If you have been following along here the last few weeks, then you know we are exploring productivity in the construction industry. We have explored the foundational element of the schedule and productivity in small and mid-sized businesses. But the question still remains: What can boost productivity? Naturally, the answer is technology, more specifically automation and AI (artificial intelligence). But is it always that cut and dry?
Let’s look at a recent survey for some answers. Eagle Hill Consulting published its 2025 Technology Enablement Survey earlier in August. It surveyed more than 1,400 workers in the United States about workplace technology trends.
The Case for Automation
The research found 64% of people believe automation of repetitive tasks would boost productivity and another 69% said technology in general would make their jobs easier. So, people think technology will help solve the productivity puzzle. At the same time, 79% of people are using technology in their day-to-day work. So, they are also using technology to make them more productive.
And yet, the survey also finds organizations are still falling short in terms of maximizing their investment. Only 38% say automation has eliminated tedious tasks in the past year and 41% say their organization is not prepared for increasing automation trends.
The Case for AI
What, then, about? The magic bullet that will catapult companies into a new era of work. Well, according to this research, adoption is still slow. We see a whopping 67% of employees aren’t using AI at all at work yet, although more than half of these non-users want to learn.
This is in line with many of the trends we are seeing around AI. AI is quickly becoming one of the biggest technology talking points in many vertical markets such as construction. However, similar to automation, 41% of employees report their organization is not prepared to adapt to its growth.
Why? Many organizations are not adopting a people-centric approach.
The Case for People
Here at Constructech and Connected World, we have been harping on the need for people, process, and technology for decades. We urged the importance back in the early days of BIM (building information modeling), M2M, and the IoT (Internet of Things). And now we will sound the horn again in the early days of gen AI and agentic AI.
Technology just for the sake of technology won’t help anyone. We need people to drive process and technology. This is something, we have explored in greater depth, in our AI in construction blog series, where we looked at some key strategies to help workers thrive in a new era of work, and how process and technology ultimately factor into the equation.
When the formula is correct, then benefits skyrocket. This particular survey found technology can help workers access information faster, complete tasks more efficiently, and improve work quality. All the benefits we espouse can happen.
So, let’s ask the question again that we started this blog with: What can boost productivity? The answer is people, process, and technology.
Want to tweet about this article? Use hashtags #construction #IoT #sustainability #AI #5G #cloud #edge #futureofwork #infrastructure #people #process #technology