Requirements & Requirements Management

[Webinar Recap] Building the Blueprint: Applying Requirements Management in the AEC Industry

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In this blog, we recap our webinar, “Building the Blueprint: Applying Requirements Management in the AEC Industry” – Click HERE to watch it in its entirety.

What does effective requirements management look like in the AEC industry?

Discover how Jama Connect® is transforming requirements management for Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) projects by streamlining processes, enhancing collaboration, and tackling the industry’s unique challenges — from managing complex stakeholder needs and ensuring compliance to saving time, reducing costly rework, and minimizing project risks.

In this webinar, experts Patrick Garman, Principal Solutions Consultant, and Joe Gould, Senior Account Executive from Jama Software, share insights and demonstrate Jama Connect’s powerful capabilities tailored for the AEC industry.

What you’ll learn:

  • Streamlined approaches to capturing, verifying, and tracking requirements
  • Techniques for reducing costly rework through inefficient project management
  • Ways to enhance team collaboration in complex projects
  • Strategies to ensure regulatory compliance through the project lifecycle
  • Insights from real-world case studies and industry-specific examples for successful AEC project delivery

BELOW IS AN ABBREVIATED SECTION OF THIS TRANSCRIPT

Building the Blueprint: Applying Requirements Management in the AEC Industry

Joe Gould: Let’s start by examining a critical aspect of our industry and that’s regulations in AEC. Understand why they’re so vital to our work in the broader community. Regulations in the AEC industry serve multiple essential purposes. First, keeping people safe. Organizations like OSHA, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act, establish regulations to ensure the safety and accessibility of construction sites. In 2023, OSHA charged businesses $132.3 million for violations of its 10 most cited regulations. This substantial figure underscores the importance of adhering to safety standards to protect our workers and the public.

Second, ensuring structures last. Local building codes in the International Building Code, or IBC, set the standards for durability and longevity of structures. Failure to meet these standards can lead to severe penalties ranging from monetary fines to criminal charges. So ensuring compliance not only avoids these penalties but also guarantees the integrity and safety of the buildings that we design and that we construct.

Third, preserving our natural environment regulations from the EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency, and LEED, Leadership and Energy Environmental Design, are designed to protect our environment. Penalties for violating environmental regulations can be severe with fines up to $250,000 and prison sentences of up to 15 years. Compliance helps us minimize our environmental footprint and contribute to sustainable development.

Last, providing financial protection for all involved. Regulations enforced by the FTC, Federal Trade Commission, and EEOC, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, ensure that all parties involved in construction projects receive fair compensation for their work. These regulations aim to promote fairness and transparency, ensuring that everyone from contractors to laborers are paid appropriately. Non-compliance can result in project delays and financial losses.

RELATED: Whitepaper Six Key Challenges in the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO) Industry and How to Solve Them with Jama Connect

Gould: The importance of adhering to these regulations cannot be overstated. These aren’t just bureaucratic hurdles. They’re the foundation of a safe, sustainable, and fair construction industry. And by following these regulations, we protect our workers, ensure the longevity and safety of our structures, preserve our environment, and promote fairness and financial integrity within our projects.

Construction is one of the most heavily regulated industries that exist. On top of regulations, the process of completing a long-term project requires an astronomical paper trail. However, this paper trail ensures that everything is done properly and that every worker is paid accordingly. To accommodate all of these moving parts, you need a dependable requirements management system to keep it all organized. As we navigate the dynamic landscape of AEC, there are various factors that contribute to the alterations and project requirements. Design modifications, compliance updates, stakeholder feedback, and other elements play a significant role in shaping project timelines and outcomes. Understanding these drivers is crucial for adapting to evolving project needs and ensuring successful project delivery. So let’s take a deeper look into the opportunity within the AEC industry.

There is a significant opportunity within the construction industry that has the potential to transform our sector and drive substantial economic growth. So let’s start with some key statistics that highlight the current landscape. 13% of the world’s GDP is driven by construction-related spending, 13%! This figure underscores the immense scale and economic importance of our industry globally. However, despite this substantial contribution, there’s a glaring productivity gap that we have to address. Over the past 20 years, the construction sector’s annual growth has increased by just 1%. This stagnant growth rate indicates that we are not maximizing our potential and that there are significant inefficiencies that are holding us back.

This brings us to the most compelling figure. There is a $1.6 trillion global opportunity to boost productivity in the construction sector annually. This isn’t just a number, this is a call to action. Imagine what we could achieve with an additional $1.6 trillion in value each year. It would revolutionize our industry, leading to faster project completion, reduce cost, and enhance profitability. The question we have to ask ourselves is how can we tap into this vast opportunity.

RELATED: AEC Buyer’s Guide: Selecting a Requirements and Compliance Management Solution for Complex Projects

Gould: Did you know that inadequate scope management can lead to significant cost escalations? According to McKinsey and Company, up to 20% of project costs can be attributed to scope adjustments. However, with Jama Connect we can save time and money by mitigating scope-related issues. So let’s explore how effective requirements management can be a game changer in controlling project costs.

See, we have a requirements management problem and we don’t even know that we have a problem. There’s a better way than managing this through a series of documents. Jama Connect is a purpose-built tool to centralize all project requirements from the inception of a project through commissioning. Imagine a world where scope creep, inconsistent documentation, and communication gaps no longer hinder project success. With Jama Connect, we step into a realm of streamlined communication, stakeholder alignment, and precise cost estimation. And by centralizing project requirements, Jama Connect acts as a beacon of clarity guiding us through the maze of regulatory compliance and project intricacies.

In the realm of AEC projects, focus, traceability, collaboration, and compliance play pivotal roles in ensuring successful outcomes. Jama Connect stands as a proven solution offering end-to-end traceability and requirements reuse for complex projects. So as we navigate the intricate landscape of construction, let’s explore how Jama Connect revolutionizes the way that we capture, manage, and validate requirements.

WATCH THIS WEBINAR IN ITS ENTIRETY:
Building the Blueprint: Applying Requirements Management in the AEC Industry

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