233: "The Handoff Bottleneck Nobody Solves With More AI" ft. Justin Coats & Rebecca Maloney

Justin Coats joins Erik for another take of their weekly issue of the AI Questions section. This time, joined as well by Rebecca Maloney, Director of IT at Hayden Homes. She shares how they drove real AI adoption by starting with process and culture, building governance and training before expanding tools, and using human conversations to unlock faster handoffs across the home-building chain.

🧭 Conversation Highlights

• AI adoption at Hayden started with where work is getting duplicated across handoffs, not with chasing an AI feature.
• Clean data and clean process matter equally, otherwise dashboards and automation become “rendered useless.”
• Cross-functional process discussions in the same room reduced cycle time because teams reworked steps they had always kept.
• Their trust approach is transparency about change, security-first standards, and training so people feel safe and capable.

💡 Key Takeaways

• Start with process and communication gaps. AI is often the accelerator, not the fix.
• Treat data hygiene and security as prerequisites, not afterthoughts.
• Governance works when it is business-case driven, inclusive, and paired with an easy way to submit ideas.
• Trust is built through honest conversations, not reassurances. Focus on enabling people, plus human oversight.

❓ Questions That Mattered

• Where do duplicate entries and broken handoffs create the real drag, and how can communication be streamlined instead of just adding tools?
• What governance and fundamentals training are necessary before broader tool access?
• How do you evaluate go/no-go early when outcomes are uncertain, without stifling innovation?
• How do you reduce fear about job impact while still being honest about roles changing?

🗣️ Notable Quotes

• “It’s not necessarily what the tool is, it’s the process.”
• “If the data that we’re pointing to is not clean… it’s kind of rendered useless.”
• “The job is gonna change… we’re here to make sure that you have the tools and the training.”

🔗 Links & Resources

• Listen To Other Episodes Co-Hosted With Justin