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No tech predictions here—there are too many sharks in the water

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No tech predictions here—there are too many sharks in the water


Sasha Reed | February 28, 2016

Typically at the beginning of the year, I like to do my own assessment of what to predict from the tech space.  Before I read the headlines from CES or any of the tech bloggers, I try and look into the future based on my observations and interactions from the year before.  If I’m lucky, I’m able to define trends and therefore “predict” where moves may be made.  This year, I struggled a bit to find inspiration to go through the exercise.  As I took stock of the product launches, adoptions and acquisitions within the tech space for 2015, it seemed to me that the proliferation of apps within the marketplace had changed things quite a bit. All this activity had kicked up some murkiness in my crystal ball.  So instead of adding to the early-year predictions, I chose to sit back and observe. 

So far, my early observations have led me to form a hypothesis: there is a shift taking place – a shift from excitement over new products to buzz surrounding potential mergers, integrations and partnerships between companies.  

So, wait…how is this different than business as usual, you ask?  Well, for many business leaders within the AEC industry, this may be the moment they’ve been waiting for—to see which tech companies can offer long-term viability and potentially begin bridging the gaps within their tech portfolios.  Looking at the lineup at CES, it was easy to be distracted by the new shiny objects on display. However, the truth of the matter is that many of these new products and companies, for good or bad, will survive or fail based on how well they know their market, how quickly they gain adoption, and how successful they are at building a sustainable product.  That makes choosing a new technology a very risky proposition...unless you know how to observe the market and look for products positioning themselves.

Instead of predicting who will survive and who will fail, I’ve turned my attention towards observing.  And because patience isn’t my strong suit, I quickly moved from observing to researching.  I found this insightful article, The Five Most Disruptive Innovations at CES 2016.  This line specifically caught my attention:

“So instead of disruptive individual products, this year we’re grouping our findings into the most disruptive trends we saw this year, all of which cross several traditional industry boundaries (a trend in itself).” 

The landscape has indeed changed.  The proliferation of apps and new technologies is more distracting than ever, making the work of cutting through the noise and balancing short-term gains against long-term business objectives tougher than ever.  However, the observations noted in the article referenced above gave clues as to which “trends” we should be paying attention to.  For the AEC industry specifically, the most powerful trend is probably #2, Providers become platforms.

“Smart incumbents seeing the inevitable will position themselves for flexibility, becoming virtual platforms that allow their core expertise to be quickly redeployed to new business with new partners.”

Understanding whether or not a tech company you’re looking into is poised to bridge your tech portfolio gaps your organization is critical.  Still, with so many apps gaining rapid adoption, how can you be sure who will be successful in building a sustainable technology ecosystem?

In part 2, I’ll dive into new disruption models which may offer some further clues.  

More from Author

Sasha Reed | Dec 15, 2017

Future vs. current state of construction innovation: How will we make the leap?

Looking beyond today’s constraints to the possibility of what “could be” is a key characteristic of those defining and delivering innovation to design and building firms across the globe.

Sasha Reed | Sep 19, 2017

BIM vs VDC…how the US and the UK differ in approaching digital project delivery

In this four-part series, Bluebeam VP Sasha Reed sat down with industry experts to examine the need for defining and understanding digital workflows and data management throughout the design and construction project lifecycle.

Sasha Reed | Jul 19, 2017

Introducing StrXur by Bluebeam

Our goal is to present unique perspectives you may not be able to find anywhere else.  

Sasha Reed | Jul 13, 2017

Defining the future by mastering the art of change

From my perspective, what separates organizations thriving in the digital revolution from those who are not boils down to one thing: leadership.

Sasha Reed | Mar 15, 2017

Incentivizing change: Show me the money

Who is succeeding, and on what terms? And what will it take for everyone to experience the benefits of that success?

Sasha Reed | Oct 4, 2016

The talent shortage: Will the training the AEC industry desperately needs arrive in time?

As the construction industry bounces back from the Great Recession, an entirely new class of tech-savvy construction professionals has been created, and the supply of these highly skilled, tech-proficient pros has been quickly exhausted. 

Sasha Reed | Jul 11, 2016

Construction Disruption at AECX: Technology, hackathons and the promise of change in LA

The lead up to AECX featured a discussion providing insight into the current state of the AEC technological revolution by exploring opportunities, challenges and choices AEC pros face.  

Sasha Reed | Jun 23, 2016

Implementing Change: The Five Biggest Mistakes to Avoid

Two truths from the jobsite: 1) The best part about uncovering a problem is discovering its solution, and 2) The worst part about discovering the solution is implementing it. 

Sasha Reed | Jun 9, 2016

With all these sharks in the water… (No Predictions Here...Part 2)

Rather than fighting to control the proliferation of apps, perhaps we should be training our eyes to look for signs of long-term viability among all the fins in the water

Sasha Reed | Dec 17, 2015

How is the Value of VDC for Design Management Translating Outside the US?

Sascha Vesterlund, a VDC Specialist, Design Processer with MT Højgaard, and Nathan Wood, Innovation at DPR Construction, shared their perspectives on VDC

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