Construction projects are essential to modern life, but for many Americans they’ve become a daily source of disruption. PMWEB’s Consumer Construction Impact Survey found that nearly half of U.S. residents face construction-related disruptions multiple times per week, and more than half feel poorly informed about the projects happening around them.
The findings point to a growing communication and trust gap. And for owners of capital projects, the challenge is clear: community frustration isn’t just about construction delays, it’s about visibility, accountability, and trust.
Survey results show:
Frustrations build when timelines slip and information is scarce. As Huw Roberts, CEO of PMWEB, explains: “The construction industry is one of the most litigated sectors in the world. Mistakes carry outsized risks — from lawsuits to financial losses to public safety. That reality makes owners risk-averse, but it also makes proactive communication essential.”
Most technology in the construction space is built for contractors, who manage one project at a time. Owners, however, must manage entire portfolios of assets, balancing new builds, renovations, and maintenance across hundreds of properties.
As Chris Wagner, VP of Industry Strategy, puts it: “Contractors make their money one project at a time. Owners have entire portfolios to manage — universities, banks, hospitals — where construction is only part of the picture. Without centralized visibility, they lose millions every year through fragmented, siloed decisions.”
This fragmented view doesn’t just hurt financial performance. It also leads to the very disruptions residents notice most: prolonged closures, stalled projects, and a lack of timely updates.
The survey showed a strong public appetite for transparency:
Digital project management platforms can provide exactly that. While the public may never see the dashboards, they feel the difference when those systems are in place.
Roberts notes: “The future’s already here — it’s just not evenly distributed. Some organizations are far ahead in using technology to manage risk, improve visibility, and deliver projects that meet community expectations. Others are lagging behind, still stuck in old ways of working.”
For owners, the stakes are high. Disparate, ungoverned data across hundreds of properties results in missed opportunities, wasted spend, and sometimes outright fraud.
Wagner highlights a common example: “We worked with an organization that owned 600 properties. Each ran independently, with no central tracking. They weren’t losing money overall, but they were wasting millions every year without even realizing it. They had no workflows, no reporting, and no visibility into what was actually happening until it was too late.
Centralized digital oversight changes that picture. With PMWEB, owners gain:
The construction industry has long lagged in productivity growth compared to other sectors. But that’s starting to change. AI and digital integration are accelerating the pace of transformation, and owners who act now will set the standard for the next generation of capital projects.
Roberts frames it this way: “Some organizations change because pain forces them to. Others change because transformative leaders see the opportunity. The real differentiator is whether you’re waiting for disruption to happen to you, or leading with technology to get ahead of it.”
Construction isn’t just about concrete and steel. It’s about people, trust, and the communities projects are meant to serve. PMWEB’s survey confirms what forward-thinking owners already know: digital project management isn’t optional, it’s the path to reducing disruptions, safeguarding trust, and ensuring every dollar delivers value.