Experimental Feature: Foreman's MCP integration for AI assistants is currently in beta. The core functionality works and is available to all users, but we're actively refining the experience based on early adopter feedback. Some tools and workflows may change as we iterate.
The admin bottleneck in construction tech
Construction technology has evolved rapidly. BIM models are more detailed than ever, coordination workflows are increasingly sophisticated, and platforms like Autodesk Forma provide powerful capabilities for document management, issue tracking, and project delivery.
But there's a bottleneck that hasn't changed: project administration. Setting up a new project still means manually configuring members, roles, folder structures, permissions, and access controls. For a BIM Manager overseeing a portfolio of 15 projects, this admin overhead can consume 20-30% of their week.
AI assistants, connected to your tools through protocols like MCP, are changing that equation.
What is MCP and why does it matter?
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that lets AI assistants connect to external tools and services. Think of it as a universal adapter: instead of each AI needing custom integration code for every platform, MCP provides a standardised way to expose capabilities.
For construction, this means an AI assistant can:
All through natural language. No API knowledge required. No scripts to maintain.
What AI-powered administration looks like
Here are real examples of tasks you can accomplish by connecting an AI assistant to Foreman via MCP:
"Set up the Riverside Tower project with our standard ISO 19650 folder structure, add the MEP team from the Harbour View project with the same roles, and give the client view-only access to Published folders."
The AI interprets this, calls the relevant Foreman tools via MCP, and executes all three actions: folder creation, member assignment, and permission configuration. What would take 30+ minutes manually happens in seconds.
"Find all structural calculation files modified in the last 30 days across all active projects, and export the list to a spreadsheet."
The AI uses Foreman's cross-project file search to locate matching files, then generates a downloadable report. Searching manually across even 5 projects would take an hour.
"Check which projects are missing the Archive folder structure, and list any projects where external consultants have edit access to WIP folders they shouldn't."
The AI runs folder validation and permission audits across your portfolio, returning a clear summary of compliance gaps. This is pre-audit preparation in minutes instead of days.
How the integration works
Foreman exposes 100+ MCP tools that AI assistants can call. The setup takes about 5 minutes:
Connect your AI assistant
Foreman supports Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible client. Add the Foreman MCP server URL to your AI assistant's configuration.
Authenticate via OAuth
Foreman uses OAuth 2.1 with PKCE — the same security standard used by banks and enterprise software. Your AI assistant authenticates with your Foreman account, and every action respects your existing permissions.
Start giving instructions
No training required. Describe what you want in plain English. The AI understands construction-specific terminology — "WIP folders", "ISO 19650 structure", "role groups" — because Foreman's tool descriptions include domain context.
What 100+ tools actually means
When we say Foreman exposes 100+ MCP tools, here's a breakdown of what that covers:
Member Management
List, add, remove, and update members across projects. Bulk operations. Role assignment.
Folder Operations
Create, list, move, and validate folder structures. Template deployment. Permission management.
File Search
Cross-project search by name, type, date, size. Export results. Attribute extraction.
Project Setup
Configure roles, role groups, access request forms. Scheduled jobs. Compliance validation.
Reporting
Generate member reports, permission audits, folder structure comparisons, and access logs.
Account Administration
List accounts, projects, hubs. Configure settings. Manage API credentials.
Is it safe to let AI manage your projects?
This is the right question to ask. Here's how Foreman handles it:
OAuth 2.1 with PKCE — Enterprise-grade authentication. No tokens stored in AI assistant configs.
Permission boundaries — The AI can only do what your Foreman account can do. It inherits your permission level, not admin access.
Full audit trail — Every action taken through MCP is logged with the same detail as actions through the web interface.
Human-in-the-loop — AI assistants like Claude confirm destructive actions before executing. You approve, it acts.
Getting started
If you're already using Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or Cursor, you can connect to Foreman's MCP server today. The 14-day free trial gives you full access to all features, so you can test the full AI workflow before committing to a paid plan.
The most common first task we see? "List all the members across my projects and show me who has access to what." It's the question every BIM Manager wants answered but dreads doing manually. With AI + Foreman, it takes about 10 seconds.
Key takeaway
AI isn't replacing BIM Managers — it's eliminating the admin work that keeps them from doing what they're actually good at. MCP makes it possible to connect AI assistants to construction platforms securely and with full auditability. The result is project administration that takes minutes instead of hours.