Now and then, it’s important to question your workflows. Does your company really have to do some things the way they’re currently being done? There are insights to be gained when you step outside your day-to-day work and envision how you’d really like to accomplish things. When you challenge the way you’ve always done things, you have an opportunity to make marginal changes that can lead to overall improvements.
If the change you envision is something that computational design can help you with, you can either learn how to solve that challenge or enlist the skills of someone else in your company to do that. The good news about computational design is that it’s not an all-or-nothing proposition.
You can take small steps to introduce computational design into your company. Find just one thing you need to save time with for a pilot project. Through it, you can show your team how workflows can be improved. With one or two modest successes, the value of custom workflows becomes evident, making it easier to get buy-in for adopting it culturally in your company.
Small increments are important to avoid overwhelming yourself and your team.
Of course, programming is at the center of this, and the word “programming” can throw fear into the hearts of some team members. Fortunately, you no longer need a computer science degree to do programming, because visual programming tools now exist – particularly Dynamo and Grasshopper – which allow you to program using an easy-to-follow graphic representation of what you’re trying to accomplish.
Once you’ve completed a pilot project, estimate how much time you’re saving using the automation that was developed. Even saving an hour or two each week can add up.
Programming in a visual environment can bring its benefits to companies industry-wide. With customizable and accessible integration, a small company can be empowered to step up its game and compete with a large one.
Companies are increasingly facing a choice: disrupt or be disrupted. If you are outside the technology bubble looking in, innovation could be a matter of survival for your company. The construction industry will look vastly different in ten years than it does today. Innovation adoption is becoming more widespread, and computational design is trending toward being a solid part of the future in AEC.
If yours is one of those companies that is waiting to see how it develops, you may want to reconsider. It’s possible, even probable, that your competitors are moving forward with innovations in their workflows. As that happens, you become a little less competitive every year.
Some people may question why they should bother taking the time to focus on and change their process, since it’s been working for them for years. The answer may be as simple as more profitable jobs. Anyone who has been involved in the finances of a company will agree that even a boost of one or two percent in profit margin can be significant.
Tune in today to episode 83 of Bridging the Gap podcast where a panel of experts, including Marcello Sgambelluri, discuss computational design and innovation adoption.
Resources
