AEC's Client Survey Results

The survey results are in! You talked. We listened. AEC has spent the last month analyzing the information you presented us with in the survey, and what a great learning experience it was. Before we discuss the results, we'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate the 3rd iPod winner, Gert Van Moorsel and Mark Vogele with Aspen Skiing Company. We understand they may be duking it out to see who actually gets to keep the iPod!

AEC would like to extend yet another thank you to everyone who responded to our survey. We always accept and appreciate feedback, so if you were unable to complete the survey please don't hesitate to contact us to discuss any specific concerns.

SURVEY RESULTS

The thoughtful and engaging responses we received from the architects, contractors, building owners, and other design professionals that we regularly work with has enabled us to evaluate our business processes and find areas to focus improving upon. We were happy and proud to see that there are many things we are doing right, and we’ve made a renewed commitment to continue making the priorities of our clients, our priorities too. For specific information on what we’ve learned from this survey, please continue reading!

Effective Coordination with the Design Team

This was the most common response to how an MEP designer adds value to a project, with 63% selecting this answer. We are proud to say that 53% of our respondents selected this as AEC’s top strength.

“Coordinating drawings throughout the entire project.”
“Keep doing quality work, work with the design team w/ clear and concise communication / drawings and be responsive.”

Coordination is 90% of our job, whether it be ensuring that equipment can fit within a desired space, or making sure that the owner’s goals are properly executed. Effective coordination depends upon good communication, a strong knowledge base, and a commitment to project goals. AEC’s commitment to continue providing the most effective coordination possible is evident in the revamped scheduling and management protocols we’ve recently implemented, which allows our employees to continue providing a high level of service and attention to our clients needs.

Accuracy

45% of respondents selected accuracy of drawings as one of the most important design criteria when selecting an MEP design firm. In addition, 41% claimed that errors/omissions were a top way that MEP designers diminish their value on a project.

“Upper management [should be] involved with overseeing project engineers work.”
“We have had considerable problems with MEP firms where drawings are not accurate, CA is not performed at a detailed level and then problem resolution had not been responsive.”

While we had no specific comments about needing improvement in this area, because it’s so important to our clients we saw that this was an area that we wanted to better ourselves in. To that end, we have reorganized our project management such that each and every project is carefully reviewed by one of the company’s principals. Stan and Taylor are not only involved in the oversight of each project, but are personally responsible for the thorough checking of each drawing and document which leaves our office. We have implemented new organizational protocols which ensure a high level of coordination between the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and lighting designs of each project. We see these measures as just the beginning, and will be continually striving to improve our checking procedures and expand our knowledge base.

Responsiveness

63% of respondents listed responsiveness as their top criteria when selecting an MEP designer. We at AEC pride ourselves on our attention to our client’s needs and busy schedules, and are proud to note that 47% of respondents listed responsiveness as AEC’s top strength.

“Overall AEC meets our expectations, deadlines, communication, etc...”
“Be very responsive”

Quite simply, we care about the projects we are involved in, and are committed to seeing problems resolved and goals realized. Our responsiveness is a direct reflection of the character of each of our employees and the culture we foster at AEC.

Construction Administration

“Doesn’t understand constructability issues” was the most selected response (45%) for ways in which an MEP designer diminishes their value on a project. This issue encompasses the challenges in the design phase as well as effective follow-through during construction.

“Better construction coordination”
“Realize the budget constraints regarding various clients and design accordingly.”
“Have the engineers think/design as if they had to pay for it and install it.”
“Understand the constructability and work and explain the design to the installers and superintendent”
“Punchlist thoroughness”

This is a common complaint of the MEP design industry, and we received a handful of responses which listed construction administration as a service which AEC needs to improve upon. In response to this, we have begun to focus on improving our constructability knowledge by performing additional site visits after construction to verify proper system operation, sometimes free of charge to the owner. Depending upon the project, we will often suggest involving a contractor earlier in the design stage, often for pricing exercises which can provide valuable information to the owner. By continuing to strengthen our relationship with the contractors as well as increase our exposure on the job site, we aim to provide even better construction administration services to our clients.

What services would you like to see AEC provide in the future

Many of you were interested in seeing more alternative energy design options and a larger focus on quantitative analysis and lifecycle cost comparisons.

“Introduce and suggest green energy techniques to specific projects. Provide building and consultant fees for normal building construction as well as these fees for green energy techniques. In other words have a line item cost comparison which would help client determine if added costs are worth it.”
“Good Solar and thermal designs. Also maybe get involved with Building envelope design. This can be very important in energy efficiency and can be done at a minimal cost.”
“Good Solar and thermal designs. Also maybe get involved with Building envelope design. This can be very important in energy efficiency and can be done at a minimal cost.”
“Coordinate efficient energy design (solar, GSHP, etc) and consumption (initial design with Architects) and monitoring (software interface, easy to use screen, etc.)”

“Green” has become the buzzword for the sustainability movement, but to truly be environmentally responsible you have to have hard facts and analysis to back up your claims. As a result, we have recently spent time refining our analysis skills to ensure that the proper systems are installed for each project. We have focused extensively on improving our building modeling skills because our greatest benefit to the design team is our ability to perform quantitative analysis. Specifically, we have worked with architects on envelope design of projects big and small. Minor changes to building orientation, shading schemes, and window values can have huge results on overall energy usage. We have set competitive fees to offer this service on all jobs and are stressing its importance to clients across the board. Alternative energy systems such as solar, geothermal, and wind can be well applied in our climate, but their overall utility is very project specific. As a result, we attempt to complete detailed energy analysis and pricing exercises very early in the design process.