Digital technology, as with anything that is full of promise, also brings risk.
As the digital revolution picks up pace, engineering firms are discovering the transformational power of BIM, VR and AR, sensors, AI-driven tech, drones and more.
However, they will experience no lift in productivity, safety or sustainability if they “focus on the technology itself rather than on the cultural and organisational changes needed to integrate it effectively”, according to Martin Loosemore, a Distinguished Professor of Construction Management at UTS.
Digital technology, as with anything that is full of promise, also brings risk.
“To find success, engineering organisations must tread carefully and plan strategically to capitalise on the significant benefits that can come within their unique capability, time and resource challenges,” Loosemore told create.
Outcomes of Loosemore’s research suggest a practical, five-step approach to the successful implementation of digital technologies.
By working through these steps, engineers can avoid costly missteps and ensure digital tech delivers the enormous benefits and competitive advantage it promises.
Here’s his checklist.
1. Why?
Motivation: Define the reasoning behind the technological shift. Is it a reaction to a client request, for example? Is it about keeping up with competitors? Or is there an internal, strategic purpose?
Goals: Have goals for the use of the technology been set? What will you use to measure success? Is it about sustainability, cost, quality, talent attraction and retention, etc.?
Checklist:
- Alignment with business strategy confirmed
- Goals clarified
- Metrics for success defined
2. What?
Options: What’s out there in terms of technological solutions? How mature are they? What will best meet our goals?
Risk and reward: What is the compatibility with current systems, and with platforms utilised by clients and those in the supply chain?
Absorptive capacity: What must change to utilise the new technology to advantage, including vision, mission, management philosophy, leadership, workforce training, systems, processes, structures internally and externally, roles and relationships, etc.
Checklist:
- Options compared
- Maturity levels assessed
- Risk/opportunity weighed
- Interoperability with current systems tested
- Skills and cultural shifts identified
3. Who?
Stakeholders: Map who will be affected by the new tech and how it will affect their processes, relationships and reporting responsibilities.
Resistance: Accept that there will be pushback, identify where it’s most likely to come from and plan engagement processes.
Skills: Do your people and those in your supply chains have the skills and knowledge required to use the technology?
Alliances: Technological innovation rarely occurs within one organisation. What alliances and partnerships are required?
Checklist:
- Stakeholders identified and consulted
- Pockets of resistance identified and planned for
- Workforce and supply chain capabilities assessed
- Potential partners identified and consulted
4. When?
Pace: How fast do you want to move? When should the technology be developed and implemented? Is there a benefit to being a first mover?
Phased implementation: Should the implementation occur all at once or little by little? What are the benefits of incremental movement compared to a radical, rule-busting pace?
ROI: Define the timeframe around ROI expectations, and how ROI should be measured.
Checklist:
- Adoption pace decided
- Implementation phases defined
- ROI timeline agreed
5. How?
Procurement: Is it best to buy off the shelf, co-develop a solution, take a licence from a developer, develop it in-house, or a combination?
Resources: How much do you want to invest? What will it cost in terms of money, training, human resources, etc.?
Rollout: What will work best in terms of rolling the technology out into the organisation and beyond?
Constant improvement: You won’t get everything right. So, how will the organisation collect feedback from users and use that information to influence positive change?
Checklist:
- Procurement approach selected
- Resource investment levels agreed
- Rollout strategy set
- Monitoring and feedback systems designed
Explore how the rapid deployment of digitalisation technologies into industrial, energy and infrastructure sectors is critical to support climate goals at this EA OnDemand webinar.
