Phase 1 — Months 1 to 3: The pilot
The pilot phase is where you prove the concept with minimal risk and maximum learning. Get this right and you build momentum. Get it wrong and you set AI adoption back by years in your organisation.
Month 1: Setup and baseline.
Week 1-2: Select your pilot project type. The ideal pilot has:
- Standardised drawing formats (consistent CAD standards, clear annotations, regular layouts)
- Repetitive building elements (residential new-build, hotel fit-out, or office fit-out are ideal)
- A live tender or recent completed tender where you have both the drawings and the measured quantities
- A QS team willing to participate (volunteers, not conscripts)
The worst pilot choices are: complex refurbishment (ambiguous drawings, unknowns), heavy civil engineering (bespoke structures), or one-off bespoke buildings (unique elements that do not recur).
Week 3-4: Establish baselines. Take a recent completed tender and record:
- Total hours spent on quantity takeoff
- Hours by work section (how long did substructure take versus finishes versus services?)
- Known errors discovered post-tender (items that were wrong in the estimate)
- The tender timeline from drawing receipt to tender submission
These baseline numbers are your "before" measurement. Without them, you cannot prove improvement.
