Who Are The Real Industry Disruptors with Steven Coyle

Steven Coyle, National Digital Lead at Arcadis, recently joined the Digital Construction Podcast to discuss the challenging realities of digital transformation in engineering and construction. He explored key topics ranging from how global consistency is achieved through accountability to his firm stance on Intellectual Property and the true disruptors driving innovation in the industry. Steven offered powerful insights for current and future digital leaders.

Driving Global Alignment Through Accountability

Leading digital standardization and automation for design and engineering within a massive global company like Arcadis requires a focus on one core principle: accountability. Arcadis operates with 36,000 people globally, and consistency across different regions and business units, like infrastructure, buildings, and MEP, is vital since teams often work across various project types. For every platform or solution developed, there is someone accountable, allowing anyone in the company to find the information, understand the solution, and know who to contact. This emphasis on accountability helps scale blueprints and initiatives globally, especially as Australian teams frequently work on international projects in places like the US and Canada.

The Short Life of Intellectual Property

Steven expressed a strong and controversial viewpoint that IP dies very, very easily; what is considered cutting-edge today can quickly become obsolete tomorrow. He believes that the industry needs to be more relaxed regarding intellectual property and sharing tools. We should openly share digital tools, such as those related to BIM authoring or data validation. If organizations do not share solutions, progress for the wider industry will stall.

Moving Beyond "Digital Advisory"

We should also steer away from the term "digital advisory," preferring instead to focus on genuinely solving a client’s actual problems. Steven notes that often, "digital advisory" can feel like a generic, rinsed-and-repeated solution offered by various organizations, sometimes giving digital initiatives a negative reputation for costing more or taking longer. The key to staying relevant as a digital leader is prioritizing client-facing work and asking the right questions to uncover the true underlying issue. For example, what might initially be called a "digital advisory" problem often turns out to be an information management or process issue. Getting key decision-makers and accountable people in a room allows for reverse-engineering the issue, often revealing that the solution needs to be implemented at the start of a process, not the end.

Who is Truly Disrupting the Industry?

The biggest disruptors in the engineering industry currently are computer scientists and developers. Arcadis has invested in integrating people with computer science backgrounds into engineering teams to act as enablers. These individuals, often lacking traditional engineering experience, build generative design platforms that allow engineers to produce more efficient solutions and more design iterations than ever before. Furthermore, hard coders and software developers are disrupting the space by connecting data and reducing manual labor through design automation, working closely with data analytics teams.

Proving Value Through Quantifiable Metrics

For digital initiatives to gain traction, especially among senior technical directors who may be resistant to new ways of working, value must be proven using tangible metrics. Digital tools developed at Arcadis are measured to demonstrate their success, focusing on execution metrics and comparing the time taken by the new tool versus the traditional process. The true value is articulated by showcasing how the saved time is utilized, for example, reallocating resources to focus on better design solutions or assisting capacity strapped teams.

Prioritizing Solutions

With a small digital team facing a large number of potential problems and opportunities, prioritization is managed through an internal Automation Portal where people submit ideas. The process involves discovery to determine the time investment required and whether the solution should be handled internally or outsourced to global teams or vendors. The priority hierarchy for internal development is clear:

1. Solving a problem on an existing project.

2. Developing an opportunity for a pursuit or tender.

3. Providing a short-time solution.

Fostering the Next Generation of Digital Leaders

Steven advises future digital leaders to be inquisitive and challenging, urging them to take full advantage of the global investments in technology, experience, and resources their organizations have already made. He encourages the next generation to be the "annoying person" who constantly asks questions and demands to be involved in client meetings to understand problems firsthand and drive meaningful change.

Key Takeaways

• Accountability is the foundation for driving consistent digital adoption and innovation across a large, multi-regional organization like Arcadis.
• Intellectual Property (IP) decays quickly, and remaining competitive requires being open to sharing tools and collaborating with external partners, including competitors and JV partners.
• The role of a digital leader involves breaking down complex issues to solve the underlying client problem, not just offering generic "digital advisory" solutions.
• The major disruptors in engineering today are computer scientists building generative design platforms and software developers automating design and connecting data.
• Value is proven through measurable metrics (time saved) and demonstrating how saved time is redeployed to produce better design outcomes or provide capacity relief.
• When faced with numerous problems, solutions should be prioritized based on whether they solve a live project problem, support a major pursuit, or offer a quick fix.