Faced with dynamic market conditions, the new world order requires adaptability.
In a global context of increasing geopolitical tensions and unpredictable policies, the global economy is preparing for sudden and constant changes. The current American administration has introduced unprecedented customs duties and others are in preparation, disturbing material deliveries and more generally international supply chains.
This upheaval of the World Order will deeply affect engineering and construction companies around the world: given their natural dependence on materials whose supply times are long by nature, very tight construction calendars will necessarily be impacted by delivery delays. Increasing pressures resulting from the increase in material costs, the shortage of skilled labor and increasing durability requirements will also affect the sector.
Growing challenges and increased complexity
Among the challenges, two realities are in common to extend the deadlines for projects: on the one hand, the fragmented execution of projects often leads to errors leading costly resumes; On the other hand, delivery of materials can be disturbed by the volatility of supply chains. In addition, the shortage of workers raises the problem of the transmission of knowledge and the retention of knowledge, while jeopardizing the continuity of projects.
The sector is also sometimes confronted with the use of obsolete technologies which considerably harm the collaboration and efficiency of decision -making. It is particularly the partitioned systems that restrict connectivity, visibility and transparency – three essential elements that only solutions with high productivity based on AI can provide. The good news is that the adoption of new technologies can considerably mitigate the obstacles encountered by engineering and construction companies. According to McKinsey, the implementation of digital tools can improve productivity from 14 to 15 %, while reducing costs from 4 to 6 %.
Strengthen resilience and agility during the rapid changes
Cloud technologies transform the way in which engineering teams work together. By unifying engineering processes and allowing collective execution of projects, companies can overcome geographic and organizational barriers. This unprecedented collaboration accelerates decision -making and rationalizes workflows, making the teams more reactive and better prepared to manage complex tasks.
The tools fueled by AI improve the precision of engineering, thus reducing the risk of recovery and limiting unforeseen costs. By rationalizing recurring processes and providing data -based information, these technologies improve efficiency and release time to allow teams to carry out more strategic tasks.
The collaborative advantages of digital twins
With an integrated workflow, engineering and construction companies can create the digital twins of their projects, covering the design, engineering and delivery phases. Digital twins are real -time virtual representations of physical assets, processes or environments that imitate their real counterparts. These tools allow companies to simulate, predict and optimize project performance.
By combining engineering and operations data throughout the life cycle of projects, and enriching it with models based on fundamental principles and analyzes reinforced by AI, digital twins offer teams an in -depth industrial intelligence in terms of value and sustainability. The power of a digital twin is clearly reflected in the cost savings it allows to achieve. For example, McKinsey plans that the implementation of digital twins could lead to reductions in operational expenditure of up to 20 %.
After delivery of the project, these twins can also provide significant advantages to customers during the operating and maintenance phase. Indeed, digital twins guarantee that end users do not only receive a static asset, but a living and evolving digital model, supporting long -term performance, reducing the total cost of asset possession, and extending its lifespan.
The digitalization of engineering and construction companies in action
The practical advantages of digital transformation are already visible in the sector. For example, the Wood company, based in Aberdeen in Scotland, has transparently integrated engineering and investment projects to allow its teams to collaborate in an open and flexible manner. By improving collaboration, Wood accelerated execution cycles and construction processes. The company has also generated significant cost savings by standardizing materials and rationalizing design processes.
Thanks to the development of its “Digital Control Tower”, Wood teams use digital twins to optimize the use of materials and plan construction. Their model recognition software can predict project delays and ensure that performance remains in line with expectations.
Flourish in uncertainty
Engineering and construction companies focused on the future adopt digitization to provide their teams with essential agility and flexibility to prosper in unstable conditions. In this way, they will be able to transform operational challenges into strategic opportunities by exploiting Cloud -based collaboration, Automation guided by AI and digital twins.
Thanks to current technologies, faster project execution, improved teamwork and tangible cost savings are at hand. The engineering and construction companies that will prosper in the new dynamic world order today will be those that have been able to adapt.
