The Contender’s Edge

Your team is already using AI. The real question is whether they’re using it safely. In this episode of The Contender’s Edge from SMARTBUILD Construction Solutions, Vinay Nair sits down with Jack Enfield, Vice President of Computer Dimensions, an Arizona managed IT provider that supports contractors, to talk about what has to be in place before AI pays off: infrastructure, guardrails and data quality.

Microsoft Copilot is great at managing your AI models and reading your Microsoft 365 data, but it still doesn't understand construction. Vinay Nair, Chief Customer Officer at SMARTBUILD Construction Solutions, explains why, and how pairing Copilot with smrt-E adds the construction lens: RFIs and daily reports dictated from the field, and site changes caught before they turn into unbilled costs.

Nothing replaces the skilled trades.

SMARTBUILD Construction Solutions: https://smrtbld.com

Vinay Nair, Chief Customer Officer at SMARTBUILD Construction Solutions, explains the field intelligence gap: why most of a contractor's project data lives in site conversations, phone calls, texts and email instead of in their systems, and why that leaves AI with nothing reliable to work with.

He covers record demand and the labour shortage in Canada and the US, where field data really lives, a court case decided by paperwork, and how voice capture turns what happens on site into structured records.

Vinay Nair, Chief Customer Officer at SMARTBUILD Construction Solutions, explains why construction software rollouts stall and what owners, presidents and VPs have to do to make them stick. He covers leadership buy-in, picking a strong internal lead, finding a hero in the field, and how to announce the change to your crew.

The Contender's Edge is from SMARTBUILD Construction Solutions, a Canadian construction project management platform built for small to mid-sized general contractors and subcontractors. smrtGC, smrtSUB, smrtAE and smrt-E help contenders run projects, paperwork and cash flow without an enterprise budget or an IT department.

What does it take to grow a construction company from $50M to $100M+ in annual revenue? For John Lehmann, developing the next generation of leaders was a major part of the plan.

Shaun started at GEN-PRO as a labourer in 2000 and became owner in June 2021. In this conversation, he walks through what actually changed: managing four generations on the same crew, why the office has a pool table and an arcade, the 6 am to 6 pm days his father set as the standard, and what it costs to be the person every decision runs through.

Most contractors think their profit leaks live in materials, labour and change orders.

Leslie Dibling argues the bigger leak is the gap between what leadership thinks is

happening and what's actually happening on site. And that one never shows up on the PNL.

In this episode we get into what to do about it: empowering people without losing

control, defining roles so nobody's waiting on you to cut a P.O., getting HR into the

boardroom with a business case instead of a feeling, and picking a technology champion

your crews will actually follow.

If you run a construction business, manage projects, or you're the bottleneck every

decision routes through, this one is for you.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Leslie Dibling is the co-founder of AMC Services, an organizational development firm

she started with her partner Agnes Watkinson in 2023. AMC now has 134 consultants

across Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Europe. Leslie came up through construction over

19 years, starting as a labourer, and she works on the human capital problems most

companies see but never address. She was named one of Canada's Top 25 Under 40 in

OHS in 2025.

AMC runs an Organizational Health Check that reveals where people and organizational

issues are leaking profit, then designs tailored changes to close those gaps.

Leslie Dibling on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-d-17b39a265/

AMC Services: https://amc-services.ca/

AMC on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amc-services-organizational-development/

Zulqernain Malik: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zulqernain-zulq-malik/

Vinay Nair: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinair007/

SMARTBUILD: https://smrtbld.com/

Construction companies are struggling to find skilled workers, labour costs are climbing, and existing teams are being asked to carry more work.

So the natural response is to hire more people.

But what if part of the labour problem is hiding inside the way your company already works?

In this episode of The Contender’s Edge Podcast, SMARTBUILD Chief Customer Officer Vinay Nair breaks down what he hears from small and mid-sized general contractors and subcontractors dealing with the construction labor shortage.

He looks at the pressure from two sides: contractors need more people, yet construction labor productivity has also fallen. That leaves owners and managers with a bigger question:

Are you short-staffed, or are your existing people losing too many hours to paperwork, reporting, tracking information, and repetitive project administration?

Vinay covers:

• Why construction companies are struggling to fill skilled trade positions

For construction founders, owners, CEOs, general contractors, subcontractors, project managers, superintendents, operations managers, and construction leaders, this episode offers a different way to think about labor capacity.

Your experienced people only have so many hours. Where are those hours going?

Watch the episode and tell us in the comments: Where does your construction team lose the most time each week?

Subscribe to The Contender’s Edge Podcast for conversations on construction leadership, contractor growth, project management, workforce development, AI in construction, and construction technology.

smrtbld.com

#Construction #ConstructionLaborShortage #GeneralContractor #Subcontractor #ConstructionManagement #ConstructionBusiness #ConstructionLeadership #SkilledTrades #ProjectManagement #ConstructionWorkforce #ConstructionTechnology #Contractor

Is AI useful in construction today, or are contractors being pushed to adopt tools before they know what to do with them?

In this episode of The Contender’s Edge Podcast, SMARTBUILD Chief Customer Officer Vinay shares what he is hearing directly from general contractors, subcontractors, project managers, superintendents, architects, and engineers who are trying to figure out where AI fits into their work.

The biggest takeaway is simple: AI is only as good as the context and data you give it.

Vinay breaks down the difference between basic AI tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, and NotebookLM, and AI that is connected directly to your construction systems and project data.

He also covers practical use cases contractors can start with today, including daily reports, RFIs, spec searches, project emails, voice notes, document review, and repetitive admin work.

You’ll also hear:

If you’re a construction founder, owner, general contractor, subcontractor, project manager, superintendent, engineer, architect, or operations leader trying to make sense of AI, this episode gives you a practical starting point.

Follow The Contender’s Edge Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for more conversations on construction leadership, construction management, AI, technology, project delivery, and growing stronger construction companies.

SMARTBUILD website: https://smrtbld.com/

SMARTBUILD Construction Solutions LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/smartbuild-construction-solutions

Vinay Nair: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinair007/

Learn why so many construction technology rollouts fail, and what general contractors, subcontractors, and construction leaders can do to make AI work in the field.

In this episode of The Contender's Edge Podcast, host Angelina Tadros sits down with John Lehmann, former President of Poole Anderson Construction, former Senior Vice President of Operations, and founder of the Construction Leadership Network (CLN).

With decades of experience leading construction companies, John shares why AI adoption isn't only a technology challenge. It's a leadership challenge. From field crews to executive teams, he explains what separates companies that successfully adopt new technology from those that waste money on software that never gets used.

You'll learn:

Why construction companies struggle to adopt new technology

The biggest mistakes contractors make when rolling out construction software

How CEOs and founders should build an AI and technology strategy

Why leadership determines whether technology succeeds or fails

How to get buy-in from project managers, superintendents, and field crews

The hidden cost of underusing project management software

Why many contractors only use a fraction of the tools they already own

How AI can reduce rework, improve communication, and keep teams working from the latest drawings

Why trust matters when selecting construction technology vendors

What general contractors and subcontractors should look for before investing in AI

How training, culture, and accountability drive successful implementation

Why the next generation of construction leaders will need digital skills alongside construction experience

If you're a construction CEO, founder, owner, operations manager, project executive, superintendent, project manager, estimator, or subcontractor looking to grow your business, improve productivity, reduce risk, and prepare for the future of construction, this episode is for you.

About John Lehmann

John Lehmann spent more than a decade as Senior Vice President of Operations and later served as President of Poole Anderson Construction. Today, he leads the Construction Leadership Network (CLN), where he helps contractors strengthen leadership, improve operations, build stronger cultures, and adopt technology and AI with confidence.

John Lehmann: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-lehmann-a423461a/

CLN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/construction-leadership-network

Angelina Tadros: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelina-tadros/

SMARTBUILD: https://www.linkedin.com/company/smartbuild-construction-solutions

Subscribe to The Contender's Edge Podcast for conversations with construction founders, general contractors, subcontractors, engineers, and industry leaders on construction management, leadership, AI, technology, business growth, operations, safety, and the future of the construction industry.

#Construction #ConstructionLeadership #ConstructionManagement #ConstructionTechnology #AIInConstruction #GeneralContractor #Subcontractor #ConstructionBusiness #ConstructionCEO #ConstructionFounder #ProjectManagement #ConstructionInnovation #DigitalConstruction #ConTech #ContendersEdgePodcast