UK Construction Firms Shift AI From Pilot to Production, Deltek Survey Finds

British project-based businesses are embedding artificial intelligence into core operational workflows, marking a transition from experimental deployments to measurable productivity gains, according to research released by Deltek, a platform provider for project-driven industries.

The shift is most pronounced in architecture, engineering and consultancy sectors, where 55 percent of UK organisations now classify themselves as either advanced or mature in digital transformation. Nearly half report moderate productivity or cost improvements attributable to AI, while 12 percent say they have achieved significant measurable return on investment as adoption scales across business units.

AI is being integrated into project forecasting, planning, reporting and resource management—functions that directly affect profitability and delivery timelines. Twenty-nine percent of UK firms identify operationalising and optimising AI as a strategic priority, signaling a move beyond proof-of-concept trials toward enterprise-wide deployment.

(The findings come from Deltek's seventh annual Clarity Trends and Insights report, which surveyed UK-based firms in the architecture, engineering and consultancy space. The research was released in April 2026.)

The construction and engineering sectors have historically lagged consumer-facing industries in digital adoption, constrained by fragmented supply chains, legacy procurement systems and project-based business models that resist standardisation. The reported maturity levels suggest those barriers are eroding as firms seek competitive advantage through data-driven decision-making and automation of repetitive tasks.

Deltek's positioning as both research sponsor and software vendor to the sector raises questions about sample selection and framing, though the reported adoption rates align with broader industry observations of accelerating AI integration in project management and financial planning tools.