Construction AI readiness score

Twelve questions. About twelve minutes. You get a band, five dimension scores, the three things to fix first, and a dated report you can keep. Nothing here uses a language model — the score is arithmetic, run in your browser, and you can verify it in the methodology.

1

Do you have a written list of what can and cannot go into an AI tool? Client names, drawings, pricing, contract terms — the stuff NSP and Privacy Commissioner guidance both flag as the usual offenders.

Not written down — people type whatever they want One person in the office knows the rules A list exists but nobody checks it Written list, and it is part of onboarding

2

Do you know which country your team’s AI tools store and process data in? Privacy Act 2020 Principle 12 is about cross-border disclosure — the country matters, not the vendor’s marketing page.

No idea We are guessing We checked the main tool only Mapped for every tool in the ledger

3

Do you have a data sharing agreement (DPA) with any AI vendor? Applies to paid tools that see your documents or a live account — not to the free version a tradie uses on their phone.

No AI contracts at all Handled inside general terms of use Signed with one tool Signed with all of them and reviewed annually

4

Is there a ledger of which AI tools your team actually uses? Including the free app on someone’s phone. That is the one that ends up in the tender.

None — it spreads by word of mouth A mental list of two or three A shared note updated occasionally A live list owned by one person, reviewed monthly

5

Can you turn AI access off centrally? Not "we could ask the person". Central means you do it, on a Tuesday, without a phone call.

Everyone signs themselves up We know the logins Central control for the main tool only SSO or admin-controlled on every paid tool

6

Is AI used in estimating, take-offs or quote drafting? This is where NZ construction sees the biggest time saving — and the biggest commercial risk if a number goes out unchecked.

Not used One estimator has a try Used on some jobs, never verified before sending Part of the workflow, checked before it goes out

7

Are client or site meetings transcribed or summarised by AI? NSP’s shadow-AI research on NZ firms records meeting recordings containing variation and claim discussion going into third-party transcription.

Manual notes only Occasional transcription Used, but nobody reads it back carefully Used, and the summary goes into the job record

8

Is there one consistent record for variations, claims and change requests? The single most valuable asset in a construction dispute is a dated, stored record. AI speeds it up or quietly destroys it.

Scattered texts and emails Some jobs do it, most do not A template exists, rarely used Template plus a named owner plus a retention rule

9

Does everyone who might use AI know what is allowed? 81% of NZ staff already bring their own AI tools. "We never told them" is not a defence.

No briefing at all The boss tells people when they ask Briefed once at a site meeting Briefed at onboarding and toolbox talks

10

Is there a one-page AI use policy people actually sign? 13% of NZ SMEs have an AI policy. That is a gap you can fill with one page, not a consulting engagement.

No policy A draft on someone’s computer Written last year and never revisited Signed, dated, reviewed each year

11

Do you record the time or money AI saves — or costs? You cannot defend an AI budget to a bank, an insurer or your accountant without one number.

No measurement An informal guess Logged for one task Tracked in job costing

12

Do you review whether each AI tool earns its monthly cost? Seat-based AI stacks pile up quietly at NZD 30–80 per seat per month.

Never When something breaks Once a year at most Quarterly review with a named owner

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