[DPC-2] The Costs of Being Stuck in the ConTech Quagmire

1. Dealing with the ConTech Quagmire: Two Bad Options

Damned if you do. Doomed if you don't.

It often feels like there are no good options:

• Path A: Technology Initiatives That Fail. Investments that don't deliver, low team morale, and stagnation.

• Path B: Doing Nothing. Outdated processes, lack of visibility, and falling behind the competition.

Both paths lead to stagnation and missed opportunities.

But there is a third way—a path that allows you to harness technology effectively, making it a driver of real business impact.

2. Shifting the IT focus: Information > Technology

A major reason companies get stuck is that they focus too much on "technology outcomes" (the “T”). What really matters is the "I"—information derived from your company's data. Information powers business processes and informs decisions and actions.

Technology is just a tool. Business outcomes are what truly matter.

With this new perspective, we can avoid losing sight of the real purpose of construction technology—to create information from our data.

It’s time to make Information > Technology.

3. Introducing the Data Value Stack

The Data Value Stack is about transforming raw data into information, information into insights, and insights into business results.

Technology is simply the means to make this data-to-result transformation happen: to capture, organize, transport, communicate, and analyze data.

The role of technology is to turn data into information that powers our business objectives.

4. Business Strategy Drives Data Strategy

A data strategy—it sounds complicated, but it’s not.

A successful data strategy starts with your business goals. What do you want to achieve? The data strategy is how you approach harnessing data to support and achieve these business objectives.

In fact, most construction companies already have the technology they need in place to get started—harnessing data to power tangible results.

The key is to ask: What job do you want your data to do for you?

5. Avoiding the ConTech-Centric Trap

In construction, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that adopting more technology is the ultimate goal.

This is the ConTech-Centric Trap—focusing on tools instead of the outcomes those tools are meant to support.

To avoid this trap, always tie your initiatives back to business objectives. Ask yourself:

1. Is this initiative directly supporting a business goal?

2. Will this tool help my team make better decisions or work more efficiently?

3. Is the success of this tool measurable in terms of business outcomes?

Technology is only valuable when it helps you achieve your business goals. Focus on the result, not just the tool.

6. Getting Unstuck with Data-Powered Wins

When faced with two bad options—moving backward or doing nothing—trailblazers choose a different path: data-powered wins.

The best way to break free from the ConTech Quagmire is to start achieving immediate, tangible wins. By harnessing data to create real outcomes that reduce costs and improve business results, you build momentum.

In the coming weeks, we'll explore how to identify, quantify, and achieve these wins. We'll focus on the business impact of information, letting technology fade into the background where it belongs.

Quick wins build momentum, demonstrating the power of data to your teams and leading to more confidence and bigger successes. Once you start experiencing data-powered improvement, it can become very addictive.

7. Key Takeaways

Information Over Technology: Focus on transforming data into information that drives insights and business results, rather than just adopting technology.

Business Strategy First: Align your data initiatives with your business goals to ensure meaningful outcomes and avoid costly distractions.

Immediate Wins Create Momentum: Start with small, tangible wins to build momentum, break down data silos, and demonstrate the value of data-powered improvements.

8. Reflect and Act

Take a moment to reflect on your current situation. Where can you make an immediate impact by harnessing data?

Choose one area where you can start today—whether it's eliminating manual data entry, improving information availability, or aligning data initiatives to specific business goal.

The key is to start small, act fast, and build momentum.

• Identify Areas of Friction: Look at where your teams are spending time manually entering or moving data. Are there areas where data silos are causing delays or inefficiencies?

• Align Data Initiatives with Business Goals: Think about your key business objectives. Which data initiatives can directly support these goals and drive meaningful impact?

• Focus on Quick Wins: Consider where you can implement small, data-powered improvements that create immediate value. It could be streamlining communication of critical project information or making data accessible to decision-makers faster.

These reflections can help you pinpoint where to start making changes that will drive the most value, creating a path out of the ConTech Quagmire and toward a data-powered future.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Make it urgent!

Every day spent in the ConTech Quagmire is a missed opportunity—wasted time, resources, and potential. By focusing on data flows, aligning with your business strategy, and generating immediate wins, you can create the momentum needed to break free.

It's time to take action. Decide where to start. Even a small improvement can set the foundation for larger transformation.

Ready to take the next step? Let's start building a data-powered future—together.

We'd love to hear from you.

What's holding you back from achieving your next data-powered win? Share your thoughts or schedule a conversation to explore your quick win opportunities: lets talk.

Thanks for Being Part of This Journey

By looking at the challenges through a new lens—a "data-powered lens"—you’re taking the steps toward unlocking growth.

Together, we can transform construction technology from a burden into a powerful asset that drives your business forward.

Stay tuned—next week, we'll dive into Clarity. Identifying and embracing the bottlenecks that are holding you back. By “loving the problem” we can uncover the hidden opportunities that pave the way for progress.

Together we’ll remove the fog and turn clarity into a superpower!

Aedo

Your Data Team, On-Demand