In the construction industry, profitability is determined at many critical moments, but three of them are common across the companies we speak with: when contractors decide which projects to bid on, when change orders arise on-site, and when subcontractors are to be qualified. All three occur under time pressure, and the consequences of wrong decisions directly impact margins, progress, and risk.
A common thread among these decisions is that the necessary knowledge often exists, but it is held by individuals, stored in spreadsheets, and scattered across fragmented systems. This makes assessments dependent on specific individuals, and practices vary from project to project. The SMARTS™ Decision Intelligence platform structures these decisions and ensures that the company’s own criteria and priorities can be consistently applied across the organization.
Applications in the construction industry
Project Selection and Bid Evaluation
Construction companies often receive far more requests for proposals than they have the capacity to evaluate. In many companies, prioritization is done manually, based on experience and scattered spreadsheets. It is a time-consuming process that results in inconsistent assessments, leading to resources being allocated to projects that are a poor fit for the company, or to expertise being sold on that later turns out to be unavailable when the project begins.
SMARTS™ combines rule-based decision support with data-driven insights and automates project evaluations based on the company’s own criteria and strategic priorities. Matrices and spreadsheets are converted into executable rules, where the platform builds scoring models that rank projects based on profitability, strategic value, risk, geographic location, skill requirements, and actual available capacity.
The result is consistent and traceable assessments, freeing up time for the costing and project teams, and ensuring that the company bids on the right projects with the right expertise before costly hours are spent calculating incorrect bids.
Risk and Change Management
Change orders are one of the main causes of lost margins, disputes, and delays in construction projects. The assessment of what constitutes a change—and the risks it entails—is often made by people working directly on the projects. This results in inconsistent practices, lost claims for additional compensation, and disputes with the client.
SMARTS™ integrates risk assessment directly into the workflow. The platform classifies incidents by risk level and according to the appropriate set of rules. The decision-making logic can be customized to the company’s matrices and adjusted by subject matter experts without the need for IT involvement.
The result is full control over risk exposure, fewer lost additional claims, and a standardized process that ensures the company’s contractual rights are protected—even when projects are putting pressure on time and resources.
Supplier and Subcontractor Qualification
The construction industry is made up of subcontractors, and the quality of the final product is rarely better than the weakest link in the chain. Requirements for HSE documentation, financial stability, certifications, integrity standards, and sustainability reporting make the qualification process both extensive and time-consuming. In addition, there are stricter requirements from public entities such as building owners and from the Transparency Act.
With SMARTS™, the qualification of suppliers and subcontractors can be automated. The platform assesses whether a supplier meets specific requirements, combines internal and external data sources (such as public registries, central approval registries, and key financial indicators), and provides a transparent assessment of risk and suitability. The basis for the decision is automatically documented, ensuring that the qualification is traceable and reproducible—even years later in the event of an audit or dispute.
The result is faster onboarding of new suppliers, reduced risk during project implementation, and a standardized process that can be scaled without a corresponding increase in compliance costs.
Applications
Project Selection and bid evaluation
Project– and resource allocation
Supplier– and subcontractor qualification
Roles
CIO / CDO / CTO
Project Director / Project Manager
Purchasing Manager
Operations Manager / Maintenance Manager
Compliance & Risk Officer
Estimating / Bidding Department
Business Analyst
Decision Intelligence
Learn more about Decision Intelligence—what a Decision Intelligence platform is, and how we help organizations become decision-driven.






