Microsoft Copilot Transforms Construction at Balfour Beatty

UK infrastructure firm Balfour Beatty has employed Microsoft 365 Copilot to address a yearly £10bn dilemma: avoidable construction mistakes. With 27,000 employees, the company integrates Microsoft's AI tool to eliminate rework, a factor responsible for 40 per cent of safety mishaps in construction.

The rollout spans major UK projects like the Sizewell C nuclear station, Rolls-Royce non-fissile sites, the Lower Thames Crossing, and Net Zero Teesside. Jon Ozanne, Chief Information Officer at Balfour Beatty, clarifies that eliminating rework yields multiple benefits. “We know that rework has a cost - it takes time, it takes money, and it carries health and safety implications by requiring our people to return to work at short notice,” he says.

Microsoft 365 Copilot works with Office apps, automating tasks using natural language prompts across the firm's existing Microsoft system including SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams. For Balfour Beatty, this secures quality process integration from project start.

“This is about how we make sure we build things right first time,” Jon says. “It’s about how we can use technology to make sure that we’ve got the right test plans, inspections, and people in place before starting work.”

AI's impact on information management at Balfour Beatty

The AI assistant brings notable productivity enhancements across Balfour Beatty's operations. Early user surveys reveal that 75 per cent find Copilot enhances their work, 77 per cent spend less mental effort on routine tasks, 78 per cent see improved communication, and 66 per cent would seek roles where Copilot is available.

Microsoft 365 Copilot processes data across the company’s Microsoft ecosystem, including SharePoint, OneDrive, and Exchange. This integration provides immediate project history access that previously required manual searches through various systems.

“Finding information is now so much easier,” Jon claims. “Copilot proves itself strongly effective in accessing and consolidating our data.”

The change is most evident when addressing client documentation demands. “Sourcing information related to historical tasks and presenting it to a customer wanting assurance that all processes were followed correctly is now efficient,” Jon notes. Microsoft’s AI tool now manages these inquiries almost instantly.

Project teams report altered meeting administration. Martin McGough, Project Director, states, “Copilot has completely transformed the way we handle planning, problem-solving, and meetings. By managing note-taking and action tracking, it frees everyone to focus on discussions. It saves hours of manual review.”

The future of Microsoft AI at Balfour Beatty

Jon expects Microsoft to introduce task-specific AI agents within a year for construction's "middle office" needs such as estimation, planning, design, and quality assurance management. These will utilise Microsoft's agent framework to move from presenting data to taking independent actions based on project conditions.

“An AI tool might say ‘there’s an unexpected event on-site and it’s changing the plan. Would you like me to reorder your equipment, or would you like me to change your actions moving forward?” he proposes.

Microsoft 365 Copilot also processes data streams to uncover local job opportunities and educational entities that could benefit from project activities. “AI enables us to aggregate and use data to understand how we can impact the surrounding environment positively,” Jon says.

Balfour Beatty's collaboration with Microsoft extends across Power BI, Power Apps, Office365, and Azure. The Copilot deployment leverages this infrastructure without necessitating new system integrations.

Jon personally experiences productivity benefits from Microsoft’s AI. “For me, Copilot transcribes meetings, records my actions, and prompts, improving my productivity,” he shares. “This isn’t about removing all human tasks, but it certainly gives a base for progress.”

“Ultimately, this technology is going to expand on what we've already started. We're going to put fewer humans in physical danger, reduce cost-of-delivery, and experience fewer errors in construction.”