THE PROS AND CONS OF OUTSOURCED DIGITAL MODELING SERVICES FOR EARTHWORK

Feb 19

How do you know when to hire out and when to do it in-house? Well, like many things…it depends. When it comes to your digital modeling needs, you thankfully have options. We’ve put together a list of pros and cons to help with your decision.

Pros:

High-Quality Analysis: Virtual construction engineers (VCEs) work on many projects every day. These projects vary in scope, which gives them useful experience to pull from when they need to analyze sites and come up with solutions to issues. VCEs have years of field experience to draw from, knowing what a contractor expects in a model. Having the benefit of a team of engineers to discuss and troubleshoot ideas helps everyone get to the best possible resolution. This team collaboration contributes to value engineering, and it’s not usually possible when models are created in-house unless the team consists of more than one engineer.

Extremely Precise Data: We all know that accuracy pays in this business. The more precise your data is, the more efficient your equipment will be and the better results you’ll get. Working with all forms of data and all different file types becomes a significant advantage. External services that provide an additional layer of quality control review is another factor that results in better data for your machines.

More Bids Submitted: You work under tight deadlines, and fitting in those bids before it’s too late is always a top priority. If you only have one person on staff who knows how to create estimates, you’re likely missing out on bids. Working with an external team increases your ability to bid on more projects because more resources are available to work on them.

Changes Made Quickly: Commonly, multiple changes come up throughout different project stages. Models need to be altered to account for the revisions when that happens. A quick call to your service expert to let them know about the change is all you need to get a revision started so work can continue on the job site.

Time Saved: The difficulties of trying to hire workers in our industry remain high. The amount of time that it takes to hire and train someone to handle digital modeling services can be very long. During that time, the strain on the team to get what they need to keep the jobs going can create even more challenges. Working with an external services firm that integrates seamlessly into your workflow (CIM) is more efficient. The virtual construction engineer(s) work closely with you so that they become an extension of your team on each project. Their knowledge of the field and the technology makes them a very qualified and cost-effective partner.

Cons:

Managing Priorities: There are typically fewer opportunities to prioritize an external person’s work than an in-house employee. Your influence over which projects your employee puts to the top of the list is higher when you’re their supervisor. However, when your relationship with an external services provider is strong, there are always opportunities to discuss prioritizing time-sensitive projects.

Cost Management: In situations where there is an urgent need or quick turnaround time, there may be higher costs with the external services company than with an in-house staff member.

Third-Party Dependency: There are always some inherent risks when hiring someone else to do work for you. The important thing to do is conduct a thorough due diligence process when choosing the firm. Take the time to ask for and speak with people they have done work for and use that opportunity to ask many questions.

Hybrid Solution Option:

There are also circumstances when a contractor hires an in-house person and an external services firm. Hiring both could be due to a few different reasons. Perhaps the in-house person has more workload than they can handle. Another reason could be the level of complexity of the job could exceed their skillset. The person could be on vacation or leave of absence which requires the contractor to do it externally.

If you’re still unsure which method is best for you, let’s talk! We’d be more than happy to answer your questions and help you figure out what solution is best for you.