Modern information technologies are changing every business sector in one way or another, and engineering companies are no exception to this. It is now possible to design and build a project without having the entire team on site. Engineering companies sometimes view this approach with skepticism, but it has many advantages:
- Companies with operations in multiple cities, states, or countries no longer need to have a full team in each branch and can instead focus on building specialized teams to work on multiple projects simultaneously.
- Travel expenses are significantly reduced: Moving skilled employees between multiple project locations is very expensive due to travel and lodging, not to mention the work hours lost while traveling.
- Redundant positions can be consolidated with remote collaboration, making company management easier and reducing total payroll.
- Business support functions, such as accounting and legal services, can be outsourced, while engineering companies focus on what they do best.
However, to successfully implement remote collaboration, a company must make sure it has the appropriate IT services to support such an operation, while also focusing on team building and best practices. This approach is only viable if teams are able to communicate effectively, coordinating tasks and working simultaneously without interference.
Information Technologies for Remote Collaboration
Engineering teams spread across multiple geographic locations typically need three types of tools to operate effectively:
- A real-time communication system
- A platform to assign, schedule and monitor activities
- A common database for key project files
These tools are basic prerequisites, but some projects also require specific software solutions for certain fields of engineering: for example, lighting designers are now using web-hosted lamp databases; and MEP project teams may require a Building Information Modeling (BIM) tool with cloud capabilities.
IT services for remote collaboration may be available as separate solutions, as part of integrated project management software, or integrated into specialized design software. The following are some of the most commonly used collaboration tools in engineering projects.
Communication apps
There are several independent tools that can be deployed by project teams to improve remote communication. Skype and Google Hangouts are two of the most common examples, both of which allow texting and video conferencing.
Another promising tool is Slack, which integrates with an email address and allows you to send messages to individual team members, specific teams, or everyone involved in a project. Join.me is also a very useful tool, as it is hosted on the web and allows team members to join a video conference or share screens, without the need to install an app.
Project management platforms
There is a wide selection of project management platforms, tailored for companies of all sizes. Before implementing a platform, it is important to ensure that it matches the company's needs; An enterprise-scale solution may be too expensive for a smaller company, just as a solution aimed at SMEs may not be able to meet the project management needs of a large company.
- Primavera P6: This project management platform is one of the most used by large contractors, integrating control and collaboration functions and offering compatibility with the main enterprise resource planning (ERP) software packages, such as Oracle and SAP. Primavera P6 is a cost-effective tool for large engineering companies, but can be expensive for small and medium-sized companies.
- Trello: This is a very popular solution for the SMB market, which includes messaging, scheduling, task assignment, tracking, and event document sharing. The platform was founded in 2011 and already has more than 1.1 million users per day. Trello can adapt to any type of project, including MEP design and construction.
Building Information Modeling: Autodesk REVIT
REVIT is building information modeling (BIM) software, which can be used for architectural design, structural engineering, and MEP projects. REVIT can be deployed as a project management tool during the construction phase of engineering projects or as a facilities management solution for existing buildings.
BIM software takes the project from the 2D plan to the 3D, guaranteeing architects and engineers greater visibility of the construction systems and how they interact with each other. Any equipment location conflict or incompatibility between building systems becomes immediately visible, saving time and avoiding costly changes later.
Cloud storage
Dropbox and Google Drive are simple yet powerful tools that provide cloud-hosted storage for team members to manage their project files. Their basic subscriptions cost less than $10 per user per month and give each team member a terabyte of storage, which is more than enough for most project needs. Plus, Dropbox and Google Drive integrate seamlessly with most project management and communications platforms.
Best practices in remote collaboration
To successfully implement remote collaboration, three processes must be carried out effectively:
- Communication – Can occur in real time (video conference) or with a delay between team member interactions (email and messages).
- Coordination – Assigning, scheduling and monitoring tasks.
- Collaboration – Being able to work together, achieving project objectives.
Active Project Communications Management
The Project Management Institute (PMI) dedicates an entire chapter of its Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) to communications planning. Poor communication can cause a project to fail, even if the owner has solid sources of financing and the project team is made up of experts.
PMI recommends that the following aspects of project communications be defined at the beginning of the project to avoid confusion in the future:
- Documentation: Types of documents, formats and team members responsible for generating them.
- Communication channels: Who does each team member report to and how?
- Frequency of communication: How often will meetings be held? Which platform will be used?
Project coordination
A project has a greater chance of success with planning and control. A project plan must follow a chronological sequence of activities, but it is also necessary to schedule three main types of resources:
- Work
- Equipment and assets
- capital
For example, designing an HVAC installation requires the services of qualified design engineers (labor), workstations and software (equipment), and funds to pay salaries (capital). These resources limit the number of activities that can be carried out simultaneously, as well as the time to complete them.
Effective Collaboration with Concurrent Engineering
Traditional design and construction follows a linear approach, which simplifies project management but also increases the likelihood of having to make costly and time-consuming modifications. Concurrent engineering involves moving to a parallel approach, where all parties involved participate from the beginning, even those who play a more important role near the end of the project. This way, all needs and requirements are clearly defined in advance.
Of course, concurrent engineering is much easier to implement with the right technology. For example, BIM software allows all design teams to visualize how building systems interact with each other – if an air duct overlaps an electrical circuit, both design teams will know immediately and can decide which system to relocate.
When is remote collaboration effective?
All types of engineering companies can implement remote collaboration, but it is especially valuable for companies that specialize in multiple building systems and operate in many geographic locations.
- They can form a team for each area of expertise rather than having a separate team for each branch.
- The number of employees, travel expenses and downtime are optimized.
- The company can implement knowledge management more effectively, as there is only one team for each area of specialization, even if members are spread across different locations.
Engineering companies that want to have a regional scope can afford to ignore remote collaboration and its possibilities. Successfully implementing this approach can provide a significant competitive advantage.
