TZL 1586 (web)

Firms that continue to operate with disconnected systems face substantial risks to their profitability and growth potential. Ignoring these operational issues doesn’t just slow you down – it puts your projects, profits, and people at risk. The firm faces mounting challenges in scaling operations as friction increases with growth. And perhaps most concerning, you position yourself at a competitive disadvantage against firms embracing transformational technology. MOVING FORWARD: PRACTICAL STEPS. What can AEC firm leaders do today to begin addressing these challenges? ■ Map your teams and assess their chemistry, clarity, and control. Identify where friction exists, observe it firsthand, and document manual processes and inefficiencies.

STEFANIE RICHTER, from page 11

and authority to understand how they are performing against expectations and to adjust their processes accordingly. WHERE FRICTION DERAILS EXCELLENCE. Despite understanding these principles, many AEC firms struggle with significant operational friction that undermines team performance. These friction points occur when departments operate with different metrics, tools, and data interpretations. This is a common pattern for many AEC firms. Whether it’s a partner, or the sales and marketing function, and how they define KPIs and view data versus the PMO and their KPIs for being on time and on budget versus the finance team that are looking for completion and understanding margin – this is where the complexity lives. This siloed approach creates disconnects at critical handoff points: ■ Sales teams develop energy and understanding around a project only to have it rekeyed into separate systems when passed to project management. ■ Time tracking and allocation processes that take days or weeks to reach billing, only to return with errors. ■ Teams forced to hold daily emergency meetings in the final 20 percent of projects because earlier alignment was impossible. One customer reported losing approximately five hours per person per week to manual workarounds and rekeying efforts – a staggering inefficiency across an organization of hundreds. FROM SYSTEMS OF RECORD TO SYSTEMS OF COLLABORATION. The path forward lies in moving from fragmented “systems of record” to integrated “systems of collaboration” that enable shared understanding. When you start to flip it and bring an integrated system with live data, it changes the conversation. Teams are engaging with live data, seeing real-time what’s happening in a project. It removes the stigma that you’re only representing your silo. This shift toward collaborative technology does more than improve efficiency – it fundamentally transforms workplace culture and team dynamics by:

Drive better alignment through improved communication. Ensure teams are aligned around mission and focusing on problems rather than internal conflicts.

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■ Rethink the role of technology in your organization. Technology teams should be transformational partners working in lockstep with technical professionals, not just license managers. ■ Harmonize KPIs across departments. Ensure that teams are working toward shared success rather than competing objectives. ■ Consider moving to cloud-based integrated systems. Systems like the Microsoft Industry Cloud for Architecture and Engineering provide real-time data visibility and collaboration tools across the organization. THE PATH TO HIGHER PERFORMANCE. The connection between high-performing teams and high-performing systems isn’t coincidental – it’s causal. Legacy business applications force your team to work around the technology, whereas modern platforms like the Microsoft Industry Cloud for Architecture and Engineering let your team work through it together. By combining project management, resource planning, financial controls, and client relationship tools in a unified experience, the platform eliminates the friction points where traditional systems fail. This isn’t simply about upgrading software; it’s about fundamentally shifting how your organization collaborates, communicates, and creates value. It’s about enabling your teams with the tools they need to build trust, maintain clarity, and exercise appropriate control over their work. In a world where talent is scarce and margins are tight, can your firm afford the hidden costs of operational friction? The firms that will thrive in the coming years won’t necessarily be the largest or the most established – they’ll be the ones that enable their teams to perform at their highest potential. If your teams are stuck in a cycle of inefficiency, now is the time to break free. Discover how leading AEC firms are solving these challenges – watch our webinar today. Watch our webinar now to hear directly from Tom Godin and Casey Shea about how leading AEC firms are addressing these challenges. Stefanie Richter is a business development and Microsoft partnership manager at sa.global. Connect with her on LinkedIn.

■ Creating a single source of truth that everyone can trust

■ Eliminating time-consuming manual processes and workarounds ■ Enabling teams to focus on high-value work rather than administration ■ Supporting the chemistry, clarity, and control that define high-performance teams The Microsoft Industry Cloud for Architecture and Engineering exemplifies this collaborative approach, providing integrated tools that connect every department from sales through delivery and finance. THE RISK OF INACTION. With tighter margins, inefficiency isn’t just a nuisance – it’s a serious threat to your firm’s future.

THE ZWEIG LETTER MAY 19, 2025, ISSUE 1586

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