We spoke to Lukasz Adamik, VP of Consulting Services at Microdesk, about the challenges and opportunities of a career in Digital Construction consulting.
What drives change in Digital Construction?
In 2008, we saw the recession trigger investment in BIM for many companies because the industry had to reinvent itself to become more efficient. Similarly, the pandemic has also disrupted the current status quo. Companies realised that working remotely and being more effective is not something they need to think about in the future; it’s happening now. Businesses are being forced to consider the way they operate as technology has become more available and easier to adopt. All the tools exist; it’s just a matter of using them effectively to become more efficient and competitive.
The way we approach problem solving at Microdesk is not to adopt or implement technology for the sake of having it, it’s to solve bigger problems such as globalisation, urbanisation or sustainability. To be more competitive in global markets, businesses need to be more efficient and use the latest tools to build faster and in more sustainable ways. 80% of costs are in the operation of buildings, only 20% in construction, so minimising operating costs is top priority now.
Sustainability, as we see from COP26 recently, is gradually affecting the industry at a business-wide level, with insurance responsibilities becoming integral to contracts etc. 40% of CO2 is generated by both construction, operation and the energy use of the building. There’s so much more the industry can do and we’re trying to support it.
How do you see BIM consulting changing?
The role of a consultant is to maximize ROI and client staff retention while assisting firms with winning more work and becoming more competitive. There’s a reason why some businesses already invest in the latest digital technologies: because it is bringing benefits.
Making sure we’re always at the forefront of what’s happening in digital construction and pushing the boundaries means we can challenge our clients, making sure they adopt the latest solutions.
The industry is still quite siloed in many aspects: architects think about their portion of work, engineers and owner/operators do the same. As a consultant working with all members of the project team, we look at the problem holistically which helps us to see all the benefits. That’s what we do.
What’s different about Microdesk compared with other consultancy firms?
Microdesk is really disrupting the market by approaching consultancy from a different angle. Our competitors typically focus on the software side and the consultancy team is there to support adoption of software, so you’ll often find a ratio of 8:1 salespeople to consultants. Here, it’s the opposite: we have 1:7 salespeople to consultants. As the client’s business partner for digital transformation, we provide services for the entire organisation. That can be anything from IT infrastructure to software and services to aid the adoption of digital technology at the business level, or to deliver a project more efficiently.
What is your consulting model?
We essentially become part of our clients’ organisation by closely working with them. This is why having people who know how construciton operates is important. We don’t go in there with solutions and say: “this is how you have to do it.” Rather, we go and listen and find out what the best approach is.
For our clients, we are like a safety net; by knowing that we are here, they have security that if they engage in a large project and want to challenge themselves and their supply chain or project team, they can do it because they have someone to support them. This applies to all the soft skills in terms of know-how and use of software but also to their infrastructure. Anything they may need they can get at Microdesk. It’s essentially in-sourcing; we bring that expertise to our client’s organisation. We work with them and we leave that knowledge behind after we leave. We don’t want to be the stereotypical outsourcing company that we do something and walk away, leaving them with a library of materials. We make sure we educate them so they can do it themselves next time.
How has Microdesk evolved since you joined?
Microdesk started in 1994 as a software provider, but over time, Microdesk has become more of a business partner for our clients, offering a wide spectrum of services. In fact, we are constantly evolving by adapting our offering to meet the needs of the construction sector.
I was the first person Microdesk hired in the UK – it was a bit of a leap of faith! The Managing Director was looking for someone in the UK to support a client recommended by the New York office. It was a gamble for me, but the risk paid off and now we have 20 people based in the UK and are continuing to grow.
Last year we became Autodesk’s Gold Partner in the UK. We are commited to growing the team and to supporting our clients in the UK, Europe and beyond.
What’s it like being part of a US Company?
We have 250 consultants across all of our 14 offices (13 in the US) and we work as one big team. Despite being a big organisation, we still have that regional feel because of the amount of offices – there’s only 10-70 people per office, which means we work locally with the clients in that region. We understand their challenges, local standards and needs.
But being part of a large organisation gives us the ability to offer combined knowledge and experience of 250 experts. Looking globally, as an entire organisation we can probably deliver every service and solution, and troubleshoot every problem by working as a team.
Learning from our US colleagues and sharing our experience is another benefit of working for an international company.
What sort of clients do you work with?
We work with large organisations, such as AJ100 companies or global organisations, but also with many small businesses.
We support all sectors, all disciplines and all project stages. We operate with all areas necessary for our clients to support their business, from assessments, development and implementation of strategies and project support. We offer services related to project delivery but also software and application development.
There is no “typical” client. Every client is different. Every client has its own unique needs, challenges and styles. Being able to understand these needs and apply the digital technology to solve their problems is what we do.
How is a consultant role different from a BIM Manager?
To start with, a company BIM Manager must often be a “jack of all trades” which is very challenging in a constantly evolving environment. From my own experience as a BIM Manager, I would need to go out to look for solutions with experts in different areas to research, test, innovate and learn and implement. At Microdesk, we don’t need to do that because we have vast team with expert knowledge to draw upon. By working with our colleagues, we can deliver the entire solution to our clients. That’s something a typical BIM manager or co-ordinator wouldn’t be able to do.
Additionally, at Microdesk, we work for multiple clients, so it feels like you’re changing your job every 3-6 months because there’s always something new or something different (and always engaging) to work on – you’re not stuck on a project for 6, 12, 18 months.
What makes a good Digital Construction Consultant?
I started in BIM 15 years ago as a CAD document controller in a consultancy firm, before BIM became popular. The most valuable experience I use now at Microdesk comes from my background in engineering and the lessons I learned within the industry, working with designers, contractors and owner-operators, and the understanding of the design process I gained as a BIM Manager.
A Digital Construction Consultant should have a wide range of experience and a good understanding of the design and construction processes. They should know how the technology can support the delivery of the project at every stage.
What skills and experience are you looking for?
There’s basic minimum knowledge of software we expect but there’s no specific requirement in terms of technology a person would need to be familiar with. Something that makes Microdesk very exciting is that you don’t need to be an expert in everything, only in a specific area.
We don’t hire anyone without extensive knowledge of design, engineering, construction, project management or asset management and all our consultants are industry experts. They come from the industry with minimum of 3-5 years’ experience so they know the design and construction processes and can deploy technology to support them. That’s what makes us unique.
It’s more a personality thing than experience though. One important quality we look for is a passion for technology. That person will be challenged and needs to educate themselves. They also need to be positive about working with clients and their project teams and management. Being able to look at problem solving in a constructive way, embrace the opportunity and lead the change. Microdesk actively invests in personal development – there’s an extensive amount of knowledge in the business, and experts willing to share and teach.
What might a career journey look like as a Microdesk consultant?
Most consultants are people who didn’t consider consultancy before they joined Microdesk. They are engineers or architects, people who maybe worked as BIM co-ordinators or BIM managers but also many who are just designers with a passion for technology. Microdesk gives them the opportunity to do both.
Microdesk offers plenty of opportunities to work on interesting projects using the latest technologies, but more importantly, we do aim to stay ahead of the development of BIM. For that reason, we initiated our own research and development initiative and we partner with various solution providers. So our consultants are not only engaged in the exciting projects, but they also have the opportunity to challenge the current status quo and redefine the way the technology is used.
What’s the culture like at Microdesk?
Microdesk is very organic, which gives us the opportunity to constantly rethink everything we do every time. We may have processes and procedures in place but they’re all there to be challenged.
I accepted my position knowing Microdesk was different and that’s what made it interesting. The culture helps us to adapt and respond to client needs because every organisation is unique.
Microdesk is committed to their employees; for example, we didn’t have a single person on furlough during the pandemic. We took care of our team to say thank you for their hard work. That’s also a commitment to clients as well. We won’t walk away; we’ll deliver whatever it takes. That’s what they value, and they trust us.
It’s a great company to work for. You’re very committed to what you do but in return Microdesk takes care of your career and development.
When it comes to BIM consultancy at Microdesk, it’s all very challenging and exciting. We’re always looking at new ways of doing things, new processes and new technologies, new solutions.
What’s the most common mistake in adopting digital transformation?
A lack of commitment. I understand why, because you can’t accept risk from business perspective – it might affect your project and your responsibilities. But BIM is not “better CAD,” it’s not about using different tools to do the same work. It’s about using enhanced tools to work more differently but way more effectively; designing buildings in a more efficient way.
Either you adopt or you don’t. Although small improvements may generate some benefits, often anything in between may end up being more expensive than not adopting at all. That’s the biggest challenge that we help to overcome by supporting our clients and being their safety net. Once the technology is fully adopted, the benefits are much greater than the organisation would expect, and exceed the initial investment.
What are the benefits of successful digital transformation?
The fully digital organisation is more effective in their specific field – they consistently develop more accurate information, produce and exchange more reliable data and collaborate with their partners better. All of this is underpinned by an improved quality of their design or construciton process. Digital construction also allows for more transparent and predicable analysis of carbon emissions or asset management process driving the cost of the operation of the building even further.
That’s for the design and construction, but there are some other benefits of the digital transformation. Building a more engaging office environment, bringing talent and enabling your employees to take care of their personal development and growth brings additional benefits to the organisation. This in turn drives the business costs down by increasing staff retention and their life-work balance.
And finally, putting it all together, digital transformation allows the forward-thinking organisation to become better prepared for the challenges construction is facing – globalisation, urbanisation and sustainability.
What is your best success story?
For me the success is always a happy customer. Being able to work with customers for 4, 5 or 6 years is a great success because it means to me that we are providing them with exactly what they need, supporting their growth and helping them to deliver projects more effectively. Our customers trust us and this is what we value highly.
Growing the team from ground up is also a success and a testimony to Microdesk and their approach to consulting. Thinking long term, prioritising the customer’s and Microdesk’s employee needs and leading with quality, not quantity, resonates with my own views. Being able to effectively grow the business and supporting the industry for over 28 years is definitely a success.
Find out more about working at Microdesk and the consulting opportunities there