EFCG’s 32nd CEO Conference was held in Denver, CO, on September 28–30. This year’s event welcomed industry leaders and outside speakers to discuss pertinent topics such as the evolution of M&A and valuations, energy’s impact on the future of infrastructure, taking the lead with tech, fortifying your bottom line with ESG goals, and becoming the leader that inspires a workforce.
BST Global Director of Knowledge Management Hank Tran hosted a breakout session titled “How AI + Big Data Will Transform the AEC Industry.” Hank’s session examined the unique opportunity to leverage emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data in the AEC industry. Implementation of such advancements will foster the data-driven consultancy of the future, which is built on project intelligence™ and powered by predictive analytics. Attendees also learned a few tips on how to get this innovation journey started at their own firms. There’s a real opportunity to impact stagnant industry KPIs by bringing project foresight to the table through artificial intelligence. You can download the presentation here.
Some key highlights from Hank’s session include:
- “Systems today are too complicated, data is siloed and project managers only have access to historical project information, offering only ‘rear-view’ project visibility.”
- “We need to create machine learning and AI solutions that can analyze patterns and detect anomalies in order to become predictive.”
- “By becoming more predictive and data-driven, we can infuse AI into everyday project management and truly deliver project intelligence™.”
The following day, BST Global Chief Executive Officer Javier A. Baldor joined a panel to discuss “Taking the Lead With Technology.” During this explorative conversation, panelists from firms known for their forward-thinking technology strategies talked about how they have been taking advantage of technology to fundamentally change the way they operate and deliver to their clients and the industry. The panel included:
- Raj Arora, CEO, Jensen Hughes
- Mike Carragher, CEO, VHB
- Rob Painter, CEO, Trimble
- Javier A. Baldor, CEO, BST Global
- Marcus Quigley, Technology Practice Lead & Moderator, EFCG
Some of Javier’s contributions included:
- “There’s a significant opportunity before us with the optimization, collaboration and application of technologies in how project teams are delivering projects within a consultancy.”
- “If this industry is going to move the needle, we are all going to need to change and do things differently.”
- “I believe in the notion of this smart, data-driven consultancy of the future where you will meld big data, AI, machine learning, predictive capabilities and anomaly detection to empower project managers and project teams with the data they need to better run their projects.”
- “Democratizing and empowering the data is the key to achieving the digital workforce of the future.”
BST Global appreciates the opportunity to participate in events like EFCG’s CEO Conference and looks forward to future engagements. Check out our Events page for all the upcoming events we’re participating in — we’d love to see you at some of our sessions!
