In today’s rapidly changing and competitive marketplace, established Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) businesses are looking for new tactics to help them gain real competitive advantages over their industry peers. One innovative way to do this is to understand and exhibit the traits and culture of smaller “start-up” AEC firms to help gain that edge
At their core, startups are defined by their appetite for risk and drive for scalability. For startups, risk and the subsequent ability to scale are a matter of survival. For many established firms however, risk is traditionally a four-letter word best avoided. But with measured calculation, a commitment to greater innovation can lead to a reinvigorated corporate spirit and a slew of new ideas that may give you that desired edge over your rivals. So how can you infuse a bit of startup culture into your firm?
Here are six essentials to help get you on your way:
Determine Your Risk Parameters
Start by evaluating how much calculated risk your firm can manage and plan accordingly. Perhaps your risk parameters include test driving new technologies on your jobsite or for a specific project. Determine your internal “innovation leaders” and empower them to champion new initiatives aimed at achieving specific outcomes for your firm.
Allow for Experimentation
For true innovation to happen, experimentation with new techniques and software is key. Using your risk parameters as guidance, task your teams with measurable challenges. Internal design competitions that explore new uses for technology are a great way to provide a basis for experimentation and inspire innovation.
Adopt New Tools & Software
Task your innovation leaders with finding new approaches and software that will make your firm lighter on its feet. Look to software solutions that will provide greater automation within the workplace, such as tools that will automatically generate reports from your site staff. These sort of solutions will not only create better efficiencies and job performance, they’ll substantially save money throughout a project’s lifecycle.
Cross Team Pollination
The greatest ideas are cultivated from the minds of many people with diverse experiences. Provide new opportunities for multi-disciplinary teaming across non-traditional working groups on projects or specific initiatives. Multi-disciplinary perspectives, particularly during a project’s initiation, may lead to unprecedented solutions and cost-savings benefits. Back your teams with collaborative software tools to further support their work.
Commit to Going Mobile
Untethered by cubicles and traditional office settings, startups rely on mobility to maintain connectivity and performance. They turn to cloud-based technology to keep team collaboration and performance intact. This state of hyper-connectivity affords startups with advantages in adaptability and real-time responsiveness to jobsite issues. Have your innovation leaders evaluate areas where new mobile tech solutions could provide positive impact within your firm.
Reward Successful Innovators
Lastly, provide incentive and recognition for employee efforts that drive innovation and the use of new software in the company. Rewarding exemplary innovation outcomes will further foster a culture of employees committed to accelerating innovation within your firm.
4tell’s iPlan™ software addresses this need for scalability and efficiency, allowing AEC professionals to manage multi-discipline consulting, assessment and due diligence assignments while automating and standardizing manual data capture, analysis and reporting.
By adopting software like this, AEC firms may find that mimicking the traits of startups (such as new software uptake) in a measured approach can be the key to differentiating their offerings from their peers.
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