Bridging the Data Gap: How Custom Tools Transform A/E Design
Architecture and engineering are changing. The demand for high-quality design is still strong, but clients facing increasingly complex projects expect more. A well-structured BIM (Building Information Model) file used to produce 2D drawings is no longer enough, and the I in BIM – information – is not always complete or accessible. At the same time, the A/E services market is expected to grow more than 10% annually through 2032. This means more projects, higher expectations, and greater pressure on design teams to deliver.
Many firms are still relying on outdated workflows. Manually tracked spreadsheets, scattered communication, and disconnected tools might have worked in the past, but they no longer scale. The need for better systems is growing, and automation is the solution.
Why Traditional Workflows Fall Short
While project demands continue to evolve, many design teams are still relying on tools and processes built for a different era. Modern buildings require input from more stakeholders, tighter coordination across disciplines, and must meet increasingly aggressive timelines. For owners, the focus is no longer just on construction. They’re thinking beyond occupancy and considering how their facilities will operate, evolve, and be maintained over time. They seek data that supports long-term decision-making, reduces risk, and helps maximize the value of their investment throughout the building’s lifecycle.
Most design and construction firms still operate under a drawings-first mindset, where critical information resides in specifications and scattered conversations, rather than being integrated into the digital design. This is often no fault of the designer, but leaves much to be desired for complex projects and data-hungry owners. This disconnect is partially due to the state of A/E software – there are many general tools, and most fail to provide solutions that make it easy to implement and analyze relevant project data.
Projects (and their owners) all have unique challenges and quirks that can never be accounted for by any general industry tool, so how can we as designers move forward to provide successful solutions for our clients?
Automation: The Missing Link
Other industries have already embraced automation to solve similar challenges. In manufacturing, product design, and fashion, teams utilize custom digital tools to move faster and maintain consistency. In A/E, automation certainly exists, but adoption is inconsistent, and many third-party solutions still fail to address the unique requirements of each project.
That’s because most off-the-shelf tools are designed for general use. They rarely align with the necessary standards and varying design constraints of real-world A/E projects. These tools provide needed functionality and enhancements to A/E design workflows, but are often not the solution for data-heavy design.
At SMRT, our approach is that custom projects require custom tools. We build ground-up, flexible, and lightweight automations in-house that respond directly to the challenges we see on our projects. These tools are developed quickly, refined with input from project teams and stakeholders, and can be adjusted constantly to match big changes and new decisions throughout the design process. The result of these applications is more than just saved time – it’s higher-quality deliverables, fewer manual errors, and most importantly a design process that is grounded in real, verifiable, and useful data. The integration of data (including FF&E assets, spatial data, building performance, and sustainability information) from early in a project’s lifecycle helps SMRT and our clients make informed decisions with greater confidence, ultimately leading to improved project outcomes.
Design Smarter, Deliver Better
The pressure on the A/E industry is growing. Clients expect more than clean drawings or a polished model. They want connected, reliable data that supports their goals through every phase of a project, but the reality is that most workflows weren’t built with that in mind. The tools are fragmented, the data is inconsistent, and the burden of connecting is far too daunting when relying on traditional solutions.
At SMRT, we’ve found that building these custom tools in-house is the most effective way to bridge that gap. They allow us to adapt quickly, respond to project-specific needs, and make better use of the information we’re already generating. The result is more consistent deliverables, fewer manual fixes, and more confidence in the decisions we make along the way.
In my next blog, I will explore the real cost of data chaos and exactly how integrated, automated workflows are the solution for today’s high-performance project delivery.
