Technology should make the work easier, not just add another login

MCS Influencer Anthony Ortega says clear success metrics are a must when implementing new technology. 

Over the years, we've implemented plenty of technology at Viotell. Zoho for project and business management, Bluebeam for plans and collaboration, CompanyCam for field documentation and more recently, AI across different parts of our operation. One lesson I've learned is that buying software is the easy part. Getting people to use it consistently and proving that it actually makes the business better is much harder.

In construction, it's tempting to chase the newest platform promising to solve every problem. But if a superintendent has to enter the same information in three places, or a project manager spends more time managing software than managing the project, we haven't improved anything. For us, technology adoption starts with the workflow. What problem are we trying to solve? Who is actually going to use the tool? Does it eliminate steps, improve communication, reduce mistakes or give us better information to make decisions?

Bluebeam, for example, gives our teams a better way to review drawings and communicate details. CompanyCam helps document what's actually happening in the field. Zoho connects different parts of our operation and creates accountability around projects and processes. AI is becoming another layer, helping us analyze information, develop content, research problems and move through administrative work faster. But implementation isn't the finish line. We also have to measure whether these tools are working. Are PMs spending less time on administrative tasks? Are field questions answered faster? Are we catching scope gaps earlier? Are change orders better documented? Are handoffs between estimating, operations and the field improving?

Sometimes the answer is yes. Sometimes you realize you've created another process that sounded great in a conference room but doesn't work particularly well on a roof. That's where listening to the people actually using the technology matters. I'm a believer in technology and especially excited about where AI can take our industry. But technology should support good people and good processes, not compensate for bad ones. The goal isn't to become the contractor with the most software. It's to give our teams better tools, remove unnecessary work and ultimately execute better projects for our clients.