Despite over $50 billion invested in construction technology between 2020 and 2022, industry productivity has not kept pace. Kris Lengieza and Sasha Reed discuss with Eric Whobrey, Vice President of Innovation at ARCO, the persistent “data gap” in construction. The conversation examines why technology alone is insufficient and how aligning culture, leadership, and data maturity is essential for translating innovation into measurable outcomes.

The construction industry generates vast amounts of data, yet most firms struggle to leverage it effectively. Only 13% of construction companies access daily jobsite insights, and fewer than half receive weekly data from administrative or supply sources. The challenge lies not in data availability but in the lack of standardization, integration, and actionable use for decision-making.

Eric Whobrey, Vice President of Innovation and Managing Partner at ARCO Ventures, joined ARCO in 2018 with a background in marketing and technology. Leading a cross-functional innovation team, he focuses on addressing enterprise-level challenges, identifying inefficiencies, and delivering practical, scalable solutions driven by business value.

ARCO’s entrepreneurial culture has enabled the creation of a dedicated innovation team to tackle complex, cross-departmental issues. Whobrey’s team collaborates across safety, legal, accounting, and field operations to enhance communication, eliminate data silos, and streamline processes.

ARCO digitized its subcontractor rating process, transitioning from informal spreadsheets to a tool integrated with Procore. This allows real-time, consistent evaluations, improving transparency, decision-making, and administrative efficiency across projects.

ARCO’s innovation success is rooted in a culture that encourages experimentation and views failure as part of the iterative process. Structured communication, education, and leadership development foster proactive problem-solving throughout the organization.

The innovation team prioritizes initiatives based on leadership alignment, user feedback, and measurable impact. By engaging with field teams and observing job sites, they identify recurring issues and develop practical solutions tested in real-world settings.

Standardized data input serves as the foundation for effective data use. Consistent data enables cross-system integration, better reporting, real-time feedback, and informed decision-making across teams.

ARCO is exploring AI to process unstructured data, such as PDFs, drawings, and site photos, to extract actionable insights. Tools like DocumentCrunch and Trunk Tools facilitate scalable data processing, enhancing operational efficiency across departments.

ARCO’s innovation efforts enhance client relationships by providing portfolio-level visibility and data-driven insights during early planning and development. This positions ARCO as a strategic partner beyond traditional construction services.

The future of construction will involve increased automation, off-site prefabrication, and tools enabling smaller teams to manage more projects efficiently. As AI and robotics advance, data-driven decision-making will be critical to industry success.

Book Recommendation: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells
Sources for New Ideas: Fiction, global news outlets, and podcasts like Hard Fork, Lex Fridman, and The Knowledge Project
Advice to Younger Self: Focus on listening more
Most Impactful Innovation: Artificial intelligence and unstructured data processing
Industry Tagline: “A better way”