We won!
If you’re a Game of Thrones fan then you’ll know about the recent battle of Winterfell, if not then this metaphor is going to be totally lost on you! – Apologies but please bear with me!
The Night Walkers (living dead) surround the citadel of Winterfell, the last bastion stand of the humans led by the Starks against the Night King and the Undead.
It is a close run thing.
And but for the last knife thrust by little baby-faced assassin Arya that takes out the Night King, all would have been lost. But it wasn’t. I imagine everyone will live happily ever after although we have yet to see. Tune in to Game of Throne…Perhaps the dragons will have more babies…I’d like one!
We lost!? Or did we win? Who wins? Who loses?
Imagine citadel Winterfell to be our industry for the Built Environment. Imagine the hordes of the undead surrounding the citadel to be the waves of digital transformation beating upon our industry from all directions now it seems. Some in the citadel resist, some don’t know or even care. But in this scenario, which won’t be close at all, the hordes will sweep through the walls and take the citadel, taking all before them, without mercy or exception. Nevertheless this will be at some cost of life and limb to all – we are all involved. Resistance will indeed be futile to mix my metaphors with the Borg and Star Trek.
Let’s get real and get down to it here! Because isn’t it about time we did this?
Digital transformation of our industry is absolutely inevitable. For all kinds of reasons.
Other industries want our data, the growing smart movement, rapidly developing tech, the urge to innovate, the innovators and early adopters, the need for efficiency, and the profits that go with that as well as all the benefits of digital that catalyse other improvements. It’s all on the table. Your only choice is to go with the flow now if you haven’t already done so, or to be forced to later when you may not have the time (or money) to catch up and then face an uncomfortable alternative reality.
This is just the way our lives are now – the pandora’s box is open, no going back. Digital life, digital lives, communities, universe – everything.
Time to change up
I don’t think anyone can argue that our industry doesn’t need to improve on many fronts, not just digital. Skills, sustainability, diversity, inclusion, safety, payments, contracts, professionalism, work-life balance, mental health, sexuality, leadership and many more.
Is it just me or is change even on the smallest scale so very painful and slow!
Isn’t this really obvious? Why aren’t more people angry and vocal about the state of the nation, about how our industry needs to change and actually be prepared to get off their arses and do something about it?
Are we so desensitised and ignorant that we just think, “Oh well BIM is just 3D, I’ll get the software later. It won’t make any difference to me.” Or perhaps deep down we just don’t give a f***. Or is it that we don’t feel responsible, or perhaps that on our own we can’t make a difference in any small way at all. Perhaps we just want to shuffle through the years making as few waves as possible. Perhaps the what’s in it for me syndrome is also at play, with people not seeing a benefit in putting their head above the parapet, because there is no short term gain, more likely pain.
SO……WHAT’S WRONG WITH US????????!
I’d like to give our industry and some of our leadership a really good shaking! Why do the silent majority really not get the reality changing gobsmacking enormity of all this, of what we’re facing and the digital tsunami that will inevitably engulf us all? No one will be unscathed. There is no hiding place from this digital revolution and evolution. Just look at the way smartphones have changed the way we live in less than 10 years. Or EPOS for just that bit longer. Our digital footprints, fingerprints and data are everywhere. Society is becoming more and more data driven – why not our industry?
And of course remember who makes money from YOUR data? – Rarely is it you! Think about that one!
Remember that evolution has consequences. Life and death. Success and failure. Survival or not. Businesses will fold. Careers will end. Some will succeed, but not all will or can. It doesn’t work like that! Everyone doesn’t get a badge here.
And that was just the introduction!
Brymech – kudos!
So it was with some joy and a little anticipation that I attended Brymec’s recent innovation day at Gatwick. https://www.brymec.com
They are an SME, suppliers to the building services industry.
About half of their staff and team, 100 people-ish, were there on the day to hear myself and others talk about innovation, ideas, future trends and trying to work out what’s next for them, and their customers. Various tech was available for hands on try out, VR/AR, drones, robots, 3D printing – a veritable smorgesbord of tech!
The idea of the day was to drive the next wave of innovations for Brymec to continue to succeed, engage their team and drive innovation. This approach is already working for them.
Stunning. Amazing. Fabulous. Breathtaking. Incredible!
For a company of this size to have this kind of vision and be willing to do something like this to drive their innovation and development is outstanding – and puts many of their larger peers to shame. And puts them in the leading pack of industry moving forward and into the digital future. Good for them! Brymec are understanding, responding, and adapting, and driving forward. Darwin in action!
All credit to Luke Reiner (MD) and their team. First class! And thanks for having me.
It’s change, change, change – stupid!
As I’ve said before this comes to all of us. The pace of change continues to accelerate, and is affecting all aspects of society on many fronts – this isn’t just about our industry. This is about life and how it’s going to be. The waves of tech will continue to pound our beaches, demanding our attention and eventually sweeping us away with them. New tech, open data, big data, deep data, 3D, 4D, 5D, 6D, 7D, nD, it’s all coming. Wearable, over suits, exoskeletons, implanted, chips, displays, plugins, robots, drones and more. Short steps to cyborgs, warp drive and string theory………
As I often I say, #wearealltechnologistsnowand #lifelonglearners,because if you want your business to survive or your career to progress we all have to keep up now, only in this case it will not slow down for us. No quarter will be given.
These are challenging times, so we need to wake up, we need to see visionary leadership, nimble SME’s adapting to change and outgunning their larger rivals, and big organisations showing the way. I don’t see enough of it yet. The people at the cutting edge are getting carried away with the hubcaps and flashing lights, meanwhile most of the industry can’t do Level 1 as it was known pre ISO 19650. Maybe somebody could think about that? Maybe we need to question the motivation of the standards industry spinning wheels, while the industry dies on its feet?
And finally
Nice to see that at long last the Dept of BEIS has become a sponsor of the UK BIM Alliance who are still leading the charge on Level 2, as us old timers call it. Great that after 8 years finally some government money has found it’s way to the UK BIM movement…..more on this some other time.
It is a strange idea that our industry can be changed by volunteer efforts. Hundreds if not thousands have given their time effort and money over the years to keep the BIM movement in the UK moving forward – the vast majority will receive no thanks or recognition. Though their efforts the BIM Regions, the BIM4 specialist groups, and now the UK BIM Alliance continue to work on this, and need your support in anyway you can.
You know what to do?
There’s only all our futures at stake!
JOHNEYNON. Is an architect, design manager and BIM Champ with over 40 years experience in the built environment industry, across a variety of roles and projects. He has been involved in UK BIM since around 2012, predominantly through the BIM Regions/Regional Hubs and more recently the UK BIM Alliance. He writes, blogs, lectures, speaks, dances and paints. You can catch up with him at www.zenanddm.com
This post is a slightly longer version of that appearing in the recent edition of BIM Today, thanks to those nice people at Adjacent Digital Politics. Big thanks. J.