In this episode, I talk to Rory San Miguel, co-founder and CEO at Propeller Aero, about how using advanced technology in civil engineering projects can increase the success of a project. Engineering Quotes: Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Rory: What are some of the civil construction case studies that Propeller Aero has been involved in? How can underestimating materials and dirt-moving costs derail already expensive civil engineering projects? What is the uneven tech adoption pathway for civil engineers? How can engineering managers effectively advocate for the use of advanced technology for upcoming projects? How can engineering leaders and managers embrace innovation at all levels in their firms? How can engineers get into get into construction and civil engineering? How can companies recruit new talent in the civil construction field? Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About How Advanced Technology in Civil Engineering Projects Can Increase the Success of a Project: It is always good to do research before you open a company. Find something that you enjoy doing and then ask your potential clients how it can benefit them as a service. Propeller Aero has been involved in more than 7,500 civil construction case studies. They have many clients based in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, and England. One such case study was on an airport building in Honolulu. The drone surveys helped the civil construction engineers with planning, sequencing, scheduling, and solving conflicts with subcontractors and the utilities. A limiting factor in achieving the project schedule and budget is the frequency and accuracy with which you can track progress. Getting inaccurate data can set any team on a path to failure and can cause large amounts of money to be lost. Using technology like what Propeller Aero supplies will help to get the surveys done, help everyone use the data collected, and speed up the survey process to finish the project on time and budget. The construction industry is rated as one of the slowest industries when it comes to technology adoption. Engineers are saying that the products are not good enough, the data is difficult to use, and they do not know what to do with the data. It is because the construction industry has very high standards of what deserves their time and what helps rather than hinders. To increase the industry’s tech adoption, listen to the people in the field and help solve their explicit problems. To advocate for software that you think will be beneficial to the civil engineering industry, get a good understanding of how it works, know where it is in a competitive landscape, and find referenceable companies that have benefitted from using software like yours. It is easier for civil engineering firms that have company cultures that welcome everyone to suggest better ways of doing things and to be more innovative. They are more likely to use newer technologies that can benefit the company. They must be prepared for mistakes and have a budget that can cover them. Innovation is a solution and not a problem, but you need to have problems that you can solve with innovation. Having up-to-date technology can help a firm with recruitment by connecting people and collecting data on what is happening in the field. Having good systems in place will help you by increasing the pool that you can hire from. Upcoming grads and professionals want to work on the latest and greatest technology. People are attracted to your civil engineering firm when you have a landscape of complexity, big machines, society-changing infrastructure projects, and technology connecting everything. More Details in This Episode… About Rory San Miguel