UNCOVER HIDDEN FINANCIAL RISKS:

How AI Revolutionizes Constructability Reviews for Modern Construction

Underdeveloped design sets and quick starts are a fact of life in constructability reviews and risk analysis.

If processes were not so time-constrained, nearly all major design
and construction problems could be caught long before hard
hats hit the site.

However, current practices aren’t designed for meticulous issue
identification. Instead, teams do the best they can, constrained
by time and resource deficiencies. This leaves design clashes and
conflicts to be resolved during construction.

While many factors are to blame for this inefficiency, the primary
problem is that reviews are still done manually. Preconstruction
teams often follow a lengthy checklist or lead page-turn sessions
that consume valuable time.

It’s time to unwind the old rules of constructability reviews and
stop accepting dated processes as “good enough.” The pace of
construction — and the financial risk involved — demands it.

Risk Management

Begins with Better Constructability Reviews

Turning design into reality comes with risk. It’s up to general
contractors to proactively identify that risk whenever and
wherever possible as they review plans for constructability.
By doing so, they can:

• Prevent cost overruns
• Promote better safety
• Maintain predictable schedules
• Build better relationships with clients
• Reduce exposure to safety and design issues
• Optimize resource allocation
• Reinforce their reputation

While risk reduction has always been important, it’s even more
critical today. As margins grow slimmer and labor becomes
harder to find and keep, construction projects become
increasingly complex and involve more stakeholders. This
combination amplifies the likelihood of design conflicts,
scheduling delays, and other unforeseen issues.

“On top of this, there’s so much information GCs don’t have
when they’re preparing to bid on a project,” explains Holly
Cindell, construction industry veteran and Firmus team
member. “For instance, plans may not specify beam sizes or
column placements. Routing or space coordination for MEP
systems may not be outlined. Gaps like this leave GCs to make
assumptions. And assumptions mean increased risk.”

So, how can GCs reduce risk during constructability review?
While there are many ways, integrating AI into the mix can
transform the process significantly.

Reimagining Reviews: Traditional vs. AI-Driven Methods

Let’s say you have one month to review a design,
create a comprehensive and accurate bid, and
outline a to-do list for your operations team.

Which of the following approaches are you going
to take?

OPTION 1: Manual Constructability Review

“During a manual review, humans will miss things,” says
Cindell. “Most teams don’t have the capacity to look at
everything. They review key pieces and hand it off. Everything
else is dealt with later.”

A manual constructability review can take two to three weeks
(or longer), as teams:

• Physically review drawings, specifications, and schedules
to pinpoint problems, hazards, and discrepancies
• Conduct meetings to review some documents line by
line to ensure alignment
• Ensure material availability
• Coordinate across disciplines to identify clashes
between systems
• Flag items that require follow-up or resolution

OPTION 2: AI-Powered Constructability Review

When AI enters the picture, this process doesn’t
disappear — but it can be done better and faster.

Project team members can return to higher-value
work while an AI design review and risk analysis tool
completes tedious tasks, scanning hundreds of
drawing sheets to identify incomplete designs, scope
gaps, missing information, and discrepancies.

“AI looks through the minutiae, resulting in the creation
of data on what is not in alignment,” says Cindell.
“Then you decide which issues you care about — and
what actions to take. You take the data and findings
from AI, add to them the experience and knowledge
brought by humans, and you have an accelerated
review in a few hours with software. This would take
weeks for a person to finish.”

Humans are still involved, but they’re decision-
makers and problem-solvers, not data processors
and box-checkers.

When we learned about
using AI to take care of
low-hanging fruit, it was
the first step to formalize
our constructability
review program.

— Michael Thole, Director of Corporate
Quality Services, Flintco

A Real Story on Making the Decision to Implement AI

For Michael Thole, Director of Corporate Quality Services at
Flintco, the answer to reducing risk during constructability
reviews was found in AI. Firmus is one of many tools the general
contractor uses to reduce risk.

“Previously, we operated with a manual process that wasn’t
driven by design releases but by availability of key staff,” says
Thole. “It was a page-turn review by our Preconstruction team
and members of the Operations staff.”

To improve the process, Flintco transitioned the leadership
and facilitation of constructability reviews to its Quality
Assurance department. Within that group, a Design Quality
& Constructability sub-team, comprised of subject-matter
experts across disciplines, was established to evaluate
technical aspects of the design.

“These changes made it a much more collaborative and robust
process, but it was still focused on manual effort when it came
to reviewing documentation,” explains Thole. “We wanted
to better understand and mitigate the risks associated with
a project before we mobilized in the field. Changes were
occurring too late when they could’ve been addressed as a
design comment during preconstruction. When we learned
about using AI to take care of low-hanging fruit, it was the first
step to formalize our constructability review program.”

How AI Can Help You Minimize Risk

During constructability reviews, AI acts as another
engineer. It lets you explore potential issues — including
those that are often overlooked — earlier than traditional
methods allow.

“As a general contractor, our job is to understand how
we can manage and mitigate risk not only for us but also
for our clients,” Thole explains. “Information gathered
during constructability reviews puts us in the best
position to propose the right control measures and
sure the best outcomes for everyone.”

By expanding your reach across critical constructability
elements, AI helps manage risks proactively for you —
and your clients.

Move from Low-Value Tasks to High-Impact Work

Using AI in preconstruction helps you harness the
abilities of your workforce. You can empower your team
to focus on high-value activities like decision-making,
not low-value tasks like data collection. They get to
direct their energy toward tasks that require expertise:
refining proposals, collaborating with stakeholders,
developing action plans, and solving efficiency issues.
This shift not only maximizes productivity but also
ensures that their valuable skills are utilized.

How does this manage risk?

Increasing task throughput makes projects
resilient to delays, cost increases, and operational
challenges. More buffers can be in place to handle
unanticipated disruptions.

Spot Issues in Hours, Not Weeks

Constructability issues spread across thousands of pages can
be detected with AI and presented along with detailed reports
that describe potential clashes within hours. Packages can
be verified for compliance before submission to minimize the
back-and-forth that delays approval.

Case in point: Questions can be answered without RFIs —
before the first submittal package comes in. Take doorframes
as an example. On a 1,000-door job, assume AI uncovers 100
issues to address.

“Typically, a submittal would be developed with a list of
questions that need to be answered,” says Cindell. “That
takes two to four weeks to develop. If those questions can
be answered right away, you get early-delivery items, such as doorframes, to the jobsite on time so you aren’t hit with a fee
for every doorframe that isn’t there when work begins.”

How does this manage risk?

Saving time creates efficiencies. When AI automates and
streamlines critical preconstruction tasks, your team no longer
spends valuable hours on manual reviews.

Detect Hidden Design Flaws Before They Escalate

When teams are pressed for time, they may skip
mundane (yet important) tasks. This can come
back to haunt them later, creating millions of
dollars’ worth of delays and rework.

With AI in the picture, nothing has to be

deprioritized. Minor data points can be reviewed
and passed along to operations team members
so they can continue to provide value later in the
project lifecycle.

How does this manage risk?

Having details upfront helps you avoid unknowns
and minimizes downstream delays and confusion.
Teams can prioritize, delegate, and simplify
workflows to improve efficiency.

Use Unbiased Data to Identify Gaps

AI-powered platforms allow preconstruction teams to
batch RFIs with markups that call attention to what’s
missing or incorrect. These gaps aren’t based on a
personal analysis conducted by Bob in the back office but
on objective data.

This encourages faster RFI response, especially because
the project team recognizes that the information is
unbiased. This also allows more people to get involved
in this process without being a project manager,
construction manager, or architect.

How does this manage risk?

All decisions and actions are based on data-backed
evaluations instead of experiences or assumptions.
Because teams are working together, there are fewer
errors to contend with.

Reveal Safety Risks Sooner

Sometimes discrepancies aren’t about design clashes —
they’re about safety.

During a recent remodel of a two-tenant building, the
project team planned to retain an existing wall as a
load-bearing structure. But Firmus uncovered an item
that resulted in the project team reviewing the area and
discovering that the wall could not support the load.
In other words, an AI comment on an inconsistency
uncovered a major structural issue.

How does this manage risk?

Identifying and resolving safety risks early reduces the
likelihood of accidents or failures during construction.
It also gives you time to adjust plans and reallocate
resources to fix problems faster.

Deliver Reliable and Accurate Bids

With AI, you can be sure that design-phase project
documentation is reliable and accurate. Teams can confidently
create cost estimates without worrying about changes that
may require significant updates or corrections later.

“We’ve also been able to identify and mitigate risks that need to
be addressed with trade partners before pricing,” says Thole.
“We can explain to clients why we’re suggesting certain risk
controls in our proposal. It becomes a real benefit for us to say,
‘This is why these things are included in your estimate.’ Before,
we didn’t have formal documentation to rely on.”

How does this manage risk?

You and your clients can be sure the bids are realistic and
dependable. This prevents errors, miscalculations, and
budget overruns.

AI Is Your Partner, Not Your Replacement

AI is not a replacement for your team members. It’s a
tool that helps them do their jobs faster. (It’s like using a
nail gun instead of a hammer.)

“It took a while for people to adapt to CAD and BIM too,
but the industry made the transition,” Cindell points
out. “People weren’t replaced by that technology.
They transitioned to another type of role or took on
more work. While AI can help you advance, it will never
replace your experience.”

Change may be scary, but it’s also inevitable. At some
point, your company will be left with no choice but to
pivot. When your team’s constructability review drags
on for weeks, while your competitors finish theirs in a
few days, what will your strategy be?

“To get used to the idea, we focused on the fact that
AI simply supplements the constructability review
process,” says Thole. “From a capacity standpoint,
it frees us up to focus on the technical and detailed
aspects of design and risk management. We had
enthusiastic individuals and innovators on our team, but
they weren’t always the ones who made the business
decision to apply these tools. We had to win those
people over.”

To accomplish that, engagement and change
management strategies work well.

Understand AI’s True Capabilities

Make sure everyone understands what the tool will do (process
large datasets, identify risks, and flag potential conflicts) and
wouldn’t do (provide a final solution). Because it’s AI, it will
neither be perfect nor replace human roles.

Teams need to learn to trust but verify. While the tool delivers
insights, humans need to make sure the insights align with the
project — and determine the relevancy of the issues identified
so a course of action can be taken.

“Even when you do 100% coordination with BIM, you still go out
in the field to verify that it’s all going to work. The same holds
true here,” says Cindell.

Start with Trial Runs

Develop a pilot plan so workers know when, where,
and how the tool will be implemented. As success
stories roll out, share the wins internally so
everyone can see the impact.

Build an internal vetting board or advisory group to
ensure successful implementation. Members can
offer advice on how to tailor the tool for efficiency,
offer diverse perspectives on how it can be used,
and cultivate buy-in.

Don’t Forget About Security

As you bring on AI tools, talk about how you’ll protect
your company, your clients, your business partners,
and your data. When you choose new partners,
understand how they manage and maintain data
within their platforms. Be comfortable with their
process before you come to an agreement.

Decide When and Where to Use It

Think about where you want to deploy the tool. “Not
every tool will work for every sector or every type
of project,” explains Thole. “We learned that Firmus
works best for us on high-rise projects where the
floor plan is similar across several stories. There’s
lots of iteration that the program can benefit and
learn from quickly.”

Will You Help Drive Progress or Stall Growth?

“Regardless of what you believe about working with
AI, it’s not going away,” advises Cindell.

“You can be part of the process, or you can be a
roadblock. You’re better off getting on board to
help guide and construct it so it can be the tool you
want. It’s no different from when the industry put
a computer on every engineer’s table. This is just a
different kind of tool.”

Firmus

Firmus is the market leader in
preconstruction AI design review
and risk analysis.

Its easy-to-use platform enables general
contractors, developers, and AEC stakeholders
to detect and mitigate design issues early.
Adopted by some of the largest construction
and design-build firms in North America,
Firmus increases efficiency and bid accuracy
while mitigating risk. Securely managed from a
single cloud-based platform, Firmus provides
the most reliable and cost-effective design
review AI in the industry.