Executive Snapshot
Bridge It NZ, a specialist bridge construction contractor, partnered with ELab AI to capture critical "tribal knowledge" and streamline field-to-office workflows. Through a 6-week AI Foundations and pilot programme, they achieved 80% faster field data processing, a 40% team productivity uplift and more than five hours saved per field user each week, while reducing key-person dependency and eliminating shadow AI risk.
Industry: Construction | Duration: 6 weeks | Region: New Zealand
The Challenge
Bridge It NZ is New Zealand's leading specialist in design-and-build precast concrete bridges. Critical knowledge and data for complex processes - from geotechnical assessment to on-site installation - was locked in the minds of key, experienced personnel, creating significant business continuity risk.
Meanwhile, creation of site-specific safety, environmental, and quality plans ("site packs") was consuming expert engineering time on repetitive manual work. And team members were informally experimenting with public AI tools without governance, creating data security risks.
What We Did
AI Foundations Workshop - On-site workshop with engineering and operations teams to establish shared understanding of AI capabilities, limitations, and security requirements. Identified internal AI champions to drive adoption.
SOP Scribe AI - Captures expert knowledge and data through structured interviews and converts them into standardised operating procedures, training materials, and compliance documentation. Critical institutional knowledge and data are now documented and accessible rather than locked in people's heads.
Voice Field Scribe - Mobile voice interface for on-site engineers to capture job scoping information, cross-check completeness, and generate standardised scope documents automatically sent to office teams.
Enterprise AI Platform - Secure, private environment with proper governance, replacing uncontrolled public tool usage.
Results
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Field data processing & handoff | 80% faster |
| Team productivity (AI-assisted tasks) | 40% uplift |
| Weekly time saving per field user | 5+ hours |
| Shadow AI exposure | Eliminated |
Looking Forward
The pilot established a de-risked foundation for ongoing AI enablement. Next phases cover full site pack and compliance automation, expanded voice capture for additional field workflows, and AI-assisted quote and proposal generation.
For the broader implementation approach, see AI for construction and field operations.
