As a result of the economic boom, we have undergone a period in which many engineering firms submitted bids to all kinds of tenders, regardless of whether or not these tenders lay within the area of specialisation they had worked on previously.
As we continue specialising in a field and differentiate ourselves with new advanced tools, competition decreases.
Subsequently, there has been a process involving unfair competition during the crisis which has hit worldwide. This in turn has led to a significant fall in prices. As a consequence, the quality of the service provided to clients has also fallen. It is well known that “if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys”.
Simultaneously to all this, engineering has followed its own process of evolution. New tools and instruments have been developed to provide it with greater accuracy and efficiency. BIM (Building Information Modelling) technology should be highlighted among these, as 3D parametric design which manages all of an infrastructure’s information throughout its life cycle or its environmental sustainability certifications (LEED, BREEAM, etc.) among others. In some cases, this logical evolution involves an increase in work loads, backgrounds and/or specialised software, thereby leading to an increase in project costs.
Though we may not like it, reality is revealing that engineering is currently undergoing a difficult period due to the reasons mentioned above; that is to say price pressures caused by the economic situation and an increase in tools and new fields of specialisation, leading to a rise in costs.
Although the solution isn’t simple and should involve a complete set of actions, one thing seems clear. As we continue specialising in a field and differentiate ourselves with new advanced tools, competition decreases and the product’s value is boosted for the client. This fact allows us to move forward with greater security and more guarantees.
