Engineering a remote future - McMurtrie Consulting Engineers

Abstract

We are now entering the Post-COVID era. A chapter in history that will be remembered as defining in many ways. Not only in the way people live, but in the way they work, and this is indeed a defining period for the engineering industry. For the past year, restrictions, behaviour-changes and working from home have significantly altered life. Overnight, businesses were forced to enter the virtual world. It didn’t matter where a business was sitting on the spectrum of virtualness; whether the business already existed in the virtual world, or it was completely unaware, it was a shift required by everyone- The Boomers, Gen Xs and of course Millennials. The Engineering industry had never experienced a more significant shift to working conditions than when the world turned to remote working. A study by Engineers Australia reported “Engineers cited the changes associated with working home as the biggest immediate impact of COVID-19.” Despite unpreparedness, the problem-solvers got to work in setting up the hardware, software, home office set up and troubleshooting human error. The forced new working conditions saw many new opportunities and challenges and gave way to a new style of working. There have historically been a lot of barriers inhibiting true remote engineering work. The nature of site-based work & inspections, expectations of face-to-face meetings and inadequate IT have stifled any real progression to virtual work. The traditional engineering industry, quite simply, was not prepared. This paper looks at examples of disruptors across various other industries and how they had presented transformational or ruining results. Approximately 40% of the workforce had required to work from home during 2020. Engineers have obligations under the Professional Engineers Act to undertake work under direct supervision of a practicing professional engineer, if not one themselves. Remote working has challenged how engineers undertake work and how supervision is provided. The aide of technology to allow video calling, instant messaging, screen sharing, and virtual collaboration spaces arguably achieves the same outcomes physical co-location. The Professional Engineers Act requires to be fit for purpose in all scenarios, especially in a post-COVID world. The future of engineering could emerge into a completely borderless and freelance friendly workforce. This transformation would require a continued uptake in new technologies and work styles to embrace the remote future of engineering.