Key takeaways
- Intelligent UI can bring data from multiple construction platforms into one visual interface, helping teams reduce time spent switching between systems and manually compiling information.
- On-demand charts, dashboards and reports can make complex construction data easier to understand and act on, supporting faster, more informed decision-making.
- A strong data and governance foundation is essential for successful adoption, including compatible technology, integrated and reliable data, role-based permissions and appropriate security controls.
Recently released AI tools, such as OpenAI’s Intelligent UI and Claude Artifacts, have the potential to change how construction leaders and workers visualize and interact with data. The new technology could move the industry away from static, text-heavy software interfaces and toward personalized, on-demand visual displays.
Intelligent UI platforms can gather data spread across multiple platforms, including ERPs, project management tools, CRMs and estimating systems, and display it on a single screen. Keep reading to learn how your construction firm can use this AI technology for faster, more data-driven decision-making.
What makes Intelligent UI different
The AI tools we’ve all been using over the last few years mostly respond to prompts with text. Intelligent user interface AI tools display data visually. They can provide a chart, a graph, a report or a dashboard, giving users the data they need in a more digestible format.
How Intelligent UIs will benefit construction firms
Easy-to-read, on-demand data at the fingertips of your employees — platforms like Intelligent UI and Claude Artifacts make it possible. Here are some of the ways these tools can help your firm work better:
Data from multiple platforms on a single screen
Construction firms already have plenty of data. The challenge is that it’s often spread across several platforms. Being able to view and analyze that data together on a single screen is Intelligent UI’s most powerful capability.
Using MCPs (think of MCPs as APIs for AI), Intelligent UIs can pull data from:
- Construction ERP platforms like Sage Intacct, NetSuite and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
- Construction management tools like Procore
- CRM platforms like Salesforce and HubSpot
- Integration tools like Boomi
- Data warehouses like Snowflake
- Dashboarding tools like Power BI
That means a project manager can pull job cost data from their ERP, active RFIs from Procore and pipeline updates from their CRM on demand and have it presented in a single, unified view. No toggling between platforms or waiting for manual exports.
Salesforce was one of the first to adopt this approach. Through a program called Headless, Salesforce users don’t need to spend as much time switching between platforms to view data. Instead, they can stay in a program like Slack or Claude, specify what data they want and how they want it displayed and let the Intelligent UI tool go to work. If they like the output, they can save it. If not, throw it away and try something new.
Visuals make data easily digestible
Numbers in a spreadsheet require interpretation. A well-built chart or dashboard communicates the same information in seconds. Time not spent digging through raw data can be allocated to getting projects done faster.
Think of it this way: If you want a report on your top open bids, do you want the data presented in a paragraph or a ranked table with status, value and next steps? The table can be easily scanned, acted on and shared in a meeting.
Intelligent UI doesn’t just retrieve data. It translates it into an immediately useful format.
Employees can pull the data that matters to them
Different roles within your firm need access to different data.
- A CFO is watching cash flow, work in progress schedules and bonding capacity.
- A superintendent is tracking crew productivity, daily logs and open punch items.
- An estimator is focused on bid margins, historical unit costs and subcontractor coverage.
Consistently structuring data is always a challenge. Even across a team of estimators, you rarely find a standardized spreadsheet format. People make refinements because the work they do is slightly different or simply because they think a little differently.
With Intelligent UI, different isn’t a hurdle. Everyone can pull the data they need and organize it in the way that works best for them. No one is locked into a user interface that doesn’t align with their tasks.
What construction firms need to do before getting started with Intelligent UI
The technology is available. That doesn’t mean every construction firm is ready for it. Here are some questions you need to answer before making the leap.
Do your platforms support MCP?
Don’t just assume your tech stack is ready for Intelligent UI. Work with your IT department and vendors to confirm that your ERP, project management software and your CRM have MCP connectors available and activated.
Is your data infrastructure built to support this?
You’ve heard all the sayings about AI and data before. Garbage in, garbage out. AI is only as good as the data behind it. These apply to Intelligent UI systems the same as other AI systems.
If your data lives in siloed systems with no integration layer, AI can’t pull a coherent picture. Construction firms that want to take advantage of this technology need a solid data foundation first. An ideal solution is a data lakehouse that consolidates data from across the business into a single, governed source of truth. Without that foundation, every AI-generated chart or dashboard will be built on incomplete or inconsistent information, which creates more confusion than clarity.
Start by auditing your current data environment:
- Where does your job cost data live, and is it connected to your general ledger?
- How are field data from your construction management system and financial data from your ERP reconciled today?
- Do you have an integration layer (like Boomi or MuleSoft) already in place?
- Is your data clean, labeled and consistent enough to trust in a real-time visual output?
How will you manage permissions?
All of this capability creates governance questions. Who gets access to what?
Permissions management is a critical consideration. Not everyone needs access to every technology tool. Giving a team member open access to financial data, HR records and subcontractor information without proper controls is a business risk.
Before deploying generative UI tools, construction leaders need to develop a permissions strategy that reflects how their organization actually operates. The strategy should include:
- Role-based access controls that align with job functions.
- Data sensitivity classifications that limit access to payroll, bonding and contract data.
- Audit trails that track who accessed what data and when.
- IT governance policies that set guardrails without blocking adoption.
Done right, permissions management doesn’t slow Intelligent UI down. It makes it trustworthy enough to scale across the organization.
State of technology in construction report
Want to learn more about how other construction firms are using AI and other technology? Download our 2026 state of technology in the construction industry report to gain insights from other construction leaders. For the report, Wipfli surveyed 308 construction and real estate executives to understand their technology progress, pain points and strategic priorities.
Read more
Wipfli offers a wide range of services to help construction companies with operational improvement, cybersecurity, technology adoption and AI strategy. We help construction firms build the foundation they need and then put it to work. If you’re ready to see what Intelligent UI can do for your team, start by understanding where your data stands today. Get started with Intelligent UI.