Construction Industry Crisis Not Just Naphtha — "Sales x AI" to Increase Revenue Without Increasing Headcount: Latest Cases Learned by 105 Business Owners Facing Labor Shortages and Market Shrinkage
LIFEFUND Co., Ltd. held the "3rd Construction AI Management Study Group" on March 30, 2026, with 105 business owners from the construction and housing industries nationwide participating. In addition to the naphtha shock, specific management methods for "increasing sales without increasing headcount" through AI utilization were introduced to address the severe labor shortage in the construction industry, receiving high satisfaction.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 30, 2026 at 18:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 30, 2026 at 09:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 30, 2026 at 09:42 (11 min after Collected)
The "3rd Construction AI Management Study Group," held on March 30 in Kyobashi, Tokyo, was attended by 105 business owners from the construction industry across Japan.
LIFEFUND Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture; Representative Director: Takuma Shirato) held the "3rd Construction AI Management Study Group" in Kyobashi, Tokyo, on March 30, 2026, gathering a record 105 business owners from the construction and housing industries nationwide. A post-event survey (68 companies responded) showed an overall satisfaction score of 4.53 out of 5.00, and an intention to recommend to other companies of 82.4%. Urgent voices such as "I felt terrified by the current situation of not utilizing AI" (participating company) were collected, revealing another crisis facing the industry.
### Another "Construction Industry Crisis" Unfolding in the Shadow of the Naphtha Shock
Naphtha (petrochemical raw material derived from crude oil) shortages due to escalating tensions in the Middle East. Insulation materials increased by 40%, roofing by 40-50%, and TOTO completely suspended new orders for unit baths on April 13. Announcements of price increases and order restrictions from building material manufacturers have been successive since late March, and new housing starts have fallen year-on-year for four consecutive months. Delivery delays, tightening cash flow, and accountability to clients. Business owners are in the midst of a macroeconomic storm that cannot be resisted by self-help efforts.
However, the crisis facing the industry is not limited to this.
According to a survey announced by Teikoku Databank on April 9, 2026, the number of bankruptcies due to labor shortages in fiscal year 2025 reached a record high of 441 cases. By industry, construction accounted for 112 cases, or 25.4% of the total, making it the highest among all industries (Source: Teikoku Databank "Labor Shortage Bankruptcies Reach 441 Cases, 1.3 Times Year-on-Year, Renewing Record High").
People, materials, and costs are all putting pressure on management—this is the current structure of the construction industry. While material issues are often discussed as external factors, labor shortages and the accompanying productivity problems are areas where companies can take action through their own management decisions. Amidst these headwinds, an increasing number of business owners are seriously investing in AI as the last lever they can control within their own companies. The 105 companies gathered in Kyobashi on March 30 were precisely those stakeholders.
### Lecture 1 (Mr. Shirato): Methodology of "Sales x AI" to Increase Revenue Without Increasing Headcount
Lecture 1 was given by Takuma Shirato, Representative Director of LIFEFUND Co., Ltd.
Mr. Takuma Shirato (Representative Director of LIFEFUND Co., Ltd.), the organizer, conveyed extremely concrete management strategies for increasing sales in an era where it is difficult to hire people.
LIFEFUND is a construction company based in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, handling 119 homes annually (2025). Over the past 10 years, the company has achieved a 13.1x increase in sales, a 14.6x increase in gross profit, and an average annual growth of 33.1%. "AI Management" is at the core of their business.
Mr. Shirato emphasized two figures to pursue with Sales x AI.
- One is the "main work hour ratio."
Currently, in construction sales, much of the time that should be spent facing customers is consumed by ancillary tasks such as meeting minutes, daily reports, quotations, and form input. By having AI take over these ancillary tasks, the number of negotiations increases, and the quality of follow-up improves.
- The other is the "closing rate."
By having AI learn past negotiation data, the decision-making criteria of top salespeople can be installed even in new employees. LIFEFUND reported that by operating an "AI Knowledge Bank" that aggregates company-wide AI utilization cases, they achieved a reduction of 9,560 hours of work annually (equivalent to 5 full-time employees).
【Implications for Business Owners】
Even in situations where hiring is difficult and there are no funds for wage increases, there are ways to increase sales. The option of reducing ancillary tasks with AI and improving sales productivity was demonstrated not as a theoretical argument but with actual figures (9,560 hours).
【Implications for the General Public】
An industry-wide movement has begun to reclaim the time for construction salespeople to "face families." In home building, the quality of sales directly impacts the final satisfaction with the home.
"This is not about reducing staff. It's about enabling existing employees to spend time on work they couldn't do before. This is the essence of Sales x AI," said Mr. Shirato.
### Lecture 2 (Mr. Mori): Breaking Away from Personal Dependence and Standardizing Proposal Quality
Lecture 2 was given by Hideki Mori, Representative Director of Mori Daikenchisan Co., Ltd.
Lecture 2 was given by guest lecturer Hideki Mori, Representative Director of Mori Daikenchisan Co., Ltd., a construction company founded in 1970 in Mie Prefecture. Mr. Mori, who said, "I used to think AI had nothing to do with my company," shared his real-life experience of transforming AI into an "indispensable weapon for the company" in just a few years.
Mr. Mori aimed to solve three challenges faced by many construction companies: the personalization of sales, the barrier of operational efficiency in creating proposals and estimates, and the dispersion of prospect management. His company implemented the "AI Sales Reform 4 Steps."
LIFEFUND Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture; Representative Director: Takuma Shirato) held the "3rd Construction AI Management Study Group" in Kyobashi, Tokyo, on March 30, 2026, gathering a record 105 business owners from the construction and housing industries nationwide. A post-event survey (68 companies responded) showed an overall satisfaction score of 4.53 out of 5.00, and an intention to recommend to other companies of 82.4%. Urgent voices such as "I felt terrified by the current situation of not utilizing AI" (participating company) were collected, revealing another crisis facing the industry.
### Another "Construction Industry Crisis" Unfolding in the Shadow of the Naphtha Shock
Naphtha (petrochemical raw material derived from crude oil) shortages due to escalating tensions in the Middle East. Insulation materials increased by 40%, roofing by 40-50%, and TOTO completely suspended new orders for unit baths on April 13. Announcements of price increases and order restrictions from building material manufacturers have been successive since late March, and new housing starts have fallen year-on-year for four consecutive months. Delivery delays, tightening cash flow, and accountability to clients. Business owners are in the midst of a macroeconomic storm that cannot be resisted by self-help efforts.
However, the crisis facing the industry is not limited to this.
According to a survey announced by Teikoku Databank on April 9, 2026, the number of bankruptcies due to labor shortages in fiscal year 2025 reached a record high of 441 cases. By industry, construction accounted for 112 cases, or 25.4% of the total, making it the highest among all industries (Source: Teikoku Databank "Labor Shortage Bankruptcies Reach 441 Cases, 1.3 Times Year-on-Year, Renewing Record High").
People, materials, and costs are all putting pressure on management—this is the current structure of the construction industry. While material issues are often discussed as external factors, labor shortages and the accompanying productivity problems are areas where companies can take action through their own management decisions. Amidst these headwinds, an increasing number of business owners are seriously investing in AI as the last lever they can control within their own companies. The 105 companies gathered in Kyobashi on March 30 were precisely those stakeholders.
### Lecture 1 (Mr. Shirato): Methodology of "Sales x AI" to Increase Revenue Without Increasing Headcount
Lecture 1 was given by Takuma Shirato, Representative Director of LIFEFUND Co., Ltd.
Mr. Takuma Shirato (Representative Director of LIFEFUND Co., Ltd.), the organizer, conveyed extremely concrete management strategies for increasing sales in an era where it is difficult to hire people.
LIFEFUND is a construction company based in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, handling 119 homes annually (2025). Over the past 10 years, the company has achieved a 13.1x increase in sales, a 14.6x increase in gross profit, and an average annual growth of 33.1%. "AI Management" is at the core of their business.
Mr. Shirato emphasized two figures to pursue with Sales x AI.
- One is the "main work hour ratio."
Currently, in construction sales, much of the time that should be spent facing customers is consumed by ancillary tasks such as meeting minutes, daily reports, quotations, and form input. By having AI take over these ancillary tasks, the number of negotiations increases, and the quality of follow-up improves.
- The other is the "closing rate."
By having AI learn past negotiation data, the decision-making criteria of top salespeople can be installed even in new employees. LIFEFUND reported that by operating an "AI Knowledge Bank" that aggregates company-wide AI utilization cases, they achieved a reduction of 9,560 hours of work annually (equivalent to 5 full-time employees).
【Implications for Business Owners】
Even in situations where hiring is difficult and there are no funds for wage increases, there are ways to increase sales. The option of reducing ancillary tasks with AI and improving sales productivity was demonstrated not as a theoretical argument but with actual figures (9,560 hours).
【Implications for the General Public】
An industry-wide movement has begun to reclaim the time for construction salespeople to "face families." In home building, the quality of sales directly impacts the final satisfaction with the home.
"This is not about reducing staff. It's about enabling existing employees to spend time on work they couldn't do before. This is the essence of Sales x AI," said Mr. Shirato.
### Lecture 2 (Mr. Mori): Breaking Away from Personal Dependence and Standardizing Proposal Quality
Lecture 2 was given by Hideki Mori, Representative Director of Mori Daikenchisan Co., Ltd.
Lecture 2 was given by guest lecturer Hideki Mori, Representative Director of Mori Daikenchisan Co., Ltd., a construction company founded in 1970 in Mie Prefecture. Mr. Mori, who said, "I used to think AI had nothing to do with my company," shared his real-life experience of transforming AI into an "indispensable weapon for the company" in just a few years.
Mr. Mori aimed to solve three challenges faced by many construction companies: the personalization of sales, the barrier of operational efficiency in creating proposals and estimates, and the dispersion of prospect management. His company implemented the "AI Sales Reform 4 Steps."