My surprising takeaways from the Digital Engineering & Design Summit

The two-day event delivered a fascinating glimpse into the future of the construction industry in Sydney and more broadly, Australia. Here are my top 3 takeaways along with some additional observations of my own.

Everyone was older: I arrived expecting a room full of geeky men in their 20's getting excited about gadgets and tools however, there was nothing geeky about it. It was a corporate affair. The average age was 40+ and most attendees appeared to be in senior management positions within their respective firms. What I took from that was Digital Engineering (DE) is becoming a core focus of businesses with rapidly growing support from business leaders. There were representatives and speakers from the largest engineering, architecture and contracting firms in the country as well as NSW Government, clients, and developers. The content revolved around strategy, business opportunities along with design and delivery excellence.

Fill the gaps then join the dots: Historically, design firms are leading the charge in digital adoption. There are ample examples of innovative design firms improving how we design and improving the quality and quantity of data that we include in our designs. From embedded metadata in elements to collaborative cloud-based design tools, this space is advancing rapidly. This is a fantastic start however, ultimately only a small piece of the puzzle. The ultimate goal is to connect all parts of the design process from early concept design, through to tender and the delivery phase then finally into the asset management phase. To achieve this, we need all contributors from project managers, sub-contractors, vendors, etc. all working off a common data backbone where information is pushed and pulled from a common location and data is no longer disconnected and siloed. This was illustrated in one of the presenter's slides shown in the image below. We first must fill the gaps between design, construction, and asset management enabling all to can contribute to the process. From there we can work towards joining the dots. Working with each party towards creating a common, accessible, secure platform of structured data that can be shared throughout the BIM lifecycle.

Sub-contractors are key: With the current trend of D&C projects, subcontractors are a significant part of this process, taking on a large chunk of both the design finalisation and delivery. Getting sub-contractors on board by demonstrating the benefits of participating is a key step in closing the gap between design and asset management. Their help is paramount in creating a streamlined process of data flow. For example, if clients want a true as-built Revit model with asset management capability, the sub-contractors must understand the delivery requirements and in particular the technical format of the data to enable it to slot into a client's asset management software. Without clear direction, contractual obligations and more importantly help and guidance, this will never become a reality.

My own additional observation: Based on my experience to date, the above aspirations can often seem like a distant complex dream. A clear longterm vision and strategy is the key first step. I believe we are close. The next step is to break that strategy down into the smallest possible components and start tackling each piece together as an industry. The tricky part of all of this is the human factor. Managing change in an extremely high paced, risk-averse industry is challenging. How do you compel your leadership team to change?

One trick I have learned is to describe every idea in terms of how it can directly and substantially help the person you are pitching to. I have learned not to pitch that my idea will help the company or help the department, but how it will help that person, personally and immediately. Senior managers have limited free time and a long list of important things that consume their minds. To get something left-field past them, it needs to help them personally. I have failed when I naively assumed if something helped the company, people would immediately back it. I have since learned that it's not quite that simple. Companies are complex. Departments have budgets, goals, KPI's and deadlines. Managers are judged on their team or department's performance be it productivity, profitability, growth, the list goes on. How do you need to approach it? Figure out what drives that specific manager and then whatever you're pitching, pitch it in that context.

I believe the same methodology should be applied when we discuss the benefits of embracing digital engineering with a "builder" or "client". These are also often large and complex organisations. Find the person within those organizations who will personally benefit and pitch your idea to them. If you're building or implementing something that will benefit a contractor or client, listen to them. Take time to understand their work processes and personal drivers. Only with this understanding can you effectively establish how your new workflow or tool will help them. This additional step will maximise the likelihood of innovation adoption.

Exciting times ahead as the construction industry starts to catch-up with the much more advanced manufacturing and technology industries.