Our method of engaging clients is chained to the past. We need to move forward into the future by creating collaborative value networks as customers and client have changed. They have changed geographically and across the globe. Our clients have changed in a global environment where rapid advancement of technology and new business models have been introduced and business disruption is the new normal and society and technology growing at a faster pace than organisation and corporation can adapt.
Our clients through social media are already informed of the services and products they require and are now looking for value and customer experience in the services and products they require. Their paths to purchase have changed. In the old approach the customer was at the bottom of the chain. In the new approach of creating collaborative value networks, our focus is the customer and the customer / client is the centre point. The focus on the client /customer will encourage collaboration and dialogue leading to redefining of services and products.
Changing to a collaborative value networks means removing the traditional constraint in our business and the way we engage and work with our clients. Not changing is not an option anymore. If organisations do not change the consequence is stark. Organisation who understand value creation and craft client experience and change, will in the long term end up with organisations that are more adaptable and agile business creating trust and transparency with their clients.
With a shrinking and connected planet we will see more projects designed; engineered to allow for modules to be fabricated/manufactured miles away; in another continent and in some case across the world. This will be further fuelled as labor cost rise in remote sites with severe weather constraints; together with limited availability of regional skilled labor in North America the supply chain logistic landscape will change dramatically in the next few years to enable EPCMs and their clients meet their shareholders expectations.
Since my days as a Designer and now as a Management consultant at Optum+, wherein I project manage projects, I have heard the refrain from designers of both exterior and interior environments: “oh if these restrictions and problems were not there we would have come up with a great design.” I have to admit I too have made this remark in the past. However over the years I realised the hard way that all the sweat and brain crunching to get around restrictions and work around problems have produced some of my most interesting design and products.
A shifting of our mindset to disrupt our traditional process, and rebelliously discard old business clichés and remake the market landscape for Design, Engineering & Construction by deliberately targeting situations where the competition is complacent and the customer has been consistently overlooked or under-served and greatly accelerate the way firms operate internally to keep pace with a rapidly changing world.
Meeting client’s expectation through an enhanced client experience is key to making AEC industry relevant in digital globalized economy.
