement Join and DESTINI Estimator illustrate this pattern. Adoption was slow at first, and “many projects started and stopped,” she said. But over time, as benefits became clearer and workflows improved, momentum grew.
To move forward, construction leaders must actively manage adoption in the construction space and not wait for change to happen.
Technology doesn’t change organizations - people do. And in construction, where relationships and routines run deep, the human factor can make or break any implementation.
Waits emphasizes the importance of communication: “You’ve got to have somebody dedicated to communicating changes,” she says. Whether it’s introducing a new estimating platform or reworking a document-sharing process, successful implementation depends on buy-in, training, and support. Change can’t be a side task; instead, it needs ownership.
At Ryan Companies, they learned that building trust around new tools requires more than one-off training sessions. Teams needed coaching, space to explore, and the ability to fail safely. Early wins with pilot teams created momentum, but progress still hinged on interpersonal dynamics and internal influence.
Social influence also plays a role in encouraging adoption. When team members such as estimators, project managers, or superintendents start using a new platform effectively, others will follow. This is especially important in construction businesses where word-of-mouth and peer credibility sometimes matter more than executive mandates.
Leading construction companies are now investing in “change champions.” These are team members who are empowered to support others, troubleshoot issues, and share success stories. This grassroots approach ensures that change feels inclusive and manageable, rather than top-down and disruptive.
At the heart of any tech adoption strategy is empathy. The tools matter, but the people matter more. Without trust and clarity, even the most sophisticated systems won’t deliver.
Implementing new technology isn't just a systems upgrade but a chance to rethink how work flows. But unless you align the tools with the process, even the best platforms fall flat. As Waits explains, “The hardest part isn’t always the technology—it’s rebuilding the workflows around it.”
That’s where structured process change comes in. At Ryan Companies, the turning point came with the development of the Item Library—a digital repository of institutional knowledge that converts past project insights into actionable guidance for current teams. The digital files highlight lessons learned, so teams don’t repeat the same mistakes across projects.
Vance described it this way: “A generator spec issue that once cost $200,000 was resolved in minutes because we had the data from past jobs.” This shift made their adoption strategy more than a rollout - it became a cultural transformation.
Mapping the adoption process carefully meant starting small. Ryan Companies piloted new workflows on five projects, repeated the process, and only scaled once they saw alignment. That measured approach helped teams adapt organically, while leadership focused on process alignment and training.
For firms focused on construction innovation, this mindset is essential. Team leaders must focus on introducing new tools, improving decision-making, retaining knowledge, and refining team interactions.
The result? Faster insights, fewer errors, and a more resilient approach to construction projects. In the long run, successful process transformation becomes the real ROI behind any platform investment as well as a foundation for scaling successful technologies across the enterprise.
Technology adoption evolves through measurement and ends with implementation. That’s where data comes in. From user engagement metrics to performance dashboards, data is the compass that guides course corrections and proves value.
Waits highlights the power of institutional knowledge. With tools like the Item Library, Ryan Companies turned scattered experience into a centralized asset. “We’re not just passing knowledge person to person anymore—we’re capturing it, sharing it, and improving every time,” she said. This shift provided teams with data-driven clarity, rather than relying on gut instincts.
Modern digital technologies amplify this potential. APIs provide teams with unified visibility by enabling seamless integration between estimating, scheduling, and procurement tools. These systems feed into dashboards that track usage trends and show where tech is or isn’t succeeding.
Add in machine learning, and the future becomes predictive. Platforms can analyze historical data to flag risks, suggest alternatives, or improve forecasting. Although the adoption of AI is still in its early stages, its potential benefits are substantial.
One core application already seeing real ROI is building information modeling (BIM). When paired with data-rich estimating tools, BIM models can forecast cost and quantity impacts in real time, improving accuracy and coordination.
Ryan Companies also uses data to communicate success stories. Internal case studies that highlight time saved on a project or show how the team avoided rework help justify the tech investment and reinforce adoption.
In other words, data can support decisions and tell the story of progress. For teams looking to scale impact and refine their systems, data is the fuel that turns technology into transformation.
Successful technology adoption in construction isn’t only about the latest tools. Successful implementation considers how those tools align with people, process, and data. Waits and her team at Ryan Companies have shown that transformation is possible when implementation is intentional, inclusive, and iterative.
Leaders navigating technology adoption in the construction industry should focus on building trust, redesigning workflows to align with their objectives, and utilizing data to inform decisions.
With the right strategy, even the most complex systems can lead to meaningful change. And with so many emerging technologies on the horizon, there’s never been a better time to start.
Note: This blog content is extracted from Beck Technology’s Beyond The Estimate podcast held in Spring 2025. Special thanks to Nicole Waits of Ryan Companies, Garrett Vance of Join, and Jan Michael Beran of Beck Technology for sharing their insights.