“We lean younger as a construction company, and we’re constantly taking demos, attending conferences, and connecting with innovators. The juice has to be worth the squeeze for us to implement new technology.”
In today’s episode of Bricks & Bytes, we had Kathryn Dreitzler, Director of Innovation at ARCO, sharing insights on how a $7 billion construction company approaches innovation. We explored their process from problem identification to implementation, the balance between building in-house vs buying solutions, and the human aspects of technology adoption.
Tune in to find out about:
✅ How ARCO evaluates which innovations are worth pursuing vs just hype
✅ Why customer success is critical when implementing construction tech
✅ The importance of solving specific problems rather than trying to do too much
✅ How innovation can improve job quality and staff retention
Listen now on Spotify to hear the full conversation about construction innovation from one of ENR’s top 20 contractors!
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction to ARCO’s Innovation Process
03:10 Defining Innovation at ARCO
06:01 Challenges in the Construction Industry
08:51 Evaluating Innovations and Technology Solutions
12:00 The Role of Pilots in Innovation
14:59 Collaboration with Ventures and Startups
17:49 Implementing New Technologies
21:14 Case Study: Site Security Systems
32:38 Innovative Solutions in Construction
34:02 Challenges in Implementing New Tools
36:00 The Tool Landscape in Construction
38:05 Maximizing Efficiency with Existing Tools
41:02 The Role of AI in Construction
44:58 Customer Success and Communication
50:53 Assessing ROI in Construction Tools
54:57 In-House Development vs. External Solutions
58:11 The Future of General Contracting
