Eric A.D. MacDonald, President, MacViro Consultants Inc.
Our industry is still in a consolidation trend which is likely to continue as long as our engineering services are treated as a commodity. Perhaps the trend will eventually slow down, but only when the global firms control the market. Alas, fees may increase to respectable levels!
The emergence of the Ontario Society for Professional Engineers (OSPE) as our advocate is both encouraging and a sign that at last our profession is acknowledging that blowing our own trumpet may be the way to go!
Increasingly, the consulting industry is noticing that purchasing departments are controlling the means of hiring professional engineers. This process is based on a philosophy that buyers wish to view engineering services as a commodity e.g., like buying pencils! In addressing this issue, and through Consulting Engineers of Ontario, our industry is striving to make progress by requesting distinct policies for purchasing engineering services that are separate and different from policies for purchasing commodities.
The events of September 11 will undoubtedly have significant impacts at the municipal engineering level. Municipalities need to face the public demands for effective infrastructure protection such as to prevent rather than react to the threat of terrorism. Our water systems must be made as physically secure as modern technology allows, e.g., SCADA and video-monitoring must be applied not just to operational needs but also to security aspects.
Our staff are demanding company support for on-going learning and skills upgrading. This, of course, is being done in part through on-the-job training and, in addition, through internal training sessions on new and changing technology. Staff continue to seek opportunities to attend seminars, night courses and conventions which is to be supported, if our industry wishes to be known as an organization that continues to attract and keep the best brains.
With regard to our work habits, it is normal nowadays for both the husband and wife to be working and require flexibility in working hours so that they can look after their responsibilities to their families and home. The internet, of course, has made it possible for staff to work in alternative locations and feed their part into the team. This means of communication enables our working conditions to be both efficient and effective, while allowing flexibility to our employees. It begs the question, however, are we heading to being a cottage industry, operating and producing from our home offices?
Today, as in the past, many engineering consulting companies are owned by their employees, although it is acknowledged that several of the larger firms are being established as publicly-owned companies. The modus operandi of the two ownership models is becoming evident, with the smaller employee-owned companies demonstrating their ability to be more customer friendly than their big brothers, the publicly-owned companies who need to follow more stringent corporate policies. This begs the question: Is bigger better?
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