Convergence is the process of uniting 2 or more things. Rivers can converge at some point to become the Mississippi River. Like-minded people can converge to form an organization. In the construction industry, convergence between architecture, entertainment, and manufacturing is the effort to find better ways to do what we do: create and build space.
Technology Makes Construction Industry Convergence Easier Than Ever
In our industry, a new client is emerging. The “convergence customer” wants access to and connectivity (ideally seamless) between ecology, services, products, and start-to-finish project development. This means when general contractors submit a project bid, the GC that has a construction project structure incorporating technological management and convergence stands a better chance of winning the business.
Autodesk* VP Amy Marks says there are two primary ways construction industry convergence occurs:
- Horizontal – Merging different business services types to increase overall value
- Vertical – Merging with product suppliers/manufacturers to share in the making of materials
Marks says the construction industry convergence possibilities are limitless. “…I think it’s a very interesting conversation about convergence and platforms that’s much more far-reaching than we think.”
Changing Your Business Model To Promote Convergence
Take the report-card statement, “Plays well with others.” That’s our future. Consider ways your company and its services can integrate with other companies and service/product suppliers for whole-project wellness. Technology can make it happen.
Review and better-understand your core competencies. Then evaluate other companies’ – Marks calls those companies “adjacencies” – goals and desired deliverables. “You’re converging with and reconciling the…language to make sure that you both mean the same thing.”
Together, you may create a new language.
Virtual modeling and offsite manufacturing are driving a construction industry renaissance of sorts. We’re not simply managing challenges; we’re working together to remove them and find win-win solutions.
The lofty architect that says no to prefab is revealing her or his outdatedness. Project stakeholders want to know about ways offsite manufactured products can provide long-term solutions. Marks concludes, “I think at the end of the day, the word ‘prefab’ won’t exist. It’ll just be ‘products.’”
Convergence works in construction business development, too. With our data analytics, you can see who’s doing what in your neighborhood and partner for profits. To learn more, contact Construction Monitor.