In order to produce a game-changing product, a software provider has to listen to its customers. It is a partnership that requires input on both sides, and you have to work together to make the software the best solution it can be. No one wants to invest in a tool and have the developer say, “Good luck. See you later.” The more feedback the end user can give, the better. Excellent developers check in with customers regularly to see how things are going and what their challenges are.
Users are looking to speed up and refine their processes. Sometimes it’s the little things that can slow you down. And slowing down can be the final straw for companies who already lag behind in adopting technology.
If your company is one that has lagged in technology adoption, you risk falling behind your competition. You may have noticed that it is getting harder and harder to compete for jobs. Job requirements are changing, and building information modeling, for example, is becoming a common requirement. Technology has been on an upward spiral since Revit with its parametric modeling was introduced to the industry in 2000. All processes are becoming tech dependent, from 3D modeling to clash detection to multi-discipline collaboration.
But if you are just jumping into implementing a tool or platform, don’t try to do too much too quickly. Becoming overwhelmed and frustrated will just slow down your staff’s adoption and may thwart the entire process.
One workflow you should consider is cloud-based technology. With it, your staff can work from anywhere, and they can all collaborate on the same model. That ability is beyond valuable and can cut down on errors, clashes and ultimately on rework.
The dynamic of a remote workforce depends on tracking productivity, and there are ways to measure whether everyone is pulling their weight. The good thing is you have a much larger talent pool to draw from when your staff can work remotely, whether that is down the street or from Alaska. It expands your options.
It also brings fresh thinking to your organization. A diverse staff can introduce innovative ways of doing things – thinking outside the box. You should embrace the mindset of trying new things, even if some ideas end up not working. Innovation involves taking risks and finding different ways of doing something.
Encourage your team to think of alternatives to the “normal” way you do things, whether that is drawing, prefabricating or installing. Just because you do something a certain way does not mean it is the only way or the best way. Established workflows are developed for a reason – they worked at the time. But do they work as well as they could in the future? Push back against the attitude, “We’ve always done it this way.” If you want to achieve more than you have historically achieved, challenging that mindset is one way to get you there.
Tune in to the Bridging the Gap Podcast and learn how Jason Gregg and the RK Mechanical staff moved outside their comfort zone to implement eVolve Mechanical into their Revit workflows.
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