December 6 2006 - A new survey to identify challenges faced by today's civil engineers found that they require tools to increase flexibility and efficiency if they are to maximize opportunities presented by a buoyant market.
The survey questioned a sample of people attending Civils 2006- including 57 per cent civil engineering consultants and contractors. About one-quarter (26 per cent) worked for small (1-50) organizations, 29 per cent for medium (50-500) and 45 per cent for large companies (500+).
The majority of respondents (88 per cent) agreed that there is likely to be an abundance of opportunities for the industry in the foreseeable future. However, 58 per cent ranked flexible working and efficiency gains as either 'very important' or 'important' in order to take advantage of this climate.
Respondents felt the key to flexibility will be the ability to provide clients with a variety of design options (known as 'value engineering' or 'optioneering'). This will provide competitive advantage both for new and existing contracts. The majority also agreed that the ability to readily access, share and use accurate, up-to-date information will reduce errors and drive efficiency.
The industry recognises that historically it has been slow to change. Survey results suggest that previously civil engineering has suffered from the reluctance of senior managers and decision makers to embrace innovation and/or new technologies.
Fiona Coughlan, sales director, Northern Europe Autodesk Infrastructure Solutions said:
"Fortunately, we have evidence that this attitude is changing. Increasingly, civil engineers are taking advantage of new technologies which can both help win new business and complete projects within deadlines and budgets. For example, Autodesk Civil 3D dynamically links surfaces, cross sections, profiles and annotation. As a result, changes made in any part of the design are automatically co-ordinated throughout, making it quicker and easier to evaluate multiple design alternatives."
Other key survey findings include:
- 85 per cent of respondents agreed that the ability to show alternative design options will offer competitive advantage in winning new contracts and 79 per cent that it was important in servicing existing clients.
- 85 per cent agreed the trend for consolidation will continue; 56 per cent worked for companies that had either been acquired, had acquired or had acquisition plans during the past 12 months.
- 86 per cent see a lack of skilled resources as a major threat to the UK civil engineering industry.
- 67 per cent think that their organization is likely to outsource design work over the next two years, in order to focus time and resources on project management and/or build, operate, transfer (BOT) work.
- 67 per cent see this trend to send design work abroad as an opportunity rather than a major threat, indicating that global working is now a way of life for most operations.
