Latest news with #CMiC
Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Building A SaaS Brand: Key Strategies To Stand Out And Stay Relevant
Shirin Ali is the Head of Marketing at CMiC, a global leader in next-generation construction management software. In today's market, buyers don't always choose the most highly rated product—they choose the most trusted brand. In SaaS, where features are quickly replicated and buying journeys are complex, your brand often makes the first impression and the final decision. According to Gartner researchers, 'Sales and marketing must be able to identify the right mix of digital and human interaction to drive profitable purchase decisions.' That means your brand must act as a digital sales force, establishing authority, credibility and emotional resonance before your team ever joins the conversation. Eight Steps To Building A Top SaaS Brand Here's how to build a standout SaaS brand that captures attention and sustains relevance in today's competitive market. Most SaaS providers offer automation, AI and integration. That's no longer differentiating. Instead, focus your messaging on how your solutions solve real business problems. At CMiC, for instance, we offer project management tools for the construction industry. But our message is that we enable contractors to scale, reduce risk and grow profitably over decades. It's not about what you do; it's about what your customer achieves because of it. Content is your brand's most scalable sales tool. Done well, it educates, shapes buying criteria and frames your solution as the obvious choice. Layer your content as follows: • Strategic insights for decision makers focused on ROI • Tactical guides for practitioners evaluating usability • Customer stories that prove your solution's business impact My team strives to pair original thought leadership with data-backed use cases to resonate with both technical users and executive buyers. We lead with pain points and let outcomes do the talking. Buyers trust brands that inform—not interrupt—by consistently sharing original perspectives, industry trends and product innovation. This is essential to positioning your organization as a trusted advisor versus just another vendor. In competitive markets, this trust builds brand gravity: Prospects seek you out, even before they're ready to buy. Brand consistency across every touchpoint, from your website and product user interface to conference booths, reinforces trust and strengthens recall. That requires: • A unified messaging framework • Brand-aligned training for customer-facing teams • Creative assets that reflect a single visual identity We embed consistency at CMiC by empowering cross-functional brand ambassadors across sales, product and support so every customer interaction feels intentional and aligned. Events have evolved beyond lead generation. They're a platform to deepen relationships, build community and reinforce product-market fit. At CONNECT, our annual user conference, we reimagined the experience to prioritize peer learning, customer-led content and meaningful connection. The result? A threefold increase in attendance for customer-led sessions compared to the previous year. Memorable experiences build brand affinity, and that influence extends long after the event ends. Brand impact rarely shows up in a single quarter. But it reveals itself in moments that matter, like when a prospect reaches out unprompted, a partner references your thought leadership or retention quietly improves. Track: • Brand recall and awareness through quarterly surveys • Win/loss data to understand the role brand perception plays • Referral rates and advocacy in your CRM and NPS system Building a strong brand is a long game, but the signals show up early when you know where to look. As SaaS companies expand, brand messaging must remain consistent but flexible. Your value proposition should stay universal while creative execution and product details are tailored to local markets. That includes local compliance features, regionalized content and culturally relevant messaging that speaks to buyer priorities. If I had to choose just three brand investments for the next year, they would be: 1. Product-driven brand experiences that prove business value 2. Thought leadership content that earns market trust 3. Customer advocacy programs that amplify success stories These elements feed each other. Great experiences drive advocacy that strengthens your content, which in turn attracts more aligned customers. Final Takeaway In a noisy, fast-moving SaaS market, brands that earn trust and prove value win across the customer life cycle. The best SaaS brands don't just tell a better story—they deliver better outcomes and empower their customers to tell that story for them. Forbes Communications Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
Forbes
14-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
What You Need For A Successful AI Partnership
Steve Cangiano is the Chief Product Officer at CMiC, a global leader in construction management software. AI is no longer a futuristic concept. Despite all the buzz and attention AI has received in recent years, many leaders still hesitate when it comes to integrating it into their everyday workflows. There's a common uncertainty around where to begin and a lingering question: What real, tangible value will AI bring to the table? Here's the truth: You don't need to be a data scientist to benefit from AI. You already possess the most critical asset for implementing a successful AI strategy: your own knowledge, experience and understanding of your business. When these strengths are paired with the right tools, that insight becomes exponentially more impactful. It's not about learning how to code or developing algorithms from scratch—it's about leveraging what you already know in smarter, faster ways. As someone who's spent years building and deploying enterprise-grade AI solutions in the construction tech space, I've seen firsthand that the most successful AI outcomes come from empowering people, not replacing them. Below are five key principles that will help you fully harness AI's potential while keeping you firmly at the center of the process. 1. You Already Have the Data, AI Just Unlocks Its Value Most businesses today have comprehensive Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems that store a tremendous amount of valuable data. However, extracting insights from that data is often a slow, manual process. Teams commonly rely on reporting requests that can take days, or even weeks, to complete. AI changes this dynamic completely. With the ability to rapidly analyze massive datasets, AI can surface patterns and trends in real time. This drastically reduces bottlenecks and accelerates decision making. The best part? You're not starting from scratch. You're using AI to finally unlock the full value of the data you've already spent years collecting. 2. AI Reveals Trends That Help Shape Strategy AI's value isn't limited to simply answering questions; it also helps uncover patterns that might otherwise be missed. Imagine a sudden increase in Requests for Information (RFIs) on a job site. Without AI, that signal might get lost in the noise. But with AI analyzing the data, it becomes clear that there may be coordination or communication issues that require attention. These types of insights allow teams to become more proactive, anticipate issues before they escalate and continuously improve both workflows and outcomes. 3. AI Doesn't Replace You, It Supports You Many fear that adopting AI means handing over control. In reality, the best AI systems are designed with user control and data privacy in mind. You decide how the system is used, who has access and how insights are applied. At CMiC, we've prioritized privacy in the design of our AI tools. For example, chatbot interactions are stored only as long as needed to generate relevant responses. This design builds user trust, leading to more consistent usage, and the more AI is used, the more value it delivers. 4. You're Still The Decision Maker AI can deliver fast answers and recommendations, but judgment still belongs to you. If AI surfaces a finding during a meeting, you still determine whether to act on it or dig deeper. Think of AI as the headline generator: You provide the context and strategy. It's a tool, not a replacement. 5. Understand The Risks Before You Commit While AI holds immense promise, it's not without its challenges. Rushing into an AI-first strategy without fully understanding the implications can backfire. AI adoption must be thoughtful and aligned with your business values and customer expectations. Potential risks include over-reliance on AI outputs, lack of transparency in decision making and data privacy concerns. Adoption can stall or fail if employees feel AI is replacing rather than supporting them. That's why it's critical to start with a clear use case, test iteratively and build trust through transparency and communication. AI should enhance, not disrupt, the value you already deliver. Final Thought Embracing AI isn't about chasing trends or cutting corners. It's about solving real business problems with more speed, clarity and confidence. Your experience, intuition and understanding remain at the heart of every good decision, and AI helps amplify that, not replace it. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
The Independent
04-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
The AI transformation in construction risk management
CMiC is a Business Reporter client How AI-powered predictive analytics are bringing enhanced cost control, safety and quality and proactive decision-making to supply chains. Construction has always been an industry fraught with uncertainties. From fluctuating costs and delayed materials to safety incidents and quality concerns, risk management in this industry has traditionally relied on experience, intuition and reactive problem-solving. But while these approaches have proved adequate in the past, today's construction projects face unprecedented challenges: tighter profit margins, compressed timelines and increasingly stringent regulations. In this high-pressure environment, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force, shifting the industry from reactive problem-solving to proactive risk prevention. By leveraging advanced algorithms, machine learning and real-time data analysis, AI is revolutionising how construction firms identify, assess and mitigate risks across multiple fronts. Predictive analytics: foreseeing cost and scheduling risks Cost overruns and schedule delays have long affected construction projects. Traditional forecasting methods – relying on historical trends and manual calculations – often lack precision, leading to budget miscalculations and unforeseen disruptions. AI-driven predictive analytics offers a more accurate alternative. By processing historical project data, supplier reliability metrics, labour productivity rates and environmental variables, machine learning models can identify risk patterns that signal potential delays. Supply chain bottlenecks, labour shortages and weather disruptions become predictable, allowing project managers to implement preventative measures before setbacks occur. The adaptive nature of AI further enhances its predictive capabilities. As new data flows in, algorithms continuously refine their predictions, creating a dynamic risk management system that evolves throughout the project lifecycle. Resource planning receives a significant boost from AI's real-time data analysis capabilities. Construction sites generate vast quantities of information through equipment sensors, workforce tracking systems and material logs. AI processes this data stream to optimise resource allocation, preventing shortages and minimising downtime. Smart scheduling tools dynamically adjust project timelines, ensuring isolated delays don't cascade through the entire construction sequence. Financial oversight also benefits from AI integration. Algorithms scan procurement records, subcontractor bids and invoices for inconsistencies, flagging discrepancies before they escalate into budget overruns. When combined with real-time financial tracking, these tools provide construction firms with unprecedented visibility into spending trends. AI-driven safety: preventing accidents before they happen Safety concerns remain paramount in construction. Traditional safety measures – training programs, manual inspections and compliance checks – help mitigate hazards but often fail to prevent incidents proactively. AI introduces a transformative approach to safety management through real-time risk detection and predictive threat assessment. AI-powered cameras analyse live video feeds from job sites, identifying unsafe behaviours. When these systems detect a risk, they trigger automated alerts to safety managers, enabling immediate intervention. Wearable technology amplifies AI's safety impact. Smart helmets and vests equipped with biometric sensors monitor worker fatigue, heart rate and environmental exposure. AI analyses these signals to detect signs of exhaustion or hazardous conditions, alerting supervisors when predetermined risk thresholds are crossed, thereby reducing accidents caused by human error. Predictive safety analytics adds another protective layer. By analysing historical incident reports, weather patterns and project schedules, AI models identify when and where safety risks are most likely to emerge. This allows site managers to proactively adjust work schedules, reinforce training or implement additional protective measures in high-risk areas. Compliance management also benefits from AI automation. Natural language processing tools review safety documentation and incident reports, ensuring regulatory standards are met while reducing manual paperwork burdens. Quality control: minimising defects and failures Construction defects lead to costly rework, project delays and potential structural failures. Traditional quality control methods – manual inspections, material testing and compliance checks – are effective but limited by human oversight constraints. AI strengthens quality assurance through automated inspection processes and early inconsistency detection. Computer vision and deep learning algorithms analyse images and video from job sites, with AI-powered drones and robots scanning buildings for defects often invisible to the human eye. These systems detect cracks, misalignments and improper installations early, reducing expensive corrections later. Material performance assessment improves through machine learning models that analyse supplier records, environmental conditions and past project outcomes. If materials show failure likelihood, AI flags them before installation, ensuring only specification-compliant materials enter the construction process. Building information modelling (BIM) integration further enhances quality control. AI-enabled BIM platforms compare design blueprints with actual construction progress, triggering alerts for any deviations and allowing timely corrections. AI simulations also test structural resilience under various stress scenarios, ensuring compliance with engineering standards before material placement. Supply chain and labour risk management Supply chain disruptions and workforce shortages pose significant project risks. Traditional planning methods often fail to anticipate these challenges, relying on historical data and reactive decision-making. AI-driven procurement systems analyse market trends, supplier performance and geopolitical factors to predict material shortages and price volatility. These systems recommend alternative suppliers, optimise order timing and adjust procurement strategies before disruptions occur, helping firms minimise supply chain-related delays. Material tracking improves through AI-powered logistics platforms using RFID sensors and IoT devices to provide real-time shipment visibility. Automated scheduling tools adjust deliveries based on project timelines, preventing material shortages and excess inventory. Labour shortage risks decrease through AI-enhanced workforce analytics that assess skill availability, predict labour gaps and recommend hiring or training strategies. These systems optimise workforce distribution by matching assignments with workers based on skill level and availability. Automation further mitigates labour risks, with AI-powered robotics handling repetitive tasks such as excavation and bricklaying, allowing human workers to focus on higher-value responsibilities. The human-AI partnership Despite AI's transformative potential, human expertise remains essential in construction risk management. The most effective frameworks integrate AI capabilities with institutional knowledge, ensuring that algorithmic insights align with on-site realities. Successful firms combine AI risk assessments with superintendent evaluations, continuously validate models with field data and maintain transparent accountability structures across all stakeholders. This balanced approach leverages AI's data processing power while preserving the irreplaceable value of human judgment and experience. As construction firms increasingly adopt these technologies, they will not merely reduce project risks – they will fundamentally redefine how projects are planned, executed and completed. In an industry where margins are tight and expectations are high, AI-powered risk management represents not just an advantage but a necessity for future success.
Associated Press
16-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
CMiC is Positioned to Revolutionize Construction Software with the Launch of NEXUS, the First AI-Powered Construction ERP
TORONTO, ONTARIO / ACCESS Newswire / April 16, 2025 / CMiC, the leading provider of next-generation construction ERP, is setting the stage to transform construction software with the launch of NEXUS, the first AI-powered construction ERP. These cutting-edge capabilities are designed to empower construction teams to make sound data-driven decisions, boost productivity, and enhance employee retention strategies. At its core, this groundbreaking technology represents the first of its kind in the construction software industry, setting a new standard for innovation and operational excellence. As expressed by Gord Rawlins, President & CEO - CMiC, 'Our AI-powered features offer users advanced data visualization capabilities, business intelligence tools, and the ability to leverage natural language to optimize key business functions. This development underscores CMiC's dedication to continuous innovation and the integration of customer feedback into our product evolution, positioning us as a technology leader at the forefront of AI-driven construction ERP solutions.' CMiC's Long-Term AI Strategy and Initial Rollout: Driving Transformational Change, Enhancing Core Functionality, and Developing Innovative New Features Historically, CMiC has been a pioneer and early adopter of emerging technologies, consistently aligning with the broader industry's shift toward digital transformation. In 2022, they solidified their AI strategy by incorporating transformational change management, enhancing existing functionality, and creating a roadmap for developing new features. According to Steve Cangiano, Chief Product Officer - CMiC, 'Our long-term AI strategy is intentionally designed to leverage the power of AI within our core features and functionality. This approach will include phased rollouts and ongoing improvements to ensure continuous innovation.' To date, CMiC has introduced a range of feature enhancements, including AI-powered API integrations, AI-generated workflows, AI-enhanced process automation, and AI-driven data entry screens and apps. Additionally, their system leverages AI for data summarization, anomaly detection alerts, and predictive analytics. Building on this, CMiC's product leaders have harnessed the power of Generative AI to incorporate user-defined flysheets (data entry fields), driving the development of new features that are currently in production. The next feature to be released is an AI drawing extraction feature which uses a Large Language Model (LLM) to extract sheet information. Leading CMiC AI-Enabled Features: 'Ask Al' and Daily Sentiment Analysis CMiC's recent AI launch was led by the introduction of 'Ask AI' and Daily Sentiment Analysis. Below is an overview of each of these groundbreaking features. 'Ask AI,' powered by OpenAI's Assistant V2 API with GPT-4, revolutionizes our analytics platform by making data interaction more intuitive and accessible. This AI feature simplifies complex data analytics into conversational exchanges, allowing users to query data, gain insights, and make informed decisions quickly - accordingly, users can now ask questions in natural language. Additionally, the conversational AI understands context and nuance, ensuring responses are both accurate and relevant to specific queries. This personalized interaction encourages deeper data exploration and fosters a more analytical mindset among users. Daily Sentiment Analysis is a groundbreaking dashboard that redefines how users monitor project health. This feature allows them to tap directly into the pulse of their projects by leveraging sentiment analysis drawn from daily journals. Each project's sentiment is carefully scored on a scale from 1 (negative) to 10 (positive), providing an unmatched, real-time view of each team's attitudes and the potential challenges they may encounter throughout a project. As stated by Jeff Weiss, Chief Revenue Officer - CMiC, 'Ask Al not only democratizes data access across the company, but it also enables team members with varied technical skills to harness critical business insights. As a result, it significantly reduces the time spent on analyzing vast datasets.' He adds: 'Our Daily Sentiment Analysis feature is not only designed to inform, but to revolutionize the project management strategy of construction teams.' Looking Ahead: Launching a Multi-Year Roadmap for AI Features and Product Enhancements CMiC's AI-enabled ERP launch will mark the start of an expansive, multi-year product rollout and enhancement journey. The official debut will take place at CONNECT 2025, their annual user conference, scheduled for November. At the forefront of product innovation, Cangiano captures it best: 'As technology leaders, my product teams are fully committed to keeping our features and functionality at the cutting edge of construction technology, reinforcing CMiC's position in the construction ERP space.' For more information about CMiC's AI-powered ERP, please click here. About CMiC: As an industry pioneer, CMiC delivers complete and unified Financials and Project Management software solutions for construction and capital projects firms. CMiC's powerful software transforms how firms optimize productivity, minimize risk and drive growth by planning and managing all financials, projects, resources, and content assets - from a Single Database Platform™. With customers throughout North America and overseas, CMiC serves one-quarter of ENR's Top 400 Contractors and hundreds of small and mid-sized construction firms, from general and specialty contractors to heavy/highway and project owners. Over $100 billion in construction revenue is handled by CMiC annually. Media Inquiries: Shirin Ali Head of Marketing - CMiC Email: [email protected] SOURCE: CMiC press release
