Client demand for real-time, personalized assessment solutions, backed by robust data, continues to rise. With this growing demand for data, clients are increasingly challenging their AEC firms to provide varying types of property condition assessments, backed by robust mobile technology, as part of their service line-up. For AEC firms, understanding the trends in new software as they relate to the industry will become especially important to remain competitive.
In the year ahead, we’ll continue to see many new and innovative approaches to data collection and management within the AEC market as firms work to position themselves as a strategic ally to their clients.
Here are three key AEC software trends shaping this move:
An Emphasis on Software Over Assessment in the Procurement Process
Traditionally, AEC clients began by procuring their assessments first, with software being their desired deliverable. Now clients are procuring the software first and then requesting the assessments to populate the data fields. Essentially, they’ve flipped the process on its head—with the emphasis now on software and it’s populated data for analysis as the deliverable. As a result, AEC firms are now required to become more software savvy in how they standardize, collect and use data to deliver assessments to their clients.
Increased Need for AEC Software Intelligence as a Service
Increasingly, clients are seeing the value of working with AEC firms with strong software capabilities. These clients tend to be commercial real estate (CRE) portfolio owners, executives and managers who hire AEC firms to provide them with assessments and data. With real-time strategic data analysis providing huge capital cost advantages, these CRE clients understand the importance of being able to view and respond to data immediately. As their assessment provider, AEC firms are now being expected to offer data collection, standardization and costing through mobile software as part of their service offering. Essentially, CREs will turn to those AECs that best serve as their strategic ally by providing the most current data to inform and support their capital investment decisions.
Demand for Reliable, Real-Time Data
In order to be useful in a CRE stakeholder’s decision making, data must be standardized, accurate, real-time and easily accessible. Gone are the days of hard copy reports that only get updated every five years. Today, CREs are challenging the AEC market to provide more efficient results via new cloud-based software solutions that offer reliable accuracy to improve the efficiency and operations of their real estate strategies and objectives.
AECs that can best demonstrate their capabilities in data collection and delivery via new technology will continue to become increasingly valuable to CREs. Software will help AEC firms gain operational efficiency thus driving down project cost for clients and increasing margins for the AEC firm. Keep an eye out for these trends and don’t be afraid to experiment with new software options—they might just be what keeps you ahead of the pack.
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