Data Lakehouses: The Key to Scalable AI in Construction
Date Posted: October 27, 2026
Posted In: Discussion,
by Matt Sabo and Jon Loring, WIPFLI
Artificial intelligence has the potential to transform the construction industry. From accelerating estimates to improving jobsite safety, AI can enable construction firms to work smarter and faster while reducing risk.
But to move beyond isolated AI tools and toward enterprise-wide use cases, construction leaders must realize that AI is only as good as the data it can access. Connecting data through modern data lakehouses needs to be a strategic priority.
Keep reading to learn how data lakehouses bolster AI initiatives and how you can start using them.
How do data silos hinder AI use in the construction industry?
Construction firms often maintain separate systems for:
- ERP and accounting
- Estimating
- Scheduling
- Project management
- Bidding
- RFIs and change orders
- Time tracking
- Sales and Marketing
- Internal document management
AI tools can’t reach their full potential and deliver measurable ROI if they can only access a partial amount of your business’s data. For example, a tool might have access to SharePoint documents, email conversations and meeting notes but be locked out of ERP data, project schedules, procurement systems or job costing information.
AI typically does not recognize when it’s working with only partial data. It will still produce answers that appear polished and authoritative. But with incomplete data, how valuable are those answers?
What is a data lakehouse?
A data lakehouse is a centralized platform that integrates data from systems used across the business.