The challenges faced by organisations in ICT and Software include finding and retaining great employees, and then integrating these employees into a culture that not only coordinates the work, but also develops outstanding problem-solving and technical skills. This often necessitates two hierarchies: operational and administrative. Tying up your best programmer in administration (which she despises) is counterproductive.
Visibility of the work is another frequent challenge that organisations in this space encounter. Many organisations find it very difficult to visually describe the work and the systems of development that enable their teams and individuals to interact effectively. There is also the ongoing problem of monitoring and managing progress, as well as legacy problems, for example inflated customer expectations that can no longer be met.
As a result of these challenges, the construction business environment must adapt. Standards such as BIM are gaining traction as enablers, and not-for-profit organisation Lean Construction Ireland is encouraging collaboration and the adoption of Lean techniques to improve the quality and efficiency of the industry.
Business Transformation and Digital Transformation Programmes are now commonplace within the leading construction companies and major projects. Techniques such as Last Planner, Integrated Project Development and Target Value Design are being adopted by developers and public organisations such as HS2 to ensure visibility and performance at all stages of projects.
To thrive in this sector in the future, organisations will need to transform their businesses and in some cases completely rethink their place in a supply chain that has become, at times, adversarial but will, in the future, be led by those who collaborate openly.
