How Idaho AGC Saved 21.9% of Staff Time and Boosted Creativity with AI

Idaho AGC, the leading association supporting construction professionals across the state, partnered with GCM to train internal staff on the practical use of AI. The training aimed to equip the team with real-world AI applications that would improve communication, streamline administrative tasks, and enhance creative output, while saving time and increasing operational efficiency.

The Challenge

Idaho AGC wanted to know where AI could actually help with real, recurring work, improving communication, taking the grind out of administrative tasks, and supporting creative output, without forcing a non-technical staff to wrestle with complicated tools.

What GCM Did

GCM ran a structured training and discovery process to pinpoint where AI could cut repetitive work, support content creation, and boost ideation. The emphasis throughout was usability over complexity. The goal was to leave every staff member confident enough to reach for AI in their daily work, whatever their technical background.

The Results

On AI-supported tasks, staff reported an average 21.9% time savings. More than 70% of the team saved at least 11 to 20% of their time, a quarter saved 21 to 40%, and one person saved more than 40%. Task completion rose too, up about 5% on average, with a third of the team finishing 10 to 40% more work thanks to AI.

What stood out at Idaho AGC was how much of the value showed up in creative and communication work, not just routine tasks:

• Marketing and content: scaling outreach by adapting content across social, email, and newsletters, plus generating blog and LinkedIn posts
• Email writing and editing: drafting and revising emails more clearly, with better tone and organization
• Administrative support: generating reports and streamlining spreadsheet management
• Event support and ideation: brainstorming event content and engagement ideas, down to raffle prizes

AI enhances creativity by generating ideas and providing writing assistance. It makes writing more polished and informative.

Idaho AGC team member

Idaho AGC's experience shows AI's payoff in both speed and creativity. By grounding the training in the team's real tasks, GCM left them using AI as a reliable partner for getting more done and thinking more creatively at the same time.