Digital transformation in construction has been on the agenda for over forty years, yet adoption remains inconsistent and the same barriers keep resurfacing across the industry - which, as David points out, says a lot more about people than it does about technology.
Drawing on over forty of experience spanning architecture, BIM and digital consultancy, David explores why culture and leadership have always mattered more than the tools themselves, and what that means for the AI wave now sweeping the sector faster than anything he's seen before.
The conversation covers the human behaviours that block progress, the leadership styles that enable it, and why getting people and processes right before investing in technology is still the most overlooked - and most important - lesson in construction's digital journey.
Topics covered:
The leadership styles that accelerate digital change and the ones that quietly kill it - David shares what he's witnessed first-hand about who drives digital progress in construction and who, often without realising it, stands in the way.
AI in construction: fast-moving, full of opportunity and dangerously under-secured - David welcomes the momentum around AI but raises urgent questions around data security and the risks of moving quickly without the right guardrails in place.
Why digitalisation could be construction's most powerful talent strategy - With fewer than 3% of young people interested in a construction career, David makes a compelling case for how a digitally transformed industry opens the door to a far more diverse and modern workforce.
People, process then technology. Always in that order. - Technology will never fix a broken process, and David has the war stories to prove it. Get your people and workflows sorted first, every time.
If you've ever sat in a meeting wondering why your digital initiative isn't landing the way it should, this episode is worth an hour of your time. David brings a rare combination of deep technical knowledge and honest, plain-spoken experience that you won't find in a whitepaper or a vendor presentation.
Whether you're leading digital transformation in a large contractor, trying to make the case for change in an SME, or just starting to think seriously about where AI fits into your business, there is something here you can take straight back to work.
Fifty years of lessons with zero waffle. Listen now!