Each year, Autodesk publishes the results of The State of Design and Make study. This global survey gathers input from over 5,368 industry leaders, futurists, and experts in architecture, engineering, construction, and owners (AECO); design and manufacturing (D&M); and media and entertainment (M&E).
The 2024 study found that nearly two-thirds of participants (64%) believe their companies are digitally mature, compared to 2023 when 62% rated their organizations as “less digitally mature.”
Digitally mature companies view technology as an essential tool for staying relevant in today’s rapidly changing world. Digital transformation enhances productivity, profitability, customer satisfaction, idea generation, sustainability, and collaboration.
Source: Autodesk 2024 State of Design & Make
Digitally mature firms maintain a competitive edge in a variety of ways, such as:
- Greater resilience in the face of business challenges
- Capable of handling change at higher rates than their peers
- Responding to clients faster
- Increased existing product and service offerings
- Expansion into new markets
Companies that are either approaching or have already achieved digital transformation have well-defined technology investment plans. They see technology as a way to deliver better project outcomes, support product and service innovation, create an improved customer experience, and enable better data management and analytics.
The following case studies show how technology is delivering greater business resilience in the real world.
High-tech manufacturing. The 2024 State of Design & Make study found that 59% of design and manufacturing companies say their firm is digitally mature. These organizations are far ahead of their less digitally mature peers in the use of cloud services and platforms, smart services, automation, digital twins, and more.
A company with a 50-year history building high-tech machinery recognized that its market was becoming stagnant. In response, the team decided to diversify its business through technology.
- Predictive analytics and new services based on the Internet of Things. One of the company’s strengths was the workflow processes that surrounded its machinery. To better monitor, prevent, and service equipment failures and other issues, the company invested in sensors and technology related to the Internet of Things. Using data collected through this monitoring, the organization developed predictive analytics to anticipate when machinery might fail. These insights enabled the company to perform preventive maintenance and prevent downtime.
- Simulations and an improved client experience using digital twins. The company also developed digital twins to address heating and cooling of buildings. The team partnered with an HVAC manufacturer that built fans, enabling them to get better equipment visualizations. In addition, they were able to conduct simulations around room temperature, occupancy, and equipment performance.
Source : Autodesk 2024 State of Design & Make
Construction. According to the 2024 State of Design & Make study, 65% of respondents in the AECO sector say their company is digitally mature. These firms utilize the cloud, digitize project delivery, and leverage technologies like BIM that drive business success.
For a family-owned, full-service construction management and general contracting firm, dealing with dozens of subcontractors, engineers, and other key stakeholders is par for the course. Everyone involved in a project also needs access to a massive amount of information. When the company learned that it would be working on a three-year high school construction project, the leaders considered how technology could be used to connect the entire team, reducing the time spent managing documentation and increasing the accuracy of those documents. The firm implemented Autodesk BIM 360 construction management software. This has enabled easy collaboration at every phase of a project, early identification of issues, the ability to evaluate different options quickly, and fewer problems with version control.
Source : Autodesk 2024 State of Design & Make
The business environment will continue to change rapidly, and firms have the option to maintain the status quo or keep pace. Technology is one of the best ways for companies to stay resilient and create new sources of competitive advantage.
