A recent Oracle article, “How AI Is Reshaping Construction,” correctly identifies the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in addressing the industry’s critical challenges of labor shortages, data silos, and project complexity. However, the future it depicts—one where individual firms adopt a “Do-It Yourself” (DIY) approach to various AI tools—is fraught with hidden risks and falls short of delivering true, lasting value. This fragmented model, where stakeholders independently use disconnected AI-powered tools, creates “smarter silos” rather than a truly collaborative and efficient project ecosystem.
The fundamental weakness of the DIY AI approach lies in its inherent lack of data governance. When architects, contractors, and subcontractors each use different AI tools for estimating, scheduling, and analytics, the data feeding these systems remains unverified and inconsistent. This magnifies the “Garbage In, Garbage Out” principle, leading to conflicting analyses and inaccurate outcomes. Furthermore, the valuable data generated during the project—the “why” behind critical decisions and the as-built records—is often lost or archived in unusable formats upon completion, becoming a transient byproduct rather than a permanent asset for the building owner.
A superior model is a comprehensive platform and service that establishes a governed Digital Information System (DIS) from day one. This approach, championed by MySmartPlans, shifts the paradigm from simply providing tools to delivering a unified ecosystem. By ensuring all project information is organized, validated, and structured within a central DIS, a “single source of truth” is created.
When an AI engine is powered by this rigorously governed, high-integrity data, it delivers unparalleled accuracy in critical functions like quantity takeoffs and cost estimates. This creates a truly orchestrated project where all stakeholders operate from the same information, achieving genuine synchronization and collaboration.
The most profound differentiator, however, is the long-term return on investment for the property owner. In the DIY model, the owner receives the keys to a building but is left with no intelligent data to manage it effectively. The millions invested in generating project data simply evaporate.
Conversely, the platform and service model delivers not just a completed building, but a fully populated, permanent Digital Information System. This meticulously governed and AI-enriched data asset empowers the owner for the entire building lifecycle, enabling true predictive maintenance, optimizing operational efficiency, and future-proofing the facility for subsequent technology integrations. In this model, the data serves the owner for decades, providing a return on investment that extends far beyond the construction phase.
To witness firsthand how a service-driven, platform-based approach delivers a superior, long-term digital asset, a demonstration can be arranged with Dominick Armato, President of MySmartPlans.
Please contact us at 816-221-7881
