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arlier this week, we launched our Future of Consultancy campaign and gave further background on the the four workstreams that we have initiated. The aim of this is to develop a single industry view and help those working within the sector to better understand and navigate to the opportunities appropriate to your business. 

There are many possibilities open to us in supporting our clients, and we have divided these into three areas based on the asset lifecycle:- 

Strategic planning and placemaking; A better understanding of user requirements helps clients to optioneer the best solutions, making trade offs in what they value to get to the best ‘quality’ design. An increase in data and digitally-enabled modelling gives consultancy the tools to apply its expertise in a more strategic way, requiring a maturity shift in client mentality away from capital cost to the holy grail of defining outcomes. Their willingness to pay for these outcomes enables industry to bring forward more productive solutions such as offsite manufacturing at scale across a programme. 

Delivering integrated projects; This touches on the importance of core disciplines of successful delivery in information management, programme management and production management, but we can go beyond this by exploring our remit as consultancy businesses in integrating funding streams across multiple clients, and perhaps finance across the whole asset lifecycle.   
 
Data asset performance; Combining data and technologies available in both buildings and infrastructure to understand and optimise asset system performance, often against changing user requirements, bringing to bear our tools and expertise to share learning and optimise across sectors and clients at a system level. 

While these areas themselves are not new, the opportunities we have to support our clients within them will change as a result of the tools and data available to use in a digitally enabled environment. 

The value is in bringing together our collective offer in an integrated way to get the flow of data, products, and expertise working around the whole life cycle, seamlessly across multiple clients. A truly valuable client partner will understand and mitigate risks not just on a project but in how assets contribute to the network and in turn the network of other clients. 

For large firms, it builds on the existing model of mentoring, developing and championing expertise within your firm and your supply chain partners to ensure your integrated offer is a compelling one. For smaller firms, it’s about understanding where you add value in this model, often in multiple phases and perhaps in areas that you don’t currently get invited into.  

This collective vision about how we can add value makes for a more compelling proposition for those looking to a future career in the industry. Between us, we offer different corporate environments, employment structures, and a variety of work for a fulfilling, life-long career within the industry. If we can develop and articulate a more integrated industry with a vision, to an individual, we can find a place within it to suit their needs and ambitions. In turn, this makes us inclusive, representative, and sustainable for the future – without a skills crisis. 

To find out more, please visit the Future of Consultancy pages on this website.