The use of AI continues to expand across industries, and construction is no exception. It seems new tools are available every week that promise to improve productivity and profitability with minimal effort.
But, in the age of countless AI solutions, how do you make sure the software you invest in is actually worth it? Review the pros and cons of using artificial intelligence in construction, and learn how Raken uses people-friendly AI workflows that protect the integrity of your data.
The pros and cons of AI
In construction, AI is primarily used to review and analyze sets of data. Your software will scan information collected from past or current projects and automatically organize it, identify potential issues, or make predictions. In this way, AI can assist in project planning, daily progress monitoring, quality control, safety management, time theft prevention, and other business needs.
Generative AI can also be implemented to explore concepts in the design phase of a project, and, while less common, AI may be used to help complete actual project labor. Examples include self-driving trucks that deliver materials unassisted or autonomous robots that complete physical tasks like welding and painting.
The pros: Improved efficiency and consistency
At its best, AI saves time and allows human workers to use data more effectively. AI reviews and analyzes data much more quickly than humans can, which often leads to faster, more impactful decision making.
When used correctly, AI also keeps employees safer and more productive. Not only does it save time so that workers can focus on daily work rather than project management, it can also catch issues earlier and more consistently. That means safety hazards, mistakes, or other potential setbacks are identified well in advance, so you can take the appropriate steps for resolution before the problem evolves into an incident, costly delay, or cause for litigation.
The cons: Lack of trust and human oversight
Because AI is currently a buzzword, many software companies are jumping on the bandwagon, and it’s difficult to separate the real, time-honored solutions from trends. And, if you aren’t as familiar with the way AI works, doing your due diligence when deciding what kind of software to invest in becomes even more difficult.
AI also isn’t infallible. Human oversight is required to ensure even the most advanced AI is correctly interpreting data and any insights gained are appropriately applied. If a solution is too tech-heavy or complicated, its effectiveness is significantly diminished, especially in the construction industry, where the professionals using the tool likely have many other responsibilities and need to rely on AI that is both accurate and easy to use in order to get worthwhile results.
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Take a deeper dive into the different ways contractors utilize AI on their jobsites.
Raken: Your source of truth
We use AI responsibly to lower your exposure to risk and make sure you get immediate return on your investment.
Reliable, time-tested partner
Raken has been in business for over a decade, building powerful digital tools specifically for the construction industry. We serve thousands of contractors around the globe with field-first workflows that cover all your needs from project management to progress reporting, time tracking, and safety and quality.
There is nothing more important to us than the quality of your data. Raken is your source of truth, meaning the data you capture in our award-winning web and mobile app is always accurate. You can use our daily reports, RFIs, photos, checklists, and other documentation to prove what happened on the jobsite at any time, on any date.
Whenever you use our AI tools to review your data, you can be confident in the accuracy of the insights you gain.
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Raken + Dickinson Cameron
“Raken helps us give the real story of what happened on the jobsite when we need to defend the hard work we do.”
People-friendly workflows
We design our AI-assisted solutions for ease of use, so your field and office crews will actually want to use them. Raken’s AI features support compliance by being simple, streamlined, and actually useful.
Instead of complicating daily tasks with unnecessary steps, Raken implements AI automatically. For example, our AI photo tagging is an automatic process that adds relevant tags to any image you capture with Raken. You can use those tags to search for photos in your project gallery later, to more easily find specific photos and stay better organized.
Likewise, AI photo ID verifies employee identity automatically when they clock in, making it easier for supervisors to identify attempted time theft.
Fewer delays and rework
Our AI solutions support Raken as your source of truth. Field crews capture data with a tap on mobile as they walk the jobsite, so project managers get real-time updates. See exactly how projects are performing at a glance, monitor safety and quality closely, and adjust on the fly to prevent minor issues from turning into major delays.
Of course, even with the best tools, disputes are unavoidable in construction. When defending your business from litigation, Raken is picture-perfect proof of what the jobsite looked like at any given time. Our AI solutions work with the data you collected to help you find exactly the documentation you need to protect the hard work you do.
With Raken you get the following (and more):
Digital daily reports - Professional, comprehensive reports that are clear proof of labor
Photo documentation - Visual verification of your work for fast dispute resolution
Safety and quality management - Tools to ensure compliance and reduced incidents and delays
RFIs - Frictionless workflows to get fast responses and less change orders
Time clock - Verified proof or work with photo ID and audit trails
Try Raken today
Want to take a free tour of our AI-assisted daily reports, time tracking, and photo documentation tools? Watch our video demo, or use the link below to book a quick call with a member of our team.