We are more than 2 months into a way of working that has never been done before. Hopefully, you have been able to figure out your new “normal” and have had some time to stop, breathe, and reflect. While there are still project-related tasks to complete, most people have gained some time back from not having to commute into the office or to job sites.
If you have had some time to reflect on life in general, hopefully, you are also thinking about your business – what has been going well, what could use improving, and what this new “normal” means for your business going forward. It’s a great time to recognize the hard work that you’ve done to get you where you are but also identify workflows and processes that could be improved.
As you reflect, it may be helpful to organize your ideas into categories, to start creating a roadmap for the future. Below are some questions we’ve seen our customers ask us to assist them with solving.
What could we do better?
As you’re looking over your workflows, past projects, and infrastructure, it’s important to do some analysis and identify where your challenges were, what you did well, and how you could improve workflows.
When did we last review and update our standards & workflows?
Template and standards development tend to be things that are done in your “spare time” or “only when there isn’t billable work to do.” A slowdown in billable work is a great time to take a look at your standards and processes, to clean up libraries, and to think about ways that your team can become more streamlined. Everyone is familiar with the phrase, “Garbage In, Garbage Out.” All of this can be mitigated with a solid foundation for your production and engineering teams to work from, and it all starts with the company standards, templates, and content that your teams are using day to day.
- BIM Execution Plan
- Revit/CAD templates
- Revit/CAD content & workflows
Where can my business find operational cost savings?
This question leads to many more questions. A good place to start is to take an inventory of everything you need to maintain production, efficiency, and what you do best.
- Do we have a software bloat? Do we have too many different software that do the same thing?
- Are we losing production time because of an outdated workflow or software that’s not getting the job done?
- Is there a way to consolidate software tools into a single solution?
- Is my business set up to handle remote work if the current environment continues?
There are many more questions to ask in this area, but the point is that it’s important to review the tools in your toolbox, learn more about the innovations and new technology available, and see if it makes sense to either sharpen current tools or replace them with something new. I can’t tell you how many wrenches I’ve found in my own toolbox that are just never used.
What additional offerings could our business provide our clients to create more income streams?
When looking at investments, many experts recommend differentiating your portfolio to mitigates risk if one investment starts to struggle. The same can be said for businesses if the entire pipeline of projects is centered on a limited number of tasks or market sectors. What if those projects all go on hold or get cancelled? What if the industry providing the majority of your revenues ceases to exist as the world changes to adapt to this new normal?
This is the moment to start to look at how you can provide additional income streams to your company’s portfolio and increase revenues on projects you’re winning. One place to begin is by evaluating the various uses of BIM and CAD to determine if there are additional services you could provide your clients, some of which are listed below. CADD can provide assistance with developing these offerings with you.
- VR/AR services
- Laser scan completed projects to capture as-built conditions
- Additional construction management services
- BIM Coordination or run QA/QC on Revit models
- Setting up owners with Facilities Management services
What changes are you making to your business based on the recent events?
The rapidly changing state of the world over the past few months left a number of businesses scrambling to adapt to a new way of working and an altered way of looking at the built environment. Many companies “MacGyvered” a way to allow their employees to work remotely, some utilized new software solutions to work in the cloud, while others plowed through by coordinating office work schedules and social distancing.
No matter what your solution was, how can these changes and adaptations be refined to avoid challenges in the future? Will they work for the long term or do you need a new or different solution to keep your business going and thriving? How will this change your business model as a whole?
- How will your previous Work from Home policy change?
- What have you learned about your way of doing business and about your employees from this involuntary drastic change in workflows?
- Have you found new software or workflow that you will keep using? Are you interested in finding others?
- Will you change your business model and offerings to your clients?
What can we do NOW that we will not be able to dedicate time to when the industry picks back up?
Looking back at the questions above and thinking about moving forward as a business, how much time will you be able to dedicate to getting your own house in order as the amount of work returns to normal levels? The focus will most likely shift back to billable work and finding additional work. Right now, while you have some time, it is important to think of where you want to be in the short, medium, and long term.
- What can you work on now to ensure success later in 2020 and into 2021?
- Where do you want your business to be in 6months? 1yr? 3yrs? 10yrs?
- What tools have helped you get through this?
- What do you think you still need to work on?
How Can CADD Help?
CADD Microsystems is here to help you figure this out. We have decades of experience assisting our clients with everything from training and templates, to process assessments and content creation. We are focused on partnering with you to achieve your business outcomes!
This blog post was conceived and created as part of a collaboration with John (JC) Cole, one of CADD’s amazing Account Managers.
