As digital transformation moves further into the construction sector, the industry is reassessing how long-standing processes can be modernised to reduce delays, strengthen governance, and support more predictable outcomes.
Permitting and approvals remain one of the sector’s structural bottlenecks, often creating friction across contractors, developers, regulators, and investors.
In a conversation with Build in Digital editor Simon Foulds, Nathan Marsh, Regional Executive and Senior Vice President (EMEA) at Bentley Systems, outlines how AI-driven workflows, automation, and digital collaboration platforms are helping organisations reduce programme risk, improve compliance, and accelerate time-to-value.
AI and the evolution of permitting and approvals
The permitting and approvals stage is a central feature of any major construction programme. For tier one contractors and project owners, it is closely linked to technical, safety, and commercial risk. Marsh notes that while the process will never be eliminated, AI-driven workflows can relieve many of the pressures that slow projects and divert skilled staff from higher-value work.
According to Marsh, a significant opportunity lies in automating document reviews. AI systems can scan plans against rule sets, identify areas of non-compliance, and flag inconsistencies in terminology, units, accepted norms, or record formats. This reduces the time traditionally spent on manual checking and ensures that errors are surfaced early in the cycle.
Another area where AI is proving valuable is the creation and tracking of documentation. Marsh highlights that site superintendents often spend substantial time gathering, logging, and filing safety reports and permissioning documents for subsequent phases. Automating this work against pre-approved standards frees these specialists to focus on site safety, training, and leadership, activities that directly influence project performance.
For Marsh, the key advantage is the ability to maintain continuous oversight. AI agents configured to run full-time can carry out parallel processing and consistent technical review, keeping projects compliant throughout delivery. This persistent layer of assurance removes the need for intensive human oversight and helps maintain programme integrity across long and complex schemes.
Building trust through digital collaboration platforms
Bentley Systems’ platforms, including ProjectWise and Synchro, play a central role in enabling collaboration across contractors, regulators, engineers, developers, and asset owners. Marsh explains that the strength of these platforms lies in their ability to serve as a single source of truth, an authoritative environment where all stakeholders can work from consistent, up-to-date information.
Automation enhances this trusted environment by introducing time-stamped workflows. Every decision, upload, update, and approval is recorded with transparency, creating a traceable and auditable chain of custody. This removes doubt around responsibilities and reduces the friction common in traditional document exchanges.
Marsh also highlights the value of running concurrent simulations. Instead of carrying out after-action reviews, teams can model scenarios in real time, identifying opportunities to reduce waste, improve sequencing, and enhance safety. Each shift benefits from insights generated during previous cycles, enabling continuous improvement and a measurable uplift in productivity.
For regulators and investors, these capabilities strengthen risk mitigation. Transparent data, concurrent simulations, and clear audit trails provide assurance before issuing approvals or advancing to the next stage. Marsh views this as one of the most promising areas for AI in digital permitting and regulatory oversight.
Smart planning and accelerated delivery
AI-enabled planning tools are also supporting faster delivery and earlier revenue realisation. Marsh points to a recent project in Abu Dhabi in which high-fidelity micro-mobility modelling was used to support city-scale transport planning. By simulating multiple scenarios within a unified environment, covering congestion, emissions, demand, supply, and asset condition, the city was able to make informed decisions without years of iterative testing.
This system-wide modelling approach reduced delays across the planning cycle and provided end-to-end insight into transport flows. As a result, the project team delivered earlier than expected, enabling revenue benefits for investors and providing residents with a more reliable and integrated mobility experience. For Marsh, the outcome demonstrates the potential of connected digital planning to accelerate time-to-value across large public infrastructure schemes.
Automation and the quality question
A recurring concern across the sector is whether automation and AI-driven workflows could create a risk of quality trade-offs. Marsh argues that quality is determined by governance, standards, and ownership rather than by automation itself. When tools are set up with clear policies, tested thoroughly, and supported by strong oversight, automation improves consistency, accuracy, and speed without reducing quality.
One example is automated clash detection and compliance review in construction programmes. Automated checks identify errors earlier, reduce rework, and shorten delivery cycles. As workload is eased, teams gain time to assess alternative options, evaluate future cycles, and apply human judgment to planning and decision-making. Marsh notes that this blend of automation and professional expertise is key to achieving both efficiency and quality across large programmes.
Automation also creates space for staff to focus on scenario planning, risk identification, and strategic forecasting. Rather than reducing the value of human judgment, it increases the time available for it to be applied more effectively.
The path ahead for AI in digital construction delivery
The rapid adoption of AI-driven workflows in construction signals a shift from digital enablement to digital dependency. Tools that were once supplementary are becoming foundational to programme planning, permitting, compliance management, and stakeholder coordination. Marsh emphasises that the real value lies in how AI supports human capability, rather than replacing it. By creating more predictable, transparent, and efficient programmes, AI helps the sector overcome long-standing bottlenecks while supporting better decision-making.
As digital collaboration platforms continue to mature, and as AI becomes more embedded in regulatory and delivery processes, the construction sector is moving toward a model where continuous insight, automated compliance, and real-time planning are standard features. This represents a significant change in how major programmes are delivered and how risk is managed across their lifecycle.
AI-driven workflows, digital permitting tools, and automated planning are reshaping the way major projects are delivered across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. As Marsh highlights, these technologies reduce administrative burden, enhance safety, build trust through transparent data, and support faster, more confident decision-making. The result is a more resilient delivery environment where time-to-value is accelerated and quality is strengthened through consistent and reliable processes. For contractors, regulators, and investors, the integration of AI into digital construction workflows marks a meaningful step toward a more efficient and predictable industry.
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