There’s always growth to be made, even if you’re the most senior person in the room.
Building Engineering and Design Co’s Director of Design and QA, Keith Dewing has seen a thing or two in his 36-year career in the construction industry. Starting out in 1986 as a shop employee on a manufacturing floor and progressing to manual cutting bills, truss design, software development, consulting and now BEDC, Keith credits his long and successful career to having an insatiable desire to learn.
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“Everybody brings some talent to the table, as well as a different view of how things can be done. Listen to what they are saying because the point of view of others can be game changing. Learn from your mistakes, and never make the same mistake twice. But above all, leave yourself open to learning from others, even if you’re the most senior person in the room.”
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On the technology adoption It’s no secret that the construction industry has been slower to transform than some other industries. In Keith’s view, this is due to resistance from the ‘old guard’. Now that the younger generations are coming through and bringing a keen interest in technology, the industry has finally started adopting and embracing new ways of operating.
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“There have been large gains in automation over the past five years, particularly on the production side. Automation has in fact been around for over a decade, but now it’s really taking off and providing massive support, especially where there are labor shortages. Automating is a big deal, it means people can focus their efforts on other areas, and it also brings greater accuracy”.
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For Keith, technology is game changing. And he should know. Having worked in an organization where the owner was unwilling to adopt technology and preferred to use pen and paper and now being part of the BEDC team and working with leading-edge tech, it’s easy to see the benefits and how much of a difference it can make.
On what gets him out of bed every day
Seeing the new generation of people rising through the ranks, running operations and being really open to technology and how it can make things better, faster, more efficient is something Keith is incredibly excited about. Now that more technologically minded people are stepping into leadership roles within the sector, Keith is observing change happening at an accelerating pace.
“Today’s leaders are more open to adopting new tech and it’s so great to see. In the past we just did things the way we’ve always done them, but nowadays people are seeing aspects that are ripe for change, and there’s a real excitement for what technology can do”.
On the last few years and running operations remotely It has been an extraordinary few years and there have been challenges we’ve all had to face. For Keith, this was running the operations of a client’s start-up business remotely, utilizing a range of different technologies to maintain contact and visuals on what was happening on the production floor, monitor operations, run reports, access databases, and execute changes in processes to keep things on track and running smoothly. It was an incredible time for Keith - not only was the operation hugely successful and the business started turning a profit in less than a year, it also showcased the power of technology and how distance does not have to be a hurdle.
But above all, Keith still puts having the best people around you as the secret to success. “Nothing is achieved alone. Share success with your team, share knowledge with each other, pass on those light bulb moments.”
To find out more about how BEDC’s technology can help transform your business, speak to our team today.