The construction jobsite, and the technology that proliferates it, looks very different than it did two decades ago, but one thing has remained constant: the Constructech Top Products are a barometer of how innovation continues to evolve. I have had the privilege of helping guide this program for nearly two decades, and the journey tells the story of technology in the construction industry.
When I look back across the decades, I see an arc of maturation in the construction technology space—from early ERP (enterprise-resource planning), to the conception of BIM (building information modeling) that led the way for digital twins, the rise of mobile apps and cloud platforms, to the IoT (Internet of Things), AI (artificial intelligence), and predictive analytics. In every single phase, the Constructech Top Products have been there, marking the way to what is working, what’s possible, and what’s right for construction.
The Origins of Top Products
The Constructech Top Products awards was born out of an idea from the Constructech editorial advisory board at a dinner that took place on an evening before the Constructech Technology Day Conference almost two decades ago. The board emphasized it is often hard to cut through the noise and find the technology that is truly valuable for the construction industry—something that is still true to this day.
And thus, the Constructech Top Products were born as a way to highlight technology solutions that are practical, useful, and have proven themselves in real construction settings. It isn’t about hype. It is about real tools that are solving problems today.
Early on, we focused primarily on residential and commercial technologies for estimating, takeoff, project management, accounting, ERP, and other similar solutions. While these are still foundational programs the construction industry relies on and a key part of the program, over time, the award program has evolved to cover more segments of the market. We have added focuses on infrastructure, and we have expanded our categories to include trusted, new, and concept technologies.
The types of products have also evolved to include tools, equipment, hardware, materials, and more—really anything that a construction professional would use to do a job.
Over the years, the criteria have also become more refined, and the judging panel has been expanded. We have very clear criteria for growth, usability, integration, long-term potential, and more that each judge must consider when reviewing a product.
The reality is that as the times have changed—think labor shortages, global disruptions, supply-chain evolutions, and so much more—the Top Products awards have evolved too. For instance, during the COVID‑19 pandemic, products that enabled remote collaboration or more resilient workflows were especially valued.
Where We Are Today
Today, the Constructech Top Products serve many roles. They help construction professionals make smarter, more informed decisions by spotlighting the technologies that are truly making a difference in the field and the office. These products are vetted not just for innovation, but for their real-world application—how well they solve problems like scheduling delays, budget overruns, labor shortages, or lack of visibility between teams.
Whether it’s a cloud-based platform improving collaboration, a mobile app streamlining field communication, or a predictive tool using data to anticipate risk, the Top Products list gives contractors, builders, and project managers a trusted resource to find solutions that can boost efficiency, increase safety, reduce costs, and ultimately drive better outcomes on every project. And we have a stellar list of industry leaders, professors, analysts, and consultants as judges.
What’s Next
As we look to the future, we must recognize the pace of change is only going to speed up and we need the right tools to enable growth, agility, and problem solving in the future. Technologies like AI, ML (machine learning), predictive analytics, digital twin, and more will guide the future of work.
Now, it is a matter of finding the right tool that aligns with your company—and that is exactly what we aim to do.
Do you have technology designed specifically for the construction industry? We want to hear about it! The deadline for the 2026 Constructech Top Products award program is Wednesday, October 15. Make sure to enter your product for consideration.
Want to tweet about this article? Use hashtags #construction #IoT #sustainability #AI #5G #cloud #edge #futureofwork #infrastructure #ConstructechTopProducts
