An increase in investment in infrastructure as well as product development in both emerging and developed economies has led to the rise of engineering and construction outsourcing. Based on Grand View Research estimates, the worth in the world engineering service outsourcing market will rise to US$411.02 billion at the end of 2020 and reach US$24.47 trillion by 2027.
Problems in the market for engineering and construction
With increasing demand from consumers for innovative products that range from smartphones , computers to hybrid vehicles, companies around the globe are being forced to expand their engineering capabilities. Companies that provide engineering services to industries like automotive, industrial equipment aerospace, and mobile communications have to be able to faster create, produce and launch new products on the market in response to the shrinking life span of products and increased demand. The need to introduce new products to the market in a rapid manner is putting pressure on the engineering workforce and processes, causing cost to rise.
Additionally, as per Deloitte’s 2021 industry outlook for construction and engineering of the U.S., a rapid technological advancement and ongoing shortages of labor, COVID-19 fears, and new workplace regulations are presenting C&E firms with a myriad of workforce, work and workplace issues in the year 2021.
Lack of employment
The shortage of labor is affecting the C&E industry’s expansion and growth, with Deloitte declaring that the problem has increased to “crisis dimensions”. It’s becoming more difficult than ever before for companies to attract and retain skilled employees, which affects the ability of the industry to evolve and innovate in particular with regard to technology.
As the current engineering workforce ages and fewer and fewer people enter the field of engineering in many Western countries businesses are required to travel further for employees. The increasing decentralization of engineering functions makes it more difficult to find the best talent locally. As businesses expand globally employees need not just the appropriate skills and expertise and experience, but also be able to satisfy the specific demands of local consumers all over the world.
Companies in the field of engineering and construction are also struggling with ways to get back to work on sites that were closed due to the pandemic. A lot of employees have been promoted to other jobs or have left the sector altogether, which means that companies are not able to re-engage the same workers. The construction industry is constantly adding new jobs and has partially recovered from the initial loss of jobs caused due to the pandemic, the challenges caused by a shortage of talent will likely to continue into 2021.
In Australia where construction is considered to be an vital service sector could continue to operate until 2020, meaning that the majority of companies were protected from the most severe direct effects of the epidemic. Because the construction and building sector contributes more than $200 billion annually to the Australian economy every year The government of both the state and federal levels are likely to invest a lot in the construction industry to help with recovery after COVID. In addition, the engineering industry is benefiting from a significant amount of investments in mining and transport projects. The large amount of money invested in projects will mean that more workers is required to complete these projects. In addition, the shortage of labor has also led to an increase in cost of labor in the industry.
Digital transformation
From remote technologies like drones, robotics, and automation Construction and engineering industry is experiencing the digital revolution. The most significant difference between developers and builders in the coming year will be technological advancements in the construction industry specifically those advancements that improve efficiency. The COVID-19 virus is leading to a greater dependence on technology for construction especially in the fields of digital collaboration scanners, scanning, safety wearables such as construction information modelling (BIM) along with computer-aided designs (CAD). Therefore, the construction industry will require more employees that are proficient in the application of these technologies and in the managing and interpretation of information generated.
Due to these difficulties, C&E firms may be not able to meet the market’s needs, and could be unable to win bids on projects, and may not be able to come up with new ideas. To minimize these negative consequences there are a variety of best practices C&E firms can consider taking in the next year. This includes collaborating the external talents marketplace creating internal training programs and developing the next generation of employees.
Let’s examine an extremely effective methods to address the gap between skills and labor shortage outsourcing.
Why should you outsource the C&E sector?
Businesses that can integrate the resources of outsourcing engineering services with their own capability are more likely be able to continue to improve their operations while also reducing operating costs.
The concept of virtual and remote technology is now a commonplace and has led to an omnipresent acceptance of remote-based business operations. The pandemic is only serving to further cement this notion and many businesses around the globe having to shift staff out of the premises because of security issues. Thanks to the rise of digitalization and cloud-based software remote working has been made possible. It’s now commonplace for coworkers to meet to communicate, interact and collaborate effortlessly with platforms like Zoom. These platforms allow even the most modest companies to connect with the skilled employees they need to meet the needs of their employees.
This greater flexibility provides an chance for the engineering and construction industry to recruit or contract for highly skilled workers from outside the local market.
Advantages of outsourcing
Employment on a temporary basis is not new in the field of construction industries and engineering, and the latest outsourcing provider lets companies be more flexible and adaptable to their needs for employment and, as a result improve efficiency and boost profits.
One of the main advantages outsourcing can provide are:
Reduced labor costs
Employing highly skilled professionals in a low-cost region such as the Philippines allows construction and engineering businesses to achieve regularly 50%-70 percent savings on their labor costs while ensuring high-quality outcomes. The savings can be used for the development of new businesses or other investment opportunities.
Scalability
Outsourcing lets your business increase or decrease its capacity depending on the demand of seasonal and cyclical projects while keeping labor costs at a low level, and predictable and effective. If you’re just trying to meet a deadline and realize that you do not have the internal resources to meet the goal, your team could be quickly expanded through outsourcing.
Cost savings on equipment and office space costs.
When you outsourcing construction and engineering services Your company will need less office space as well as furniture and equipment which will result in cost savings immediately.
Training time reduction and associated costs
Training employees – whether they are new or already employed – can be costly and time-consuming. Employees who are newly trained will need time to fully realize their potential while getting familiar on their new abilities. On the other hand contractors outsourced to them who have the necessary skills and have tried and tested training programs are able to get started and save time, effort and cash.
Access to specialist techniques, technologies and expert
If a specialist is needed to complete a project that is a one-off and your business does not possess the resources internally or necessity to hire an individual on a permanent basis, outsourcing could be a solution. Outsourcing employees allow companies to benefit from the experience of highly experienced, skilled experts from around the world for a lower price than local market prices.
In the same way, a project might need the application of particular technology, such as advanced 3D animation that isn’t readily available at the within the company. The most reputable outsourcing companies for engineering and construction always invest in the latest technologies that may be too expensive for small businesses to buy. They are also equipped to offer highly trained experts with the right skills for using these techniques.
Speedier turnaround
The presence of a dedicated team or a person who is with a focus on a specific job will allow the project to be completed faster and with less distractions. Construction and engineering outsourcing companies have the ability to take projects from initial intake to completion in a timely manner and are well-versed in working under pressure to meet deadlines.
Flexible resource management
The outsourcing of projects or tasks gives permanent employees with more time and energy to new projects or concentrate on expanding the company, creating new products, or improvements in quality.
After-hours support
A team of offshore outsourcing located in another timezone can be contacted to assist clients once your own employees are off. Additionally, many outsourcing teams are available 24/7 and are available regardless of timezone.
Higher customer satisfaction
Speedier turnaround times for projects cost savings and access to the top talent and technologies from all over the world lead to greater satisfaction with our customers.
