From SoCal to the Jobsite
In early November, CMiC hosted its annual Connect Conference, and Martin Horn sent Cynthia, Grace, and Josh to Southern California to attend. The event serves as a major hub for innovation, training, and collaboration—bringing teams from across the country together to explore the latest advancements in construction ERP technology.
The conference content typically centers around three areas: new tools, existing tools, and hands-on training. Keynote sessions from CMiC’s leadership offer a forward-looking perspective on upcoming features and long-term development plans. Breakout sessions offer in-depth explorations of newly released tools and provide more efficient ways to utilize existing features. The hands-on sessions are especially valuable, as they create an open forum for asking questions, troubleshooting real-world workflows, and learning how other companies utilize the same systems. These peer exchanges offer the most practical insights and inspiring takeaways of the entire conference.
Each year, CMiC also highlights its “long-term projects.” In the software world, a 6–12 month development timeline counts as lengthy—something that inevitably draws a smirk or chuckle from a room full of contractors used to managing multi-year builds. This year’s primary long-term focus is the expansion of AI capabilities. While many industries are moving in this direction, CMiC’s approach is unique because it is specifically designed for the construction industry. Their AI tools are built to support field operations and project management rather than serving a generic, broad user base. This means organizations like Martin Horn will eventually be able to create customized AI agents tailored to their workflows and operational needs, making the system exceptionally adaptable and future-ready.
Of course, the trip wasn’t all work. Whether meeting new industry peers or finding themselves—quite literally—the only people in sight out in the desert, the team made sure to enjoy a bit of the SoCal sunshine. All in all, the conference delivered valuable knowledge, exciting previews of what’s ahead, and plenty of new ideas to strengthen our system.
