Architecture, Engineering, and Related Services [NAICS 5413]

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• Increasingly globalized workforce. U.S. engineers and U.S. engineering firms will have to continue to compete with an increasing number of engineers from Asian countries, who either enroll in programs within native countries or come to the U.S. to pursue their engineering education. In order to stay competitive, trade and professional associations as well as firms themselves are participating in K-12 STEM outreach initiatives designed to call attention to the importance of teaching high-quality science, technology, engineering and mathematics curriculum in U.S. schools (STEM Education Coalition, 2012). In addition, firms should develop a strong understanding of the types of specialized jobs and services that businesses need and continue to innovate, since some engineering services will be outsourced to non-U.S. firms who can afford to complete jobs more cost efficiently. • Continued evolution of sustainable engineering guidelines. While sustainability is already considered a priority for engineers embarking on new projects, LEED certification for engineers and buildings will continue to play a significant role in driving measurable building sustainability. Although LEED certification was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, it is now used in over 30 countries. The LEED rating system currently in place will need to evolve as additional issues arise that are not currently addressed by the current guidelines. These changes may have significant impacts on the design, engineering and construction activities of markets around the world. • Greater focus on engineering for development. While engineering has been recognized as a field essential to the progress of humankind and modern society, large scale issues involving, energy, transportation, climate change, management of natural resources and provision of clean drinking water in developing countries has caused industry players to pay greater attention to how engineering as a discipline can help address these challenges moving forward. In 2010, UNESCO released its first ever report on engineering and development globally (UNESCO, 2010). Increasingly, firms are engaging in projects that seek to create better infrastructures for underserved communities, reduce poverty and improve quality of life. Professional societies such as the American Society for Mechanical Engineers are collaborating with organizations such as Engineering for Change and Engineers Without Borders to bring together practitioners in the industry around such initiatives (ASME, 2012). INFORMATION SYSTEMS ANALYSIS This field has a high degree of technological change, making it important for engineers to keep up to date with the tools, software and the additional technical skills that are required to meet the needs of their clients. Technology is used as a source of differentiation and can be a competitive advantage for firms that invest in information systems that have significantly superior capabilities than those of other players. For those firms looking to expand beyond their existing markets, technological investments may help these organizations secure international contracts by offering a greater variety of services (IBIS, 2012). While the industry is labor and service driven and generally not capital intensive, a substantial portion of capital expenditures can be attributed to IT investments in hardware and software (IBIS 2012). Like the architectural services industry, BIM is an increasingly important approach to overseeing engineering projects. (Please see architectural services information systems analysis for more details on BIM) Engineering firms may source their BIM tools and services from similar vendors as architecture firms, however, the products themselves and the way that engineers approach BIM is 7
different than architects. For engineers, the BIM solutions provide a way to connect the drafting, design, analysis and documentation processes in order to have a greater impact on project performance. For example, adopting the BIM approach could allow a civil engineer to more efficiently design what-if scenarios and create projections around factors such as performance and cost for road and highway design (Strafaci, 2008). BIM solution vendors such as AutoDesk and Graphisoft also produce products designed specifically for engineers. AutoDesk’s Revit line has three separate products for architectural design, MEP engineering (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) and structural engineering. Engineers and contractors have actually been earlier adopters of BIM-enabled technologies, taking leveraging the benefits provided in the areas of scheduling, cost engineering and fabrication. The lag in adoption by architects has caused some challenges in aligning BIM activities between these groups. Vendors however, have responded to such issues by developing applications that are easily compatible. For example, civil engineers can use Autodesk’s Civil 3D software to define the topography for a site, which can then be imported into Autodesk’s Revit Architecture program, so that architects can create their designs using as accurate a representation of the building site as possible (MasterGraphics 2008). CONCLUSION Engineering services is an industry sensitive to the upswings and downturns of the economy. Since a substantial number of practitioners are small businesses, these entities will need to find cost efficient ways to differentiate themselves moving forward. Substantial investments in technology may not always be as feasible for smaller and medium sized businesses, but they are crucial to staying competitive in a quickly changing environment. Firms should try to uniquely position themselves by offering a variety of services which cater to their clients- a balance of diversity and specificity is key. REFERENCES: ASME (2012). About ASME. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Available from: http://www.asme.org/about-asme IBIS (2012). IBISWorld Industry Report 54133 Engineering Services in the U.S. MasterGraphics (2008). Revit and Civil 3D Interoperability. Available from: http://www.mastergraphics.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/microsoft-word-revitarchitecture-and-civil-3d-interoperability-_2009_.pdf QFINANCE (2012). Engineering Industry. Sector Profiles. Available from: http://www.qfinance.com/sector-profiles/engineering STEM Education Coalition (2012). Available from: http://www.stemedcoalition.org/ Strafaci, A. (2008). What does BIM mean for civil engineers Available from: http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/what_does_bim_mean_for_civil_engineers_ce_news_1008.pdf 8
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Architecture, Engineering, and Related Services [NAICS 5413]

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