Model context protocol (MCP) is a relatively new term that electrical contractors are going to hear more often. In simple terms, MCP is an open standard that allows artificial intelligence (A.I.) applications to connect with outside software, tools and data. Instead of uploading a document into an A.I. platform every time you need an answer, an MCP connection can give the A.I. controlled access to information where it already lives. For electrical contractors, that could eventually mean connecting an A.I. assistant to project management information, BIM models, drawings and other project data, then interacting with those systems through normal conversation.

MCP versus an API

At first glance, MCP sounds a lot like an application programming interface (API). APIs have connected construction applications for years. The difference is largely in how that connection is made. With a traditional API, a programmer might write software that asks a project management system for a specific project’s open RFIs. The programmer needs to understand the API, authentication requirements and how the returned data is structured. If that same program needs information from another application, another integration generally needs to be developed.

MCP doesn’t eliminate those APIs; instead, it can provide a standardized layer that allows an A.I. application to discover what tools and information are available and determine which capability to use based on the user’s request. That distinction becomes important for the average contractor. A programmer may write code to retrieve information from Revit. With MCP, a VDC manager could potentially open an MCP-compatible A.I. application such as ChatGPT or Claude and simply ask, “How many electrical fixtures are on Level 3?” The user doesn’t necessarily need to understand how to program the underlying connection. They interact with the A.I. using the same type of questions they already use today.

Why this matters to electrical contractors

Consider how information moves through a typical electrical project. The project manager may spend part of the day in Procore reviewing RFIs and submittals. The VDC department is working in Revit coordinating electrical systems. Drawings, models and other project information may be managed through Autodesk Forma’s construction environment, which incorporates the Autodesk Construction Cloud products many contractors already use. Today, connecting information across those systems can require separate integrations, exports or someone manually searching multiple applications. MCP provides a much simpler approach. You would be able to ask an A.I. assistant to “Review the open electrical RFIs in Procore, identify the affected areas in Revit and find the latest drawings and project information in Forma that relate to those areas.” Instead of the user opening three applications and searching each one independently, the A.I. could use approved MCP connections to determine where the information resides, retrieve it and organize the results into a single response.

As another example, a project manager could ask “Which open RFIs could affect electrical prefab scheduled for the next two weeks?” The A.I. could potentially review the project management information, connect it with model and drawing data, and provide the project team with a focused list to review. These examples are what make MCPs so interesting, and an easy way to improve workflows. Electrical contractors have spent a ton of time adding metadata and other information into cloud platforms, and the challenge has become what to do with it. MCPs literally put it at your fingertips. MCPs could become one of the technologies that helps connect those individual technology silos through a common A.I. interface, changing how we work. The contractor may never need to understand the programming happening behind the scenes. They simply need to understand what information they want, where it lives and what they are willing to let the A.I. access.