Engineering Inc - January/February 2018 - 40

IT'S TRANSFORMATION

IT leaders and professionals are finding that their skills and services
are actually more in demand, and their expertise is becoming more
of a factor in the overall bottom-line success of their firms.
"When I sit back and think about it, I'd say that the role of IT
in our firm has probably changed more than any other one," says
Kenneth Smith, CEO at Houma, Louisiana-based T. Baker Smith.
The IT manager has transformed to the chief information officer at T. Baker Smith, and IT has gone from a backroom support
service to a C-level position that actually drives strategies and their
implementation, Smith says.

"Not too many years back, the saying was 'never make a decision
without your attorney and your CPA on your side,'" Smith says.
"Today, you never make a strategic decision in your firm without
your CIO on your side."
At T. Baker Smith, the CIO is responsible for IT operations as
well as systems and software management, data management, digital
records management, device management, cloud services, interoffice
collaboration, intranet systems, and most important, the Innovation
Solutions Division.
CIOs in engineering firms play a critical role in not only supplying the tools to users but also working with project team leaders
to own the solution, says Dave Wagner, senior
director of product marketing at software company Newforma. "Only when the team owns
the solutions will it achieve a level of usage and
adoption necessary to make it a success," he says.
The emergence of cloud computing has also
impacted the role of IT, says Eric Quinn, director of IT at C&S Cos. In the past it was relatively simple, he says,
with the main decisions involving which core software products to
use.
"It was a rather narrow field, so you could look at things and say,
'This is what we're going to buy.' Now every manufacturer has some
sort of online presence and tools available in the cloud, so being
able to help coordinate the different cloud-based tools is extremely
important," Quinn says.
"There are a lot of niche services for different industries, and we
want to be sure we're connecting with those," he says.
Now, IT must leverage those new cloud, mobile and social technologies tools to capture information and communicate it to the
entire team-both young and old, Wagner says. "Through IT's
effort, we are seeing a revolution
in how engineers do their job,"
he says.
Looking ahead, IT will likely
play an even bigger strategic role
as firms increasingly use emerging technologies such as machine
learning, artificial intelligence and
augmented and virtual reality.
"It will make us better 'trusted
advisers' to our clients," Smith
"We see the
says. "Machine learning and the
automation of manual tasks will increasing role of
force the engineering firm to
IT in our company
do more than just good design
work. We will truly need to step as something our
it up and provide innovative
board needs to be
solutions."
kept aware of so
IT's role in the industry's
future will also grow as "smart
that we can make
cities" continue to evolve,
which will impact infrastructure important strategic
design, from sensors collecting
decisions."
all kinds of big data to paperless 3D-model deliverables,
LISA A. BROTHERS
NITSCH ENGINEERING
according to Brothers. "These

One of the biggest areas of concern is
protecting systems and data against a
growing array of cybersecurity threats
"Technology is a lot more dynamic than it used to be, and it
reaches deeper into the company," notes Andres Repetto, director
of IT at Nitsch Engineering.
In the past, companies had a few pieces of software that were
updated every couple of years, Repetto says. But now, software
constantly evolves as do companies, so IT's role is to make sure
those changes work in tandem. "We need to pick the right tools
and partnerships to help companies achieve their goals-and do it
as efficiently as possible," he says.
This evolution in IT has brought great benefits to the engineering industry, according to Repetto, and IT has become an essential
part of the industry.
"IT used to be considered an administrative support function,
but now it is absolutely a strategic position," says Lisa A. Brothers,
chairman and CEO of Nitsch Engineering. "IT hardware and software costs, the smooth functioning of IT and the constant threat
of a security breach is a lot more intense than it was years ago. IT
management now requires a highly qualified, senior person who is
involved at the strategic level."
From mobile access and collaboration to drones and laser scanners, IT has become deeply integrated into firm operations. "As
tools evolve and people become more tech savvy, the line between
technology and engineering begins to blur," Repetto says.
On an annual basis, Repetto presents to the firm's board of directors what he sees as critical IT needs for Nitsch Engineering in the
short-term and three to five years out.
"We see the increasing role of IT in our company as something
our board needs to be kept aware of so that we can make important strategic decisions," Brothers says.
Understanding the goals and challenges of the company as a
whole, as well as the individual departments, allows Repetto to
be more efficient when procuring solutions that can help people
achieve their objectives. "It's not about keeping the lights on, but
about bringing light to where it's needed," he says.
A SEAT AT THE STRATEGY TABLE

Smith agrees that IT is changing how engineering firms operate,
and the top IT executive is considered a trusted adviser on various
aspects of firm business.
40

ENGINEERING INC.

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

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