{"id":33132,"date":"2025-11-03T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-03T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/?p=33132"},"modified":"2025-10-31T05:32:20","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T09:32:20","slug":"conversations-in-construction-uncertainty-as-the-new-normal-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/conversations-in-construction-uncertainty-as-the-new-normal-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Conversations in Construction: Uncertainty as the New Normal, Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/category\/construction\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Construction<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tConversations in Construction: Uncertainty as the New Normal, Part 1\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-11-03T09:00:00-05:00\">November 3, 2025<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"Conversations in Construction: Uncertainty as the New Normal, Part 1\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/conversations-in-construction-uncertainty-as-the-new-normal-part-1\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/author\/dustinstephens\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/07\/Dustin-Stephens-2-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/07\/Dustin-Stephens-2-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/07\/Dustin-Stephens-2.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 40px) 100vw, 40px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Dustin Stephens<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"video-container-wrap -mode-full\"><div class=\"video-container\"><video\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"sage-video video-js vjs-default-skin \"\n\t\t\t\twidth=\"640\"\n\t\t\t\theight=\"360\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-setup='{ \"controls\": true, \"aspectRatio\" : \"16:9\", \"poster\": \"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/BRVvh-whCMk\/maxresdefault.jpg\", \"techOrder\": [\"youtube\"], \"enablejsapi\": 1, \"origin\": \"https:\/\/www.sage.com\", \"sources\": [{ \"type\": \"video\/youtube\", \"src\": \"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BRVvh-whCMk\"}], \"youtube\": { \"ytControls\": 0, \"cc_load_policy\": 3, \"modestbranding\": 1, \"hl\": \"en_US\", \"playsinline\": 1 } }'\n\t\t\t\tcrossorigin=\"\"><\/video><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Construction has always been an industry of resilience. From managing tight deadlines to navigating shifting markets, contractors and developers have long adapted to challenges that come with the job.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But today, uncertainty has become more prevalent.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Firms are balancing the impacts of economic volatility with interest rates and tariffs, unpredictable material costs, and persistent labor shortages. These pressures touch every part of the construction ecosystem \u2014 from subcontractors in the field to CFOs planning for tomorrow&#8217;s projects.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At Sage, we\u2019ve supported construction businesses for more than 50 years, building a strong community of contractors, finance leaders, and technology partners along the way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Through these relationships, we\u2019ve gained valuable perspectives on how firms navigate an ever-changing industry. We share those insights in our video series, <em>Conversations in Construction<\/em>, which highlights real-world strategies to help firms strengthen operations and prepare for the future.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this episode, we\u2019ll explore how technology is helping firms not only manage this uncertainty but also turn it into an opportunity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s what we&#8217;ll cover:<\/p>\n\n\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><ul><li><a href=\"#h-lessons-from-industry-peers\" data-level=\"2\">Lessons from industry peers<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-the-reality-of-construction-uncertainty\" data-level=\"2\">The reality of construction uncertainty<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-why-technology-is-no-longer-optional-nbsp\" data-level=\"2\">Why technology is no longer optional&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-nbsp-maximizing-new-technologies\" data-level=\"2\">&nbsp; Maximizing new technologies<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-final-thoughts\" data-level=\"2\">Final thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lessons-from-industry-peers\"><strong>Lessons from industry peers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with two industry leaders to discuss how construction businesses are leveraging technology to navigate through today\u2019s uncertainty<strong>: John Moran<\/strong> is the CFO at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrnewman.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">W.R. Newman and Associates, Inc<\/a>., a general contractor located in Nashville, Tenn.<strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Zachariah Merschdorf<\/strong> is a solutions architect at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accordantco.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Accordant<\/a>, a top value-added reseller in the ERP space serving clients across all of Canada and the U.S.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-reality-of-construction-uncertainty\"><strong>The reality of construction uncertainty<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Everywhere you look, firms are being asked to do more with less.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Subcontractors<\/strong> face challenges securing reliable labor and materials.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>General contractors<\/strong> must lock in pricing while navigating tariffs.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Developers<\/strong> are watching interest rates closely, knowing even slight changes can upend financing plans.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These realities create pressures across the board, and there\u2019s no sign of them slowing down. Many projects are being delayed as owners wait for insurance rates to stabilize, while many subcontractors are adding language to their contracts to account for tariffs and price fluctuations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some firms respond by raising prices to offset the risk, while others narrow the scope of their work to ensure they can deliver successfully.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the end of the day, it starts with material and labor shortages and rising costs, then makes it way up to the chain. General contractors are trying to stay on top of subs, owners are pushing general contractors, and the cycle repeats itself.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Watch <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BRVvh-whCMk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Conversations in Construction: Today\u2019s Reality<\/a><\/em> to hear John\u2019s and Zachariah\u2019s insights on the current state of the industry.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-technology-is-no-longer-optional-nbsp\"><strong>Why technology is no longer optional&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While this uncertainty continues to loom, waiting for it to \u201cpass\u201d is no longer an option. Instead, firms should be asking: <em>What tools do we need to build resilience and stay competitive right now?<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ten years ago, most firms viewed accounting software as a compliance requirement \u2013 just a way to close the books. Today, leaders see it as a strategic investment that pays for itself through operational efficiency, higher margins, and stronger competitiveness.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While technology can\u2019t solve every project challenge (i.e., change orders still exist), it can help better manage them to minimize the impact on profitability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Technology provides visibility into project scope and costs, allowing firms to allocate expenses appropriately and avoid absorbing unexpected costs. It also ensures change orders reach subcontractors quickly, so schedules stay on track and project costs don\u2019t need to be renegotiated.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-nbsp-maximizing-new-technologies\">&nbsp;<strong>Maximizing new technologies<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Once firms recognize the value of leveraging technology, the next challenge is making sure it delivers results. Even the best tools won\u2019t have an impact without buy-in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When the entire team embraces technology, firms experience an array of benefits, including stronger budgeting, timelier RFIs and submittals, and smoother communication with both customers and subcontractors.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The impact is even greater when solutions are integrated. By bringing preconstruction, operations, and accounting systems together, firms break down silos, speed up decision-making, and gain a clearer view of performance.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Watch <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=fnNRiu409iQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Conversations in Construction: Technology Imperative&nbsp;<\/a><\/em>, to learn more about how leading firms are being more strategic about their technology investments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-final-thoughts\"><strong>Final thoughts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Uncertainty in construction isn\u2019t going away. But firms that embrace technology are proving that unpredictability doesn\u2019t have to mean instability.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the right systems and the right mindset, they\u2019re transforming risk into resilience \u2014 and building stronger foundations for growth in the years ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Watch <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BRVvh-whCMk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Conversations in Construction: Today\u2019s Reality<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=fnNRiu409iQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Conversations in Construction: Technology Imperative<\/a><\/em>, to<em> <\/em>hear directly from industry leaders on how technology is helping them navigate today\u2019s challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to our Sage Advice Newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get our latest business advice delivered directly to your inbox.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-ab515c6e-7e90-4c2f-a67e-113872516e8b\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"Working from home with tea in hand\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As part of the Conversations in Construction video series, Construction and Real Estate VP Dustin Stephens and industry experts examine some of the unique challenges and ground-breaking innovations in the world of construction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":9002,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":true,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[404],"tags":[192],"business_type":[41],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[50],"persona":[],"imagine_tag":[246],"coauthors":[585],"class_list":["post-33132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-construction","tag-construction","business_type-growing-business","industry-construction-and-real-estate"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-us","author_name":"Dustin Stephens","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1267010934.jpg","imagine_tags":{"246":"Construction"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice US","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33132","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/81"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33132"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33132\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/9002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33132"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33132"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=33132"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=33132"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=33132"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=33132"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=33132"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=33132"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=33132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}