Rethinking Technical Consulting in the Age of Digital Transformation : Scenario-Based Insights into Evolving Roles, Workflows, and Competencies

Sammanfattning

The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry is undergoing a profound digital transformation, driven by advances in technologies like Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), as well as continuous competitive pressure in the market. For consulting firms in the industry, this shift presents both opportunities and challenges, particularly in navigating and planning for an uncertain future. This study investigates how digital transformation may transform consultants’ roles and workflows, reshape the strategic priorities of the firms, and how organizations can prepare for these changes. Using a qualitative research design, this study is based on ten semi-structured interviews with managers and consultants in a large company in the AEC industry. A scenario planning method was applied to create a 2×2 matrix with four possible future states, structured around two key uncertainties found through analysis of the interviews: customer attitudes and demands & employee attitudes towards change and organizational culture. The analysis was guided by the Technology-OrganizationEnvironment (T-O-E) framework and abductive reasoning. The findings of the study include four identified possible future scenarios based on the two key drivers. For each scenario, the effects on consultants’ roles and work processes, business models, and appropriate strategies are described. Findings suggest that while some organizational strategies remain robust across all identified futures, such as investing in structured upskilling and developing strong leadership support, others are contingent on the firm’s starting point and the external environment.