Construction is one of the largest economic sectors in the world, contributing around 13% to global GDP and employing more than 7% of the global workforce. Yet it remains among the least digitised industries. While sectors such as manufacturing, finance and retail have transformed through technology over the past two decades, construction still relies heavily on fragmented workflows, manual processes and minimal digital integration.

This gap in digital maturity has far-reaching consequences. Productivity in construction has stagnated for decades, with chronic project delays, cost overruns and safety incidents that cost both time and lives. Environmental impact is also significant, with the industry contributing heavily to global carbon emissions. In the UK alone, the Construction Industry Training Board projects that 251,500 additional workers will be required by 2028 to meet demand in private housing, infrastructure & repair and maintenance. Labour shortages are compounded by an ageing workforce and a lack of new entrants, creating a demographic challenge that threatens delivery capacity.

Material cost volatility and fragile supply chains continue to undermine project economics and scheduling reliability. Precast concrete products, for example, saw a 5.1% price increase in the 12 months to March 2025. Global disruptions, such as the Red Sea shipping crisis, have further strained availability and raised costs, making it harder for contractors to plan with confidence.

Sustainability pressures are also reshaping the sector. The UK government’s commitment to net zero by 2050, alongside the UK Net Zero Building Standard and the Future Homes Standard, is forcing a fundamental rethink of building design, construction methods and compliance requirements. Low-carbon heating, sustainable materials and transparent reporting are no longer optional.

Despite these pressures, adoption of digital solutions remains slow. A 2024 Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors report found that 43% of respondents had not used digital technologies on any of their projects. This lack of adoption perpetuates inefficiency and prevents the sector from addressing its challenges at scale.

Change is not being held back by a lack of awareness but by the complexity of construction itself. Projects involve multiple stakeholders with diverse objectives, operating in constantly shifting environments. Traditional methods have evolved to manage risk rather than optimise performance, but this approach is no longer sustainable.

The convergence of artificial intelligence, machine learning, Internet of Things, advanced analytics and cloud platforms has created a clear opportunity for transformation. Intelligent Automation combines these capabilities to move the sector from reactive, manual processes to proactive, data-driven operations. This shift enables construction businesses to tackle their most persistent operational challenges, improve productivity, enhance safety and reduce environmental impact while establishing new performance benchmarks.

In the sections that follow, we examine six critical operational domains where IA can deliver measurable improvement and competitive advantage, showing how early adopters are positioning themselves not only to meet today’s demands but to lead the industry into its next phase of growth.

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