Advisory services for engineers
As complexity grows, firms need better visibility and stronger execution. Wipfli helps you optimize operations, manage risk and accelerate growth.
Why Wipfli?
We don’t just pop in, drop a solution and then disappear. We move quickly to get you the results you need today, but we also take the time to build a long-term relationship with you to continually fuel your growth and value. Our deep knowledge of engineering firms means we can anticipate your needs to help you get to — and guide you through — your next inflection point.
Tap into our knowledge and experience in:
We help engineering build strong data foundations so that they can make decisions, communicate with clients and speed up operations. Where’s your roadblock? See how we can provide integrated and interactive solutions that drive you forward, tear down silos and help mitigate risk.
Build the team you need and the culture you want. We know the demand is high and supply tight for the best engineers and engineering firm support teams. We use data-backed tools such as the Predictive Index to help ensure the right people are in the right roles, both now and as you grow. And we build lean processes to maximize your human resources.
Wipfli can set up internal controls, cybersecurity assessments and audits to help lower your chances of assessment findings or fraud. We stay on top of complex regulations, wherever you operate. With Wipfli, you can better protect yourself against compliance and regulatory risks and mitigate your liability.
It’s time to hand off tasks that you (and your staff) don’t love or have the time or experience to handle. Whether that’s running payroll, planning against cost overruns, projecting billing rates or warding off cybercriminals — we’ve got you. Outsource your CFO, accounting or IT roles to Wipfli and reclaim time and energy.
We take the complexities out of your taxes, even if you operate in multiple cities, states or countries. We handle tax planning, reporting and filing — and help you predict the tax consequences of future strategies. From green incentives to research and development tax credits, Wipfli brings everything into focus and creates more opportunities for tax-advantaged growth.
We help engineering firms maximize value at every stage of their M&A deal. We provide end-to-end transaction services, including pre-transaction valuations and post-transaction integrations. Whether you’re on the buy-side or sell-side, we can help.
Reach out to our team
We’re ready to help you connect people, projects and financial performance to support sustainable growth and a stronger competitive position.
ARTICLE
Data lakehouses: The key to scalable AI in construction
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. By bringing together structured data, such as financial records, schedules and project costs, together with unstructured data, such as emails, RFIs, contracts and project documentation, a data lakehouse allows data to be accessed and analyzed from a single source. This removes the need for people and AI systems to search across multiple systems or manually connect information. If correctly implemented, a data lakehouse makes your company’s data available in one place, in one language at one time. How does a data lakehouse benefit construction companies? The value of a data lakehouse isn’t just centralized data. It’s what becomes possible when data are centralized and organized into logical and informational models. When information from all your systems and documents can be analyzed together, AI gains the context it needs to deliver more meaningful insights. Examples of how a data lakehouse can benefit your construction company include: Budget versus actual performance When estimates and reality capture are combined with actual project financials, change orders and other project data, leadership teams gain a better understanding of project health and future projections. Schedule and procurement risk Project delays rarely occur in isolation. A delayed subcontractor, late material shipments and a compressed schedule can create cascading risks across a project. In a connected environment, AI can identify these downstream impacts early, helping teams intervene before minor issues become major disruptions. RFI cost and schedule impact RFIs frequently affect budgets, schedules and project outcomes. The challenge is that the impacts often surface weeks after the initial issue appears. When RFIs, schedules, budgets and change orders are connected, AI can highlight the true ripple effects of open issues and help project teams prioritize responses based on business impact. Enterprise-wide visibility Many contractors operate projects as independent units with limited visibility across the organization. A connected data foundation allows firms to identify trends across their entire portfolio, including: Subcontractor performance patterns Procurement opportunities Resource allocation conflicts Margin erosion risks Emerging project issues The ability to see across projects creates opportunities for better decisions at both the project and executive levels. How can AI that uses data lakehouses be used in construction? When AI leverages a data lakehouse, it delivers value both in the office and onsite for construction companies. AI systems with robust data can improve: Estimates AI can analyze previous bids, identify comparable projects, highlight pricing anomalies and help teams evaluate potential risks before a proposal is submitted. Estimating capacity can be a growth constraint. AI can help reduce bottlenecks by making institutional knowledge more accessible and speeding up routine analysis, allowing experienced estimators to focus on higher-value decision-making. Engineering Engineering and project teams are increasingly using AI to review specifications, compare design documents, identify inconsistencies and accelerate review processes. Generative AI tools can also help draft responses, summarize technical information and provide quick access to historical project knowledge. Safety Safety was one of the earliest areas where AI gained traction in construction. AI tools can analyze photos, videos and safety documentation and inform field crews of the protocols required for specific job sites. PDF and project document organization Construction firms are swimming in PDF documents. RFIs, specifications, contracts, submittals, drawings and other documents exist almost entirely as PDFs. AI can help extract information from unstructured documents, summarize content and answer questions about project records. It can also connect these documents to project schedules, financial data, procurement records and other operational systems. How to get started with a data lakehouse The successful use of a data lakehouse isn’t just about technology. It’s also about having clear business objectives. When getting started, your business needs to: Know what is to be accomplished Before investing in a data lakehouse, define the business problems you are trying to solve. Do you want more accurate estimates? Better project forecasting? Improved visibility into project profitability? Faster executive reporting? Many firms find success by starting with a focused pilot project, demonstrating value and then expanding capabilities incrementally. A clearly defined use case helps prevent costly investments in technology that isn’t needed. Find the right partner Your expertise is building, not designing AI architectures or data platforms. Find a partner with experience in the construction industry that can help your business evaluate technology options, prioritize use cases and avoid costly missteps. The best partners do more than implement technology. They take the time to understand your business, processes and goals. Communicate goals and processes Technology alone cannot fix inconsistent business processes. Organizations should clearly define how work is performed, what data is required and how success will be measured. Strong processes and governance help ensure AI systems are using reliable and consistent information. The responsibility of understanding how information is used throughout your company’s business process should fall on your CIO or IT Director. Understand this isn’t just an IT project Construction firms should treat this effort as an organizational initiative rather than an IT project. Success depends on aligning business and information leadership, operations and technology around shared objectives and ensuring everyone understands how connected data will support better business decisions. Learn more Level up your build: AI strategies for growth 5 strategies to help contractors overcome interest rate uncertainty For construction companies, better cash flow management starts with clear visibility R&D tax credits for the construction, architecture and engineering industries
RESEARCH REPORT
The state of technology in the construction industry
Technology is the investment. Technology maturity is the advantage. Construction executives are seeing an increasing value in technology for lowering costs, streamlining operations and leveraging data and analytics, according to data collected in Wipfli’s second state of technology in the construction industry report. And the organizations creating the greatest value aren’t necessarily buying more software — they’re building more mature technology environments. Wipfli surveyed 308 construction and real estate executives to understand their technology progress, pain points and strategic priorities. In this year’s survey, we learned: Investment intent is high. Virtually all leaders (94%) said they plan to add or replace at least one software tool in the next 12-24 months — and most are planning several. Twenty-eight percent of executives said four or more technology changes were under consideration. Construction project management, preconstruction and contract management, and CRM and marketing tools were the leading candidates for addition or replacement. Technology volume often obscures technology maturity. While 59% of executives reported full or extensive integration in their organizations, less than a third (30%) met the broader criteria for high technology maturity. “Executives often mistake adding systems for technology maturity,” said Brad Werner , who leads Wipfli’s construction and real estate industry practice. ROI is not guaranteed. Construction leaders cited employee adoption, implementation costs and integration as their biggest infrastructure challenges. Those practical barriers often determine whether technology investments deliver meaningful business value. Technology maturity is becoming the next competitive advantage. Organizations with the strongest technology maturity consistently outperform those with disconnected systems and fragmented technology decisions, according to Werner. “We see a growing performance gap between firms that build mature, integrated technology environments and those that accumulate tools,” he said. Learn where construction and real estate leaders are investing in technology — and how to turn those investments into measurable business value. Download the full report for additional findings, plus insights from Wipfli advisors.
ARTICLE
Executive summary: The state of technology in the construction industry
Technology is the investment. Technology maturity is the advantage. For the second consecutive year, Wipfli surveyed construction and real estate executives to understand their technology progress, pain points and strategic priorities. This year’s research shows that the organizations creating the greatest value aren’t necessarily buying more technology — they’re building more mature technology environments. DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT
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Wipfli’s construction advisory services combine decades of industry experience with a team that can provide clarity on the decisions that shape your future.
