Episode 30 | Construction Is THE Most Complex Industry Yet We Still Use Excel to Build

Can the construction industry finally move past Excel, siloed teams, and point solutions and start building with data instead of bricks? Why is such a complex industry, still run on spreadsheets and what’s the real cost? In this episode, Richard sits down with Mo Shana'a, CEO and co-founder of Morta, to unpack one of the biggest digital blind spots in construction: broken processes hidden inside spreadsheets. Mo shares his unexpected journey, from trying to leave construction entirely to becoming one of its most passionate digital reformers. As Mo puts it, “The industry isn’t under-digitized because it’s slow, it’s because it’s the most complex on earth.” He explains why planning and tracking are the most neglected (but most important) layers in the project lifecycle, why compliance isn’t the real problem with regulations like the Building Safety Act, and how the right kind of tech—especially modular, integrated systems—can close the gap between design and delivery. We also dive into AI (not the hype, the real use cases), the myth of the single system, and why even the most advanced contractors are still running billion-pound projects on Excel. If you’re a construction professional struggling with information chaos, disconnected teams, or tech fatigue, this episode is for you. View more podcasts here: ⁠⁠⁠A podcast hosted by Symetri: Smarter Building | Symetri.co.uk⁠⁠