The Future of AI in the Construction Supply Chain Is Here
DigiBuild, the “Trusted Material Management and Procurement Software for Builders”, is the 1st to introduce ChatGPT to the Construction Supply Chain.
Robert J. Salvador, CEO of DigiBuild, recently appeared on FoxBusiness to discuss this construction industry breakthrough.
Reduce Time and Energy while Making More Money
The U.S. construction industry is huge, being valued at over $1.6 trillion in 2021. Construction is the 12th largest industry in the country and accounts for approximately 4.3% of the U.S. total GDP. It's important that such a large industry is supported because until now, the construction industry has been suffering from labor shortages, insane fluctuations in material prices, disruptions in supply chains, etc. Couple this with the grim economic forecast and you can see why some are pulling their hair out.
Here is where the support comes in from technology, and I know I know…. new technology can be intimidating, but it is just the tool. Much like the drill you use to drive in finishing nails, AI is just that - tool to get the job done faster than using a screwdriver to put up 2x4s. Let's run through 4 examples of how AI can take some off of your plate.
- As mentioned in the video, Digibuild CEO Robert Salvador mentions the use of AI to handle material price quotes so that you and your office personnel, or wife, are less the hours and headache of calling 10 places in a row. This saves you from nagging the person calling to get you the prices you need to build the estimate and on the other hand, you get a voluptuous list of the best material prices for the job.
- If you are looking to scale your business by way of social media, but have no idea where to start, you can just ask AI to generate the posts for you. Just read over them to ensure they embody the tone you desire and boom. A month of content on your premade template and you are solid for a month or more on keeping your current clients, or potential clients, engaged and following your business and not the other guys!
- Contracts have to be one of the largest headaches. Who has time for all the legal mumbo jumbo??? You don’t because you have a million other things to do, but you want to ensure that you and your clients are on the same page and that you have put your best foot forward to ensure payment for work completed. Have AI generate the document you desire, read over it to ensure you have all the bases covered, then drop it by a legal pro that you trust to review.
- I saved the best for last, Construction Bookkeeping. Without proper management and allocation of funds, you did have a construction business! There are already groups on Facebook where bookkeepers and accountants are working out how to catch budgeting and estimating mistakes, by way of historical data. This is all so that more construction companies make more money and lose less. This can somewhat level the playing field for construction businesses. What is stopping the >$1 million construction business from having the same data points as the <$20 million construction business???
This list goes on and on. As stated previously, AI is just a tool. You decide how best to use it.
Has Doomsday Arrived?
In short, not yet. Artificial Intelligence is what you make of it. You certainly don’t have to take part in it. You don’t have to use all the new shiny tools and equipment that manufacturers come out with either, but I bet you give it a thought and maybe even a spin. Let’s agree that it’s about time that something came along to help the industry that keeps the world turning! Give this new shiny tool a spin and let us know how it handles!
Research
- https://video.foxbusiness.com/v/6326568901112
- https://www.linkedin.com/posts/robertjsalvador_tech-expert-robert-salvador-we-dont-want-activity-7059176829672173570-9WqY?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
- https://digibuild.com/solutions/general-contractors/
- https://www.zippia.com/advice/us-construction-industry-statistics/#:~:text=The U.S. construction industry is,of the U.S. total GDP.