For more than a decade, the construction industry has discussed digital transformation as both an opportunity and a necessity. Yet technology adoption rarely follows a straight line—new solutions emerge, implementation strategies evolve, and organizations continuously reassess how technology creates value across projects, operations, and risk management.
One useful way to understand these shifts is through longitudinal measurement. The AXA XL Technology Adoption Maturity Index (TAMI) tracks technology adoption maturity over time and provides an annual view of how participating contractors are progressing.
The process is straightforward: Participants voluntarily agree to answer a standard set of intake questions covering all of the legacy, current, and leading-edge technology categories and solutions. A firm will name the product titles that they have invested in, whether these products have been fully implemented or are in the pilot phase. These answers are given numeric values and then averaged. The averages, high scores, and low scores are then aggregated to create an industry index.
The data from 2019 through 2025 reveals both a significant upward trend in overall digital maturity and an important reminder that technology innovation is not a one-way journey. The accompanying theme of "continuous reassessment" highlights a reality familiar to many construction leaders: Maturity is not defined by technology acquisition alone, but by an organization's ability to evaluate, adapt, and sustain technology-enabled processes over time.
AXA XL Technology Adoption Maturity Index (TAMI)—Annual Trends
The Long-Term Direction Is Clearly Upward
The most obvious observation from the index is the substantial improvement in average technology maturity over the 7-year period. The index average increased from 4.9 in 2019 to 6.8 in 2024 before settling at 6.4 in 2025.
Across the measurement period, the average maturity score improved by approximately 1.5 points from the starting year to the latest observation. This progression suggests that participating contractors have continued to expand and institutionalize their use of construction technologies over time. The annual progression is particularly noteworthy because it demonstrates sustained advancement rather than a single year of dramatic change.
Viewed over the entire period, the broader trend remains positive, and the data indicates that digital capabilities have become more deeply embedded within construction organizations and technology adoption has generally progressed beyond isolated pilot programs toward wider operational integration.
Maturity Growth Accelerated After 2021
Another important pattern emerges when examining the year-to-year changes. While the first several years show incremental movement, the most significant gains occurred between 2021 and 2023. The average maturity score increased from 5.2 in 2021 to 5.7 in 2022 and then to 6.6 in 2023.
This period represents the steepest portion of the curve and may indicate that organizations moved from experimentation into broader implementation. Regardless of the reasons behind the increase, the data clearly shows that maturity advanced more rapidly during these years than during the earlier part of the index timeline.
The significance of this acceleration is that maturity growth becomes increasingly difficult as organizations progress, and early improvements can often be achieved through the introduction of individual technologies or focused initiatives. Higher maturity levels generally require more extensive organizational alignment, process integration, governance, training, and measurement.
The data from the years 2023 through 2025, and even our preliminary calculations for 2026, show a sharp decline in the index's high values while the average plateaus; a few correlations seem to drive this.
The first correlation is that contractors are adjusting to life after COVID, where a significant increase in technology investment from 2020 through the next several years was required for most firms to continue to operate under pandemic-related restrictions.
The second correlation is the influx of enterprise-scale technology implementations enabled by artificial intelligence (AI). Whether a company is updating its enterprise resource planning or setting up an OpenAI portal for its employees, these initiatives will cost many firms well into the seven- and eight-figure dollar amounts, which causes a shift away from more experimental point solutions; technology leaders have also been streamlining their focus and sunsetting more applications to free up the resources necessary to tackle much larger rollouts.
The Floor Continued to Rise
Perhaps one of the most encouraging findings is the improvement in the low scores. This trend suggests that technology adoption is becoming more broadly distributed across large commercial contractors. Rather than progress being driven exclusively by a small group of leading organizations, the minimum maturity level has steadily increased. In practical terms, organizations that were once considered digital laggards appear to have improved their adoption rates over time.
The rising floor may be one of the most important observations in the entire dataset—transformation across all types of commercial contractors is not measured solely by the achievements of leaders. Meaningful change occurs when a larger percentage of organizations raise their baseline capabilities, and the continued improvement of the lowest maturity scores suggests precisely that type of broader advancement.
Top Performers Continued to Push the Boundary
The index high had been increasing, growing from 8.1 in 2019 to 9.3 in 2024 before declining to 8.1 in 2025. Throughout most of the observation period, the top-performing organizations continued to extend the upper boundary of the maturity scale.
The maturity measurement reflects conditions at a particular point in time—organizations' tech stacks are in constant change, evolving implementation approaches and business priorities. The approach that AXA XL Construction takes when working with clients on their TAMI benchmark is "continuous reassessment," reinforcing that maturity should be seen as a dynamic process rather than a permanent destination.
Variation Remains a Defining Characteristic
A review of the high and low values also reveals that significant variation exists across participants. Although differences remain substantial, the spread appears to have narrowed relative to the beginning of the measurement period. This observation suggests that contractors may be converging toward a more consistent level of technological capability.
As more organizations adopt common digital practices, technology-enabled collaboration becomes easier across project teams, supply chains, and stakeholders. A more mature tech stack can also create greater consistency in data collection, communication, and operational visibility.
The 2025 Results Offer an Important Lesson
The most recent results introduce a useful perspective on how maturity should be interpreted: The long-term trend remains overwhelmingly positive, yet the 2025 values demonstrate that progress is not necessarily linear. Technology maturity can fluctuate as organizations reassess priorities, replace systems, refine implementation strategies, or adjust investment decisions.
Conclusion
AXA XL's TAMI provides a valuable longitudinal view of construction's digital evolution. From 2019 through 2025, average maturity improved significantly, lower-scoring organizations advanced substantially, and top scorers continued pushing the boundaries of adoption and innovation. At the same time, the data show that maturity is not fixed, and periodic fluctuations remind us that technology leadership requires ongoing evaluation and adjustment.
Perhaps the most important takeaway is that contractors appear to be progressing collectively; the improvement in average scores and the substantial rise in minimum maturity levels suggest that technology adoption is becoming more broadly established across construction clients. While individual organizations remain at different stages of their digital journeys, the overall direction is clear: Maturity has increased over time, and continued advancement depends on maintaining a disciplined approach to reassessment, measurement, and improvement. The organizations most likely to succeed will be those that view technology not as a one-time investment, but as an ongoing process of learning, optimization, and continuous reassessment.
Opinions expressed in Expert Commentary articles are those of the author and are not necessarily held by the author's employer or IRMI. Expert Commentary articles and other IRMI Online content do not purport to provide legal, accounting, or other professional advice or opinion. If such advice is needed, consult with your attorney, accountant, or other qualified adviser.
For more than a decade, the construction industry has discussed digital transformation as both an opportunity and a necessity. Yet technology adoption rarely follows a straight line—new solutions emerge, implementation strategies evolve, and organizations continuously reassess how technology creates value across projects, operations, and risk management.
One useful way to understand these shifts is through longitudinal measurement. The AXA XL Technology Adoption Maturity Index (TAMI) tracks technology adoption maturity over time and provides an annual view of how participating contractors are progressing.
The process is straightforward: Participants voluntarily agree to answer a standard set of intake questions covering all of the legacy, current, and leading-edge technology categories and solutions. A firm will name the product titles that they have invested in, whether these products have been fully implemented or are in the pilot phase. These answers are given numeric values and then averaged. The averages, high scores, and low scores are then aggregated to create an industry index.
The data from 2019 through 2025 reveals both a significant upward trend in overall digital maturity and an important reminder that technology innovation is not a one-way journey. The accompanying theme of "continuous reassessment" highlights a reality familiar to many construction leaders: Maturity is not defined by technology acquisition alone, but by an organization's ability to evaluate, adapt, and sustain technology-enabled processes over time.
AXA XL Technology Adoption Maturity Index (TAMI)—Annual Trends
The Long-Term Direction Is Clearly Upward
The most obvious observation from the index is the substantial improvement in average technology maturity over the 7-year period. The index average increased from 4.9 in 2019 to 6.8 in 2024 before settling at 6.4 in 2025.
Across the measurement period, the average maturity score improved by approximately 1.5 points from the starting year to the latest observation. This progression suggests that participating contractors have continued to expand and institutionalize their use of construction technologies over time. The annual progression is particularly noteworthy because it demonstrates sustained advancement rather than a single year of dramatic change.
Viewed over the entire period, the broader trend remains positive, and the data indicates that digital capabilities have become more deeply embedded within construction organizations and technology adoption has generally progressed beyond isolated pilot programs toward wider operational integration.
Maturity Growth Accelerated After 2021
Another important pattern emerges when examining the year-to-year changes. While the first several years show incremental movement, the most significant gains occurred between 2021 and 2023. The average maturity score increased from 5.2 in 2021 to 5.7 in 2022 and then to 6.6 in 2023.
This period represents the steepest portion of the curve and may indicate that organizations moved from experimentation into broader implementation. Regardless of the reasons behind the increase, the data clearly shows that maturity advanced more rapidly during these years than during the earlier part of the index timeline.
The significance of this acceleration is that maturity growth becomes increasingly difficult as organizations progress, and early improvements can often be achieved through the introduction of individual technologies or focused initiatives. Higher maturity levels generally require more extensive organizational alignment, process integration, governance, training, and measurement.
The data from the years 2023 through 2025, and even our preliminary calculations for 2026, show a sharp decline in the index's high values while the average plateaus; a few correlations seem to drive this.
The first correlation is that contractors are adjusting to life after COVID, where a significant increase in technology investment from 2020 through the next several years was required for most firms to continue to operate under pandemic-related restrictions.
The second correlation is the influx of enterprise-scale technology implementations enabled by artificial intelligence (AI). Whether a company is updating its enterprise resource planning or setting up an OpenAI portal for its employees, these initiatives will cost many firms well into the seven- and eight-figure dollar amounts, which causes a shift away from more experimental point solutions; technology leaders have also been streamlining their focus and sunsetting more applications to free up the resources necessary to tackle much larger rollouts.
The Floor Continued to Rise
Perhaps one of the most encouraging findings is the improvement in the low scores. This trend suggests that technology adoption is becoming more broadly distributed across large commercial contractors. Rather than progress being driven exclusively by a small group of leading organizations, the minimum maturity level has steadily increased. In practical terms, organizations that were once considered digital laggards appear to have improved their adoption rates over time.
The rising floor may be one of the most important observations in the entire dataset—transformation across all types of commercial contractors is not measured solely by the achievements of leaders. Meaningful change occurs when a larger percentage of organizations raise their baseline capabilities, and the continued improvement of the lowest maturity scores suggests precisely that type of broader advancement.
Top Performers Continued to Push the Boundary
The index high had been increasing, growing from 8.1 in 2019 to 9.3 in 2024 before declining to 8.1 in 2025. Throughout most of the observation period, the top-performing organizations continued to extend the upper boundary of the maturity scale.
The maturity measurement reflects conditions at a particular point in time—organizations' tech stacks are in constant change, evolving implementation approaches and business priorities. The approach that AXA XL Construction takes when working with clients on their TAMI benchmark is "continuous reassessment," reinforcing that maturity should be seen as a dynamic process rather than a permanent destination.
Variation Remains a Defining Characteristic
A review of the high and low values also reveals that significant variation exists across participants. Although differences remain substantial, the spread appears to have narrowed relative to the beginning of the measurement period. This observation suggests that contractors may be converging toward a more consistent level of technological capability.
As more organizations adopt common digital practices, technology-enabled collaboration becomes easier across project teams, supply chains, and stakeholders. A more mature tech stack can also create greater consistency in data collection, communication, and operational visibility.
The 2025 Results Offer an Important Lesson
The most recent results introduce a useful perspective on how maturity should be interpreted: The long-term trend remains overwhelmingly positive, yet the 2025 values demonstrate that progress is not necessarily linear. Technology maturity can fluctuate as organizations reassess priorities, replace systems, refine implementation strategies, or adjust investment decisions.
Conclusion
AXA XL's TAMI provides a valuable longitudinal view of construction's digital evolution. From 2019 through 2025, average maturity improved significantly, lower-scoring organizations advanced substantially, and top scorers continued pushing the boundaries of adoption and innovation. At the same time, the data show that maturity is not fixed, and periodic fluctuations remind us that technology leadership requires ongoing evaluation and adjustment.
Perhaps the most important takeaway is that contractors appear to be progressing collectively; the improvement in average scores and the substantial rise in minimum maturity levels suggest that technology adoption is becoming more broadly established across construction clients. While individual organizations remain at different stages of their digital journeys, the overall direction is clear: Maturity has increased over time, and continued advancement depends on maintaining a disciplined approach to reassessment, measurement, and improvement. The organizations most likely to succeed will be those that view technology not as a one-time investment, but as an ongoing process of learning, optimization, and continuous reassessment.
Opinions expressed in Expert Commentary articles are those of the author and are not necessarily held by the author's employer or IRMI. Expert Commentary articles and other IRMI Online content do not purport to provide legal, accounting, or other professional advice or opinion. If such advice is needed, consult with your attorney, accountant, or other qualified adviser.