Why roofing companies should stop asking how AI fits their business

By Heidi J. Ellsworth. 

Organizations see greater AI success when operational teams shape technology decisions from the beginning instead of treating AI as a separate initiative. 

One of the most common questions surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) today is how organizations can align AI with their business strategy. While that may sound like a logical objective, Brian Behe, CTO of RIIG Technology, believes the question itself reveals a larger issue. When leaders speak about aligning AI with the business, they often imply that AI and business operations are separate entities that need to be connected later. According to Brian, that mindset can create silos from the very beginning and make successful adoption far more difficult than it needs to be. 

As the chief technology officer at RIIG Technology, Brian Behe is recognized for helping bridge the gap between advanced artificial intelligence and real-world business applications, bringing more than 15 years of experience in AI, data science and cybersecurity to the roofing and construction industries. We continue to reach out to Brian to help unravel the AI puzzle. 

This challenge appears frequently across the roofing industry. Organizations often launch AI initiatives within technology departments or leadership teams while the individuals who understand the day-to-day work remain largely on the sidelines. Yet estimators understand proposal bottlenecks, production managers know where scheduling inefficiencies exist, customer service teams recognize recurring communication challenges and sales professionals understand the customer journey better than anyone. When these perspectives are absent from AI planning conversations, solutions can be technically impressive while failing to address the realities of the business. 

Brian points out that this separation often results in stalled pilots with low adoption and mismatched expectations. Technology teams attempt to build solutions they believe the business needs, while operational teams struggle to see how those solutions fit within existing workflows. As a result, AI projects frequently become disconnected innovation efforts rather than practical business improvements. The excitement remains high, but measurable outcomes become increasingly difficult to achieve. 

The more effective approach is to bring AI conversations directly into operational planning. Instead of asking how AI fits into the organization, leaders should examine the business processes that drive performance. Where are employees spending excessive time? Which processes create friction for customers? Where are opportunities being lost because information is difficult to access or analyze? Once those challenges are clearly identified, AI can be evaluated as one of several tools that may help improve outcomes. 

This philosophy places ownership where it belongs — with the people closest to the work. Brian advocates for involving operations, security, compliance, leadership and frontline users in AI discussions from the beginning. When AI initiatives are tied directly to workflows, key performance indicators, governance and accountability, the technology becomes embedded in the business rather than existing alongside it. This approach not only improves adoption but also strengthens trust and ensures that AI investments remain connected to meaningful business objectives. 

For roofing companies navigating rapid technological change, this distinction may prove to be one of the most important factors influencing long-term success. The organizations creating lasting value are not trying to force AI into the business after the fact. They are building AI into the business from the start, ensuring that operational expertise, strategic priorities and technology investments work together to achieve measurable results.