Yes, technology has definitely changed the way Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) Professionals and Businesses operate. First it was the Technology used in buildings which forced this change. Then, largely to enable the effective management and coordination of design information which the inclusion of this technology imposes, new technology in the office was invented.

For the most part, Office Technology has been vendor-driven, which, in the opinion of many in the AEC industry, leaves Professionals free to focus on getting the job done. However, is this relationship likely to produce tangible business benefits? Also, is the acquisition of new technology enough to drive meaningful business change?

Consider what has happened during the past two decades in the architectural profession. This discipline, when reduced to its most common denominators, is made up of Design, Documentation and Supervision - refer figure below. As Project Management emerged as a professional discipline the role of the Architect has, on various occasions, been steadily eroded. Project Managers’ were able to do this by highlighting the benefits which they are able to provide to their clients, benefits which are centered on project cost management, time management and scope management.

Project Management and Architecture

Project Management and Architecture

The fact that this has happened draws attention to the fact that AEC Professionals are not immune to the most basic premise of business, namely; that every successful business delivers maximum benefit to the customers. Yes, customers require and pay for benefits!
 
Have ‘customer benefits’ reached their limits? Already back in 1989, Ken Stowe, then a charter member of the Computer Integrated Construction Association, had this to say about a “Construction Future”: “Soon, construction project players will no longer conceptualize, draft and transfer project information from office to office on computerized two-dimensional blueprints with volumes of printed specifications. A computerized project database will emerge from team sessions with the architect, owner and builder starting with conceptual design. The database format will be standardized to allow for automated materials quantities takeoff and expert decision / support systems to suggest and analyze various design alternatives.”

Twenty years later we do have the technology available to deliver Stowe’s “Construction Future”. However, while many have adopted this new technology, many feel that it has provided them with any particular strategic advantaged over their competitors. The benefits are not attracting new business.