In 2024, engineering consultancies working on complex projects in the energy and infrastructure sectors are facing significant challenges. These challenges demand adaptability, innovation, and resilience. With the race to net zero, constant technological advancement, and a scarcity of skilled professionals, it has never been more important for these service providers to ensure they are operating optimally and stay competitive.  

The blog looks at three of the most pressing challenges for engineering consultants in 2024; digital transformation, the skills shortage, and sustainability. We will also suggest ways to address these obstacles. 

Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence

Emerging technologies such as project management software and artificial intelligence are revolutionizing how engineering projects are performed across the whole project lifecycle from project planning to project close.  

These technologies offer new levels of efficiency and productivity by streamlining workflows such as proposal writing and reporting. They provide real-time data insights, enabling project managers to identify potential issues quicker and make informed, data-driven decisions to improve the bottom line.

However, many challenges can arise throughout an organisation’s digital transformation journey. For example, difficulty integrating with existing systems. Select a project management software that integrates seamlessly with your existing third-party software to maximise collaboration and visibility across your projects. At Proteus, we work with many engineering consultants who struggle with spreadsheets and disconnected systems. Our powerful tool ensures project teams have easy access to the information they need to enhance their project outcomes. 

Another main challenge is the high level of resistance from the engineering workforce when incorporating technology into their daily work. Gartner claims that by 2030, 80% of project management tasks will be eliminated and carried out by AI. Statistics such as this cause concern over the changing role of project managers and fear of jobs being eradicated.

This highlights the importance of making your team central to your digital transformation. By making sure all team members are on board and trained appropriately, there is more chance of a smooth transition, you can maximise the benefits of your software solution whilst ensuring your team feels included. Innovative software tools have a level of AI built into their functionality, providing a new level of efficiency. At Proteus, we have several AI features in development. By harnessing AI algorithms, we aim to facilitate smarter decision-making, automate repetitive tasks, and provide actionable insights that drive efficiency and productivity.

The importance of adopting cutting-edge technologies to support the engineering industry cannot be overstated.  The benefits are truly game-changing and improve project teams’ ability to navigate the complexities of projects. This does not mean implementing AI into all your operations, but investing in project management software is a crucial starting point for improving project visibility, control, and accuracy. Embracing technological advances is imperative for engineering firms to remain competitive and increase rates of project success. This is supported by research which found that 74% of architecture, engineering, and consultancy firms believe they will lose market share if they fail to invest in digital transformation within the next three years.

Talent and Skills Shortages

One of the most pressing challenges for engineering consultancies is the skills shortage. As the demand for expertise continues to rapidly increase, firms are struggling to attract and retain talent. Individuals with a degree in engineering go into various other sectors other than engineering which is complicated further by the retiring and aging workforce in Engineering and Construction. The aging workforce is particularly problematic as there is a scarcity of younger workers who are as skilled and capable as experienced older workers.

There are several recommendations for addressing the skills shortage, such as engaging with universities and university students to ensure students have the information to consider pursuing a career in engineering strongly. This is supported by Deloitte as they advise tapping into and developing talent as opposed to focusing on retaining talent. Deloitte suggests a wide range of other solutions such as:

• Investing in upskilling and cross-skilling programs
• Leveraging technology
• Offering competitive salaries
• Embracing the ‘gig economy’ as flexible and agile working appeals to many workers. 

In addition, the engineering industry is still male-dominated. In the energy sector, diversity continues to be a major challenge for oil and gas companies and offshore wind projects. Many engineering consultancies need help attracting women to these industries.

This stresses that boosting diversity and inclusion in hiring is important for engineering consultancies to meet demand. McKinsey predicts that by 2030, the renewable energy sector will need 1.3 million more workers for wind and solar projects. These workers will install, operate, and maintain the project capacities. These workers will be responsible for installing, operating, and maintaining the project capacities. 

Sustainability 

With heightened environmental awareness, and growing concerns about emissions and climate change, sustainability has become an imperative consideration for engineering consultancies. Organisations must strike a balance between meeting client expectations while adhering to regulatory requirements and implementing sustainable practices.

Consultancy.uk outlines that leading consultancies are accelerating toward hitting net zero, greening their organisations, and launching dedicated services to support their clients on their journeys and several engineering consultancies are leading this process. Clients are seeking solutions that minimise their carbon footprint, conserve resources, and enhance resilience to climate-related risks.

With increased pressure to incorporate sustainable practices into every aspect of projects, engineering consultancies must consider the supply chain emissions of materials and services, setting measurable reduction targets with appropriate strategies and optimising resource utilisation. Resource waste is a particularly common problem for engineering consultancies. This reiterates the importance of using project management software to give your organisation greater control over resource allocation and monitoring. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, engineering consultancies in 2024 face many challenges from rapid technological change to increased pressure to operate sustainably and labour shortages. Organizations need to prioritize sustainability in all projects and services. They also need to find talented individuals to remain successful.

Moreover, engineering consultancies must take advantage of technological advancements, such as the data-driven insights provided by project management software. Your team needs to use the latest technologies. This will help your business streamline processes, maximize benefits, and stay competitive.

About Proteus

Proteus is an end-to-end project management solution developed for the energy and engineering consulting industries. 

Proteus is industry-proven and enables consultancies to meet project demands across the full lifecycle, from proposal development to project delivery. Proteus helps its customers win more business, increase efficiencies, manage expenditures, and improve project controls.

Critical workflows, automation, and controls are integrated into Proteus. These include opportunity evaluation, proposal building, resource planning, budget tracking and forecasting, real-time multi-level restricted dashboards, and project performance analytics.

Third-party integrations and customised solutions allow Proteus’ users, which include C-suite, project leads, and engineers, to get the exact software solution needed for their business.

We offer a free onboarding consultation service to ensure your company account is set up to your company’s needs.

How to get Proteus

We recommend getting setup on a free trial. Proteus operates under a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. We offer Enterprise packages and flexible pricing solutions: contact our team to learn more.

We designed Proteus to be simple, and that means you can get up and running on Proteus without an IT team or support from a programmer. You will want to spend a bit of time configuring the admin console so that you have everything set up to suit your company structure, but it’s very intuitive and you don’t need a PhD in IT. However, we want you to get the best out of what is a brilliantly powerful tool, so don’t hesitate to ask for our support. We have a team of product experts who are ready to help you with the configuration process, so get in touch today by filling out the form below: