We were psyched to have Clearstory founder and CEO Cameron Page sit down recently with Eric Thomas for an episode of Autodesk Construction Cloud’s Digital Builder Podcast. Recorded live at Autodesk’s San Francisco headquarters, the conversation tackled one of the most persistent challenges in construction — Change Orders — along with addressing broader questions of innovation and how technology is reshaping commercial construction.
Rethinking Change Order Management
One of the most striking parts of the discussion was a reframing of how Change Orders are viewed. Instead of treating them as setbacks, the conversation explored how change is inevitable, and often positive. The real issue is the outdated, fragmented processes used to capture and reconcile changes.
The episode dug into how projects get bogged down by paper T&M tickets, scattered spreadsheets, and endless email threads. The takeaway: managing change isn’t just about tracking dollars, it’s about creating transparency so every stakeholder, from the GC to the Subcontractor to the Owner, stays aligned. Exclusive Clearstory research shows that General Contractors cite complex Change Order management workflows (43.5%) and inefficient communication (43.5%) as the top impediments to Change Order processing.
From Field to Tech: Construction Technology Innovations
Another thread in the conversation focused on how innovation emerges in construction. Many of the best ideas, it was argued, come directly from people in the field who’ve lived the pain points. The parallels between building software and building a jobsite team are striking: collaboration, sequencing, and constant problem-solving.
Cam noted that was exactly the case with Clearstory. As a project manager, he constantly wrestled with the “messy middle” of Change Orders: juggling spreadsheets, buried emails, and stacks of paper T&M tickets just to see what wasn't accounted for in his forecast. The lack of real-time cost visibility made it nearly impossible to know a project’s true exposure, and that frustration ultimately pushed him to launch Clearstory.
The conversation also underscored a larger industry trend: while design technology has dramatically accelerated decision-making, cost management processes haven’t kept up. With Change Orders surging over the past five years, project teams without a digital Change Order process are left scrambling to keep pace.
Trust, Transparency, and Better Outcomes with a Digital Change Order Process
One of the most powerful points in the episode centered on trust. Change Orders have a reputation for causing disputes, but the discussion emphasized that better documentation and visibility can flip the script. When Subs clearly show their costs and GCs can validate and share them fast, projects move quicker, disputes fade, and closeout gets a whole lot easier.
Real-world examples underscored how construction technology can turn tense negotiations into straightforward collaboration, leading to the faster approvals and fairer outcomes that ultimately keep projects on schedule and strengthen relationships across the board.
Ready to Hear More?
This episode of Digital Builder went well beyond the mechanics of Change Orders. Cam and Eric also covered:
- Why preconstruction planning is critical to reducing downstream surprises
- The impact of accelerated schedules on project risk
- How AI and emerging tech are starting to reshape workflows — and where hype meets reality
- The importance of improving work-life balance to address labor shortages and burnout
- Where new tools like construction-focused CRMs and RFP automation platforms fit into the industry’s future
Listen in to the entire conversation and hear how industry leaders are rethinking change management, collaboration, and the future of building, and thanks again to our friends at Autodesk for hosting!
