What’s Really Behind the Construction Productivity Gap?
With
Dominic Jackson
, Sasha Reed
, and Kris Lengieza
Published Jun 6, 2025
Productivity is down, and profit fade is up. In Episode 1 of The Power of Construction, Kris Lengieza and Sasha Reed sit down with Peter Tateishi, CEO of AGC California, and Josh Bone, Executive Director of ELECTRI International, to unpack the root causes of the construction productivity gap. From outdated delivery models to persistent labor shortages, they explore what’s holding the industry back—and what it will take to move forward.
Key Topics Covered
Why construction’s productivity crisis still hasn’t improved
The role of outdated delivery models
Bridging the skills gap through industry training
Why collaboration between field and office still breaks down
A call for unified construction leadership
What real innovation looks like on the jobsite
Guests Overview
Peter Tateishi – CEO, Associated General Contractors of California Peter Tateishi was appointed CEO of the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of California in January 2018, leading its transformation into a mission-driven organization. Under his leadership, AGC’s revenue has increased by 120%, staff has grown to 54, and member engagement now reaches 85% of the statewide membership. AGC of California champions the construction industry’s critical role in the state by shaping policy, strengthening industry relationships, and nurturing the construction workforce. Before joining AGC, Peter served as Chief of Staff for a U.S. Congressman and led several California-based associations. His honors include “Most Admired CEO” (2023), Sacramento Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” (2013), and the Built Community Impact Award (2022). Peter holds a BA in Government from California State University, Sacramento, and an MPA from the University of Southern California. He lives in Sacramento with his wife and four children.
Josh Bone – Executive Director, ELECTRI International Josh Bone is the Executive Director of ELECTRI International, a nonprofit that funds and conducts research to drive innovation in the electrical construction industry. ELECTRI’s findings are translated into educational content, consulting programs, and practical publications to help electrical contractors tackle today’s challenges and prepare for the future. With deep expertise in Virtual Design and Construction (VDC), Josh has supported hundreds of projects and collaborated closely with design and construction teams. He is also a sought-after speaker, guest editorialist, and podcaster.
Episode Summary
<em>The Power of Construction Podcast</em>: Episode 1 - How can we bridge the data gap in construction?
How can we bridge the data gap in construction?
Transcript
Introduction: Understanding the Data Gap
Sasha Reed and Kris Lengieza open by highlighting the construction industry's $50 billion tech investment from 2020–2022, yet persistent productivity challenges. Kris defines the data gap as the struggle to leverage and connect data, not its absence, citing Deloitte stats that only 13% of firms access daily job site insights.
Guest Introduction: Eric Whobrey
Eric Whobrey, Vice President of Innovation and Managing Partner at ARCO Ventures (ARCO/Murray), brings an outsider's perspective from PR and tech. Since joining ARCO in 2018, he's focused on practical innovation, rising to VP in five years by solving cross-team challenges with data-driven solutions.
ARCO's Innovation Mission
Eric explains ARCO's innovation team fills gaps between departments, tackling problems no single team sponsors. ARCO's entrepreneurial culture, with 2,000 employees across 45 offices, drove the creation of this team to maintain creative problem-solving at scale, leveraging data to enhance collaboration.
Case Study: Subcontractor Rating System
Eric details a Procore API-based subcontractor rating system that reduced rating time from hours to 15 seconds. By centralizing commitment data, it enables real-time ratings, improving subcontractor selection and team connections across ARCO's large organization, showcasing data's role in efficiency.
Cultural Shifts for Data-Driven Success
Sasha and Eric discuss cultural changes needed to scale innovation. ARCO emphasizes education, embracing the Pareto principle to focus on high-impact improvements. Eric stresses that perfection isn't the goal—incremental data improvements unlock creativity and operational leverage.
Leadership and Skill Evolution
Eric references the Greiner Curve, noting ARCO's rapid growth created crises in delegation and prioritization. Leadership training focuses on skills like organization and delegation, moving beyond job-site tunnel vision to prepare managers for data-driven decision-making in a digital-native era.
Future Opportunities: AI and Robotics
Eric sees untapped potential in field data (e.g., drones, sensors) and cost data (e.g., invoices). AI, like tools from Trunk Tools and DocumentCrunch, processes unstructured data quickly, while robots as tools (e.g., for layout or facade work) enhance productivity and safety.
Rapid-Fire Questions: Eric's Insights
Book Recommendation: Eric recommends The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells for its engaging sci-fi narrative. Sources for Perspective: He reads The New York Times, The Economist, and listens to Hard Fork and Lex Fridman podcasts. Advice to Younger Self: Listen more actively. Trend Shaping Construction: AI for processing massive data. Industry Tagline: "A Better Way," reflecting construction's drive to improve.
Closing Thoughts: Bridging the Data Gap
Kris and Sasha wrap up, emphasizing that innovation involves people and culture, not just tech. Eric's work at ARCO shows how bridging the data gap with tools like Procore's API can unlock AI and operational efficiency, setting the stage for a more productive industry.
Key Quotes
"The data gap in construction is less about the absence of data, but more about our industry struggle on how we leverage and connect that data." – Kris Lengieza, Procore
"We'll never have perfect data. We are not in the pursuit of perfecting our datasets. We are in the pursuit of finding the opportunities to get better and find those big areas that we can leverage data to operate more effectively." – Eric Whobrey, ARCO/Murray
About The Power of Construction
The Power of Construction podcast dives into the intersection of construction and technology, delivering actionable ideas for industry leaders. Hosted by Kris Lengieza and Sasha Reed, it’s all about bridging innovation with practical solutions to boost productivity, address labor shortages, and embrace digital transformation. Whether you’re a longtime listener or just starting, this recap is a perfect entry point.
Dominic Jackson drives global brand marketing initiatives that blend storytelling, performance, and platform strategy. With a background rooted in brand strategy and campaign execution, he leads multi-channel programs across podcasting, paid media, interactive reports, and digital content platforms.
Sasha Reed is the Senior Director of Industry Transformation at Procore. With over 20 years of experience driving growth and innovation in construction and technology, Sasha works with teams to curate dynamic discussions, challenge the status quo and influence organizational change, resulting in proven strategies for achieving growth at scale.
Sasha has expertise spanning business management, project management, sales, marketing, partnerships and business development.
Focused on progressing the construction and technology industries, Sasha is a co-founding member of the Construction Progress Coalition and former board member of the National Building Museum. She actively contributes to industry advancement through committee service, including with the ABC Inclusion & Diversity Committee, advisory roles with City College of San Francisco and the National Institute of Building Sciences. My impact was further recognized in 2023 with the US Minority Contracts Association's Excellence in Technology Award.
Kris Lengieza is the Global Technology Evangelist at Procore Technologies. Kris brings a wealth of experience and passion to the intersection of construction and technology. Previously serving as the VP of Global Partnerships & Alliances, Kris oversaw a diverse ecosystem spanning channel, ISV, public, and association partnerships. His recognition as one of the Top 40 Construction Professionals Under 40 by ENR and BD&C underscores his impact in the industry.
Kris’ journey began with 15 years working in the construction field, where he embraced technology as an early adopter and strived to seamlessly integrate data across all construction solutions. As a futurist and construction tech evangelist, Kris now collaborates extensively with industry innovators, tech organizations, and construction companies. Together, they explore transformative technologies that promise to revolutionize our work processes. Kris has played a pivotal role in Procore’s product strategy, delivering industry and technology insights to improve how Procore’s solutions serve the industry.
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