BIM and Information Technology

The balance between innovation and standardization – How DPR Construction achieves both

I’m always interested in learning how companies become successful. Having worked for small companies for the majority of my career, I’m keenly aware of the struggle to establish commercial success when growing from a small to medium firm, one job at a time. Over the years, I’ve discovered the primary driver for success lies in a company’s ability to find the right people and put them in the right role.
Sept. 17, 2014
2 min read
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I’m always interested in learning how companies become successful. Having worked for small companies for the majority of my career, I’m keenly aware of the struggle to establish commercial success when growing from a small to medium firm, one job at a time. Over the years, I’ve discovered the primary driver for success lies in a company’s ability to find the right people and put them in the right role.  

I’ve watched DPR grow over the years and have had the pleasure of interacting with many of their talented people, including Nathan Wood, who is a member of the Innovation Team. I’ve seen him push the bounds of construction by living DPR’s core philosophy of “ever forward.” As a technology provider, we’ve seen firsthand the level of commitment DPR exhibits towards supporting their people and process, as well as investing in the right tools to be better.  

On many occasions, we’ve been on the receiving side of the Innovation Team’s software “wish list,” asking us to do more and help bring about real change within the industry. Many times, Nathan has emailed me directly to lobby for something he’s passionate about—something the team has uncovered as really important to their project team’s success. 

 

 

This type of relationship-building between vendor and innovator has allowed companies on all sides of the industry to transcend beyond the status quo of “business as usual.” Frankly, it’s a part of the job I absolutely love and wouldn’t change for anything. I’ve witnessed engagements evolve into partnerships based on mutually beneficial goals rather than contractual obligations. It’s collaboration at its finest and is one of the key elements fueling innovation within the construction industry today.  

Trying to balance time invested in creative innovation with time spent defining standards, however, will always be a real-world challenge for many innovators. Further, adding complexity to the equation is the reality that finding ways to replicate success one project to the next is an elusive proposition in the construction world. For this episode of the Digital COM video blog, I interview Nathan to learn more about what fuels DPR’s innovation to share with you the finer points of their success.  

Editor's note: This is sponsored content. The video and text was provided by the sponsor company.

About the Author

Sasha Reed

As Vice President of Strategic Development at Bluebeam, Inc., Sasha Reed collaborates with leaders in the architecture, engineering and construction industry to guide Bluebeam’s technology, partnerships and long-term goals. She joined Bluebeam in 2007 and co-created the Concierge Approach, a distinctly branded process of customer engagement, product feedback and solution delivery to which much of Bluebeam’s success is attributed, and which today is replicated at every organizational level.

Sasha is known industry-wide as a “conversation facilitator,” creating platforms for exchanges necessary to digitally advance the industry, including the BD+C Magazine Digital COM Blog, which she authors and manages. She’s been a featured presenter at numerous national and international conferences, including the 2014 Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), Federal Project Delivery Symposium and NTI Danish BIM Conference. Sasha also co-chairs the Construction PDF Coalition, a grassroots effort to provide a common industry framework from which to create and maintain construction PDF documents, serves on the City College of San Francisco BIM Industry Council, and is Advisor to the Board of Direction for the National Institute of Building Sciences BuildingSMART Alliance.

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