Advancing Construction with Technology and Care

Audrey Bottini, Project Manager, M. B. Kahn

One of the defining projects in my career was PDX Next, a $1.7 billion expansion of Portland International Airport. Procore awarded the PDX Next program the Project of the Year Award at the 2025 Ground-break conference for its innovative use of technology.

I worked as a project engineer during the construction of the new Concourse B. What started as a pilot project eventually became a blueprint for several other initiatives within the PDX Next program. These projects combined ambitious architecture and engineering with the challenge of maintaining airport operations and passenger traffic. This pushed the project’s ingenuity on both the technical and logistical sides.

That experience highlighted construction technology’s role in transforming project management. On projects like PDX Next, balancing design, resolving disputes, and minimizing waste while ensuring quality is stressful. Technology eased these demands, helping teams succeed despite significant challenges. Construction technology’s potential to make jobs more efficient, make our jobs easier and less stressful while enhancing project quality and owner satisfaction fuels my passion for advancing construction technology.

Key Considerations for Selecting Construction Technologies

High-performing construction firms view new technologies as part of a larger ecosystem, not standalone tools. Integration across departments like accounting and billing, marketing, project management, and field operations is crucial. These departments must operate in a connected environment with reliable data exchange for accurate cost management, better decision-making, accountability and governance, and robust reporting across projects and the firm.

As demands on the labor force increase integrated tech stacks improve accuracy and automate low-value tasks, allowing organizations to focus on high-value activities like managing subcontractors, conducting safety walks, and resolving issues. The goal is to automate repetitive tasks, reduce errors and risk, and enhance operational efficiency and workforce engagement.

“Genuine care and dedication to delivering the best possible project will elevate you professionally and in the eyes of your owners and subcontractors.”

When selecting new technologies, firms must consider factors like cost, implementation complexity, and adoptability. A crucial, often overlooked factor is the need for internal champions and implementation availability. Solutions must also integrate, as well as align in scope, with legacy systems, as building a new tech stack from scratch is very rarely realistic. Knowing that technology can be expensive, there needs to be an understanding that non-monetary benefits, like employee job satisfaction, should be considered as well. The rewards of such benefits may not be realized immediately, however will lead to long term, firm wide wins over time.

Overcoming Challenges in Construction Projects

Every project faces unforeseen challenges like pandemics, weather, and supply chain disruptions. Once an issue has been identified and validated, communicating a contingency plan with owners, including identifying further unknowns, is critical to project success. This transparency builds trust with owners, shows readiness to tackle challenges, and ensures proactive solutions. It also strengthens relationships with trades by acknowledging their pressures and collaborating to overcome challenges that are beyond anyone’s control.

For large-scale projects, a common data environment with a “single source of truth” is essential. Project data, such as schedules, RFIs, and costs, should be captured in structured systems rather than isolated documents, enabling analysis of impacts from design changes or weather. Digital workflows ensure consistency and timely responses, while dashboards and reporting track key metrics like schedule performance and safety infractions. Properly configured project management tools, serve as early warnings, allowing project leaders to intervene before issues escalate.

Short-cycle controls such as weekly look-ahead meetings, daily huddles, and constraint tracking align trade partners on near-term priorities. When combined with accurate field data and integrated systems, this approach makes it easier to maintain schedule discipline, uphold quality standards, and sustain a strong safety culture across complex projects. This ensures that large, multi-stakeholder projects stay on track and deliver high-quality outcomes on time.

The Evolution of Construction Project Management

The trajectory of construction project management is shifting toward fully integrated, data-centric delivery, where digital workflows, automation, and AI enhance traditional project controls. As owners and projects become more sophisticated, connected systems, and transparent project management are increasingly required. These expectations are likely to become standard rather than differentiators.

As a result, project platforms will be consolidating around tightly integrated software programs that combine document control, cost management, scheduling, BIM model coordination, and field management. Routine tasks such as routing submittals, updating forecasts, and issuing billing reminders will be automated through rules engines, workflows, and even AI. This shift allows teams to focus on higher-level tasks such as decision-making, risk management, and stakeholder alignment.

With this evolution, project professionals will need a broader skill set. Data literacy will be critical for interpreting dashboards and trends, and making informed decisions. Knowledge of basic program logic, workflow design and process optimization, ideally leading to quick implementation of new programs and processes, will be vital as firms integrate multiple platforms into a unified system.

Finally, as AI and automation play a larger role, there will be a growing emphasis on their responsible use, with clear governance, validation, and task boundaries. Change leadership, training, and coaching will be essential for successful tool adoption. Firms that invest in this alongside traditional project management expertise will be best positioned to deliver high-quality outcomes in an increasingly complex, data-driven construction landscape.

Mentoring Young Talent in Construction

One memorable project was a football stadium upgrade in a small South Carolina town, where Friday night football is the community’s heart. The scope included a new fieldhouse, concessions, bleacher replacements, and lighting upgrades. Cost savings allowed us to expand the project, adding more asphalt and concrete, while staying within the timeline.

However, just before the season’s first game, 14 inches of rain in three weeks delayed our site work, fencing, and landscaping, which was going to impact receiving occupancy of the facility. With support from owners and subcontractors, we poured concrete between rain showers, imported dry soil, and finished just two days before kickoff. Seeing the community fill the stands that night, knowing the effort it took, was a career highlight.

For young professionals, the lesson is simple. Do all you can. Genuine care and dedication to delivering the best possible project will elevate you professionally and in the eyes of your owners and subcontractors. Challenges are inevitable, but if you stay committed and find a way through, the reward of knowing you’ve delivered a job well done makes every tough day worth it.