In today’s architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) market, firms are both optimistic and anxious. On one hand, most see opportunities ahead and feel confident about their ability to grow. On the other, they face mounting competition and rising pressure to win new work.  

Success depends on the ability to consistently identify, pursue, and secure the right opportunities. But many firms are still trying to do this without the full support of business development (BD) technology. 

According to the 2025 AEC Inspire Report, nearly half of firms report challenges with BD tool adoption. That number has grown significantly from the year before, underscoring a widening gap between firms that are modernizing their approach to business development and those still relying on instinct, spreadsheets, or disconnected tools. 

The state of business development in AEC 

Leaders are more concerned this year about their ability to win new business than about broad economic disruption. That shift reflects an industry where growth is available, but only to the firms positioned to capture it. 

Business development maturity is proving to be a weak link. While project and resource management practices show progress, nearly half of firms admit to struggling with adoption of BD tools, up from just over a third in 2024. A substantial share still face issues with siloed data, limited reporting capabilities, or a lack of performance metrics. Some firms have no customer relationship management (CRM) system at all. 

Why firms struggle with adoption 

The barriers are as much cultural as they are technical. In an industry built on relationships, many teams continue to rely on personal networks and intuition rather than data-driven processes. Fragmented systems compound the problem, with business development, project management, and finance often operating in isolation. Without integration, firms lack the visibility needed to make informed choices. 

Adoption also suffers when firms treat BD tools as optional. Without consistent processes and training, tools go underused, and the data they contain cannot be trusted. Leadership buy-in is critical. Unless executives champion the consistent use of technology, adoption remains shallow, leaving firms exposed to risk. 

The cost of poor adoption 

The consequences are tangible. Go/No-Go decisions, which should be guided by structured criteria, are often made informally. More than half of firms still rely on ad hoc or instinct-based approaches. That inconsistency undermines both forecasting and resource planning. 

Without reliable pipeline visibility, firms risk hiring too aggressively or hesitating until it is too late to recruit the talent they need. Either approach creates financial strain. Missed forecasting also leads to missed opportunities, with firms unable to commit confidently to the pursuits that matter most. In the meantime, larger firms are strategically expanding their footprints, often by acquiring smaller competitors. Smaller firms that fail to modernize risk being left behind. 

Closing the BD tech gap 

Closing this gap requires more than technology alone. It begins with aligning tools to business strategy. Firms need platforms that connect business development with project management and finance so that data can flow seamlessly across functions. That integration provides real-time visibility into backlog, pipeline, and resourcing, which in turn supports better strategic decisions. 

Adoption must also be treated as a cultural priority. Firms that embed BD tools into daily workflows such as proposal development, pursuit tracking, and Go/No-Go evaluations see stronger uptake and more reliable data. Training and reinforcement are essential to sustaining that adoption. 

Data quality is another critical factor. Clean, centralized, and accessible data turns intuition into insight. Firms that invest in improving their data practices gain the confidence to pursue the right opportunities and to decline the wrong ones. Increasingly, firms are also exploring artificial intelligence as an enhancement to BD and marketing. These capabilities promise to improve efficiency and decision-making, but only if the data behind them is accurate and integrated. 

What’s at stake 

The business development/technology gap is a competitive dividing line. Firms that continue to rely on outdated or underutilized tools will face inefficiencies and lost opportunities. They’ll also face growing pressure from larger, more aggressive competitors. The firms that close the gap will not only make better decisions today, they’ll position themselves for sustainable growth in the years ahead. 

In an industry where winning the right work can often prove to be the difference between success and failure, adopting and embedding the right BD technology serves as a foundation for growth and resilience. 

To learn more about what top AEC firms are thinking about the future of work, read the full 2025 Inspire Report.  

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