Jenny Benbrook at Powerhouse Consulting gives an insider interview on auditing and optimizing construction technology stacks.
Jenny Benbrook, cofounder and CEO at Powerhouse Consulting Group, spends her days auditing tech stacks. So she sat down with Construction Executive to explain how construction companies—whether just acquiring their first tech platform or topping out their tech stack—can invest in the right new products, optimize the ones they have and align their overall tech stack with their goals.
If a construction company is just starting to build their tech stack, what should they look for first?
In our industry, the gold standard foundation is an end-to-end field service management platform. These systems bring scheduling, dispatch, invoicing, payments and reporting into one hub. For smaller contractors, an FSM ensures day-to-day operations are efficient and cash flow is healthy. For larger or more complex firms, that FSM foundation often needs to connect into an ERP or accounting-first platform that can scale with multiple divisions, entities or business units. Without that strong base of clean, centralized data, every other tool—AI, estimating, project management or marketing—will struggle to deliver real ROI.
How should construction companies build out their tech stack—everything at once or product by product?
It’s tempting to go all-in, but the most successful companies roll out product by product, in phases. Start with the most business-critical area (usually job management or accounting). Once adoption is strong and workflows are documented, move into complementary tools like CRM, estimating or marketing automation. Layering systems this way avoids overwhelming the team and ensures each tool is fully utilized before moving on.
Where should companies look for quality tech solutions beyond the big brand names?
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the tech noise in the market. The most important step is to start with a clear understanding of your business needs and what your primary FSM platform already offers. From there, you can identify true gaps or areas where enhancements will drive ROI.
Once you have that clarity, evaluating third-party integrations becomes much simpler. Look to your FSM’s partner marketplace first, since those tools are designed to integrate natively. Beyond that, industry associations, peer groups and distributor networks can be excellent sources of vetted solutions. Smaller, field-built tools often offer faster support and flexibility, but they should be layered in only where they enhance your FSM foundation, not distract from it.
For companies with existing stacks, what are signs they need to upgrade?
Look for red flags like:
- Teams running spreadsheets or shadow systems outside the core platform
- Duplicate data entry across systems
- Frequent complaints from field teams about usability
- Reporting that’s delayed or inaccurate
These are all signals that your tools aren’t keeping up with how your business is operating today.
Which products usually need to be upgraded first/most frequently?
We most often see upgrades needed in:
- Accounting/ERP (to handle scale, multi-entity or job costing)
- CRM/estimating tools (as sales and project pipelines grow)
- Communication tools (to keep office and field aligned)
- Field apps and marketing platforms also evolve quickly, so staying current there matters
How does evolving your tech stack improve longevity?
Technology isn’t just a cost, it’s an asset that compounds. Each upgrade makes the company more efficient, more attractive to employees who want modern tools, and more appealing to investors or acquirers who value clean, centralized data. Evolving your stack ensures the business can pivot with market shifts rather than getting locked into outdated workflows.
How can a smaller company keep up financially with the pace of changing tech?
Focus on ROI-driven priorities. Start with tools that generate or protect revenue—job costing, invoicing, payment processing or lead management. Many platforms offer modular pricing so you can add functionality as you grow. Also, explore rebates or co-op dollars from manufacturers and distributors who often subsidize tech adoption.
What should their priorities be for best ROI if they must pick and choose?
- Cash-flow tools first: payment processing, AR automation, or scheduling/dispatch
- Customer-facing tools second: CRM, estimating, communication apps
- Efficiency tools third: automation, integrations, or BI dashboards
The key is to invest where technology will have the fastest and most visible payback, then reinvest those gains into expanding the stack.
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