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Later this week, I will have the honor of interviewing the CIO of a good sized Civil Engineering firm for The Civil Engineering Podcast and we plan to talk about the importance of the interaction between IT and CE professionals in CE firms and how this relationship can really impact the company overall. What questions or thoughts do you have related to this topic that I could ask this experienced professional? Thanks.

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Anthony Fasano P.E., M.ASCE
Engineering Management Institute
Ridgewood NJ
(201) 857-2384
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​Hi Anthony,

One area that I have seen opportunities for improvement in my career is working with IT and getting the appropriate software to those working in the field. I have worked with exceptional IT team members, however it can be challenging when trying to implement process improvements with IT and moving away from pen and paper for field documentation. The disconnect typically occurs when IT does not have experience with field applications or documentation.

A suggested question, if appropriate, is how does their firm have IT and field staff collaborate for field work, project applications, and documentation?

Ken

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Kenneth Mika, PE M.ASCE

(414)731-3111
kmika@...
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Original Message:
Sent: 11-27-2018 12:53
From: Anthony Fasano
Subject: The Role the IT Team Plays in Civil Engineering Firms

Later this week, I will have the honor of interviewing the CIO of a good sized Civil Engineering firm for The Civil Engineering Podcast and we plan to talk about the importance of the interaction between IT and CE professionals in CE firms and how this relationship can really impact the company overall. What questions or thoughts do you have related to this topic that I could ask this experienced professional? Thanks.

------------------------------
Anthony Fasano P.E., M.ASCE
Engineering Management Institute
Ridgewood NJ
(201) 857-2384
------------------------------

Anthony,

Great topic! Here are a couple of possible questions:

1. How do you decide which new software will be implemented? Who has a seat at the table in the decision-making process?

2. How much do you rely on out-of-the-box software versus software you've customized in-house? If you are using out-of-the-box software, what are some of the favorite tools you would recommend to other engineers?

3. What are some tips and tools firms can use to help employees acclimate and get up to speed quickly when a new software package is introduced? 

4. A lot of engineering firms still don't have any sort of social media policies. I've seen employees post company links on their own feeds, <g class="gr_ gr_19610 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="19610" data-gr-id="19610">company</g> feeds with a dedicated administrator and a mix of the two. Is the use of social media actually relevant to a civil engineering firm? How do you measure if the time invested in social media is paying off? Can you point to specific examples where it has had a positive, measurable impact (for example, bringing in clients or employees)? Also, how does the IT department help balance social media policies with the rash of privacy concerns related to both the company and employee information?

5. Many small firms don't have the advantage of an in-house IT department. At what point do you think an IT department is needed/makes economical sense? What are some pitfalls of not having one or things firm owners need to be aware of it they think it will save costs not to have one? Are there other options besides having an in-house IT group?

6. What are a few up-and-coming technologies you are excited about that could have a large impact on how we design or manage civil engineering projects?


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Stephanie Slocum P.E., M.ASCE
Founder
Engineers Rising LLC
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 11-27-2018 12:53
From: Anthony Fasano
Subject: The Role the IT Team Plays in Civil Engineering Firms

Later this week, I will have the honor of interviewing the CIO of a good sized Civil Engineering firm for The Civil Engineering Podcast and we plan to talk about the importance of the interaction between IT and CE professionals in CE firms and how this relationship can really impact the company overall. What questions or thoughts do you have related to this topic that I could ask this experienced professional? Thanks.

------------------------------
Anthony Fasano P.E., M.ASCE
Engineering Management Institute
Ridgewood NJ
(201) 857-2384
------------------------------

Hi Anthony,

I am also interested in point 5 on Stephanie's list, especially the alternatives to having an in-house IT group.

5. "Many small firms don't have the advantage of an in-house IT department. At what point do you think an IT department is needed/makes economical sense? What are some pitfalls of not having one or things firm owners need to be aware of it they think it will save costs not to have one? Are there other options besides having an in-house IT group?"
​

------------------------------
Natalya Sokolovskaya P.E., M.ASCE
Wynnewood PA
(323)382-6176
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 11-28-2018 12:37
From: Stephanie Slocum
Subject: The Role the IT Team Plays in Civil Engineering Firms

Anthony,

Great topic! Here are a couple of possible questions:

1. How do you decide which new software will be implemented? Who has a seat at the table in the decision-making process?

2. How much do you rely on out-of-the-box software versus software you've customized in-house? If you are using out-of-the-box software, what are some of the favorite tools you would recommend to other engineers?

3. What are some tips and tools firms can use to help employees acclimate and get up to speed quickly when a new software package is introduced?

4. A lot of engineering firms still don't have any sort of social media policies. I've seen employees post company links on their own feeds, <g class="gr_ gr_19610 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="19610" data-gr-id="19610">company</g> feeds with a dedicated administrator and a mix of the two. Is the use of social media actually relevant to a civil engineering firm? How do you measure if the time invested in social media is paying off? Can you point to specific examples where it has had a positive, measurable impact (for example, bringing in clients or employees)? Also, how does the IT department help balance social media policies with the rash of privacy concerns related to both the company and employee information?

5. Many small firms don't have the advantage of an in-house IT department. At what point do you think an IT department is needed/makes economical sense? What are some pitfalls of not having one or things firm owners need to be aware of it they think it will save costs not to have one? Are there other options besides having an in-house IT group?

6. What are a few up-and-coming technologies you are excited about that could have a large impact on how we design or manage civil engineering projects?


------------------------------
Stephanie Slocum P.E., M.ASCE
Founder
Engineers Rising LLC

Original Message:
Sent: 11-27-2018 12:53
From: Anthony Fasano
Subject: The Role the IT Team Plays in Civil Engineering Firms

Later this week, I will have the honor of interviewing the CIO of a good sized Civil Engineering firm for The Civil Engineering Podcast and we plan to talk about the importance of the interaction between IT and CE professionals in CE firms and how this relationship can really impact the company overall. What questions or thoughts do you have related to this topic that I could ask this experienced professional? Thanks.

------------------------------
Anthony Fasano P.E., M.ASCE
Engineering Management Institute
Ridgewood NJ
(201) 857-2384
------------------------------

These are all great - thanks!

------------------------------
Anthony Fasano P.E., M.ASCE
Engineering Management Institute
Ridgewood NJ
(201) 857-2384
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 11-28-2018 14:35
From: Natalya Sokolovskaya
Subject: The Role the IT Team Plays in Civil Engineering Firms

Hi Anthony,

I am also interested in point 5 on Stephanie's list, especially the alternatives to having an in-house IT group.

5. "Many small firms don't have the advantage of an in-house IT department. At what point do you think an IT department is needed/makes economical sense? What are some pitfalls of not having one or things firm owners need to be aware of it they think it will save costs not to have one? Are there other options besides having an in-house IT group?"
​

------------------------------
Natalya Sokolovskaya P.E., M.ASCE
Wynnewood PA
(323)382-6176

Original Message:
Sent: 11-28-2018 12:37
From: Stephanie Slocum
Subject: The Role the IT Team Plays in Civil Engineering Firms

Anthony,

Great topic! Here are a couple of possible questions:

1. How do you decide which new software will be implemented? Who has a seat at the table in the decision-making process?

2. How much do you rely on out-of-the-box software versus software you've customized in-house? If you are using out-of-the-box software, what are some of the favorite tools you would recommend to other engineers?

3. What are some tips and tools firms can use to help employees acclimate and get up to speed quickly when a new software package is introduced?

4. A lot of engineering firms still don't have any sort of social media policies. I've seen employees post company links on their own feeds, <g class="gr_ gr_19610 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="19610" data-gr-id="19610">company</g> feeds with a dedicated administrator and a mix of the two. Is the use of social media actually relevant to a civil engineering firm? How do you measure if the time invested in social media is paying off? Can you point to specific examples where it has had a positive, measurable impact (for example, bringing in clients or employees)? Also, how does the IT department help balance social media policies with the rash of privacy concerns related to both the company and employee information?

5. Many small firms don't have the advantage of an in-house IT department. At what point do you think an IT department is needed/makes economical sense? What are some pitfalls of not having one or things firm owners need to be aware of it they think it will save costs not to have one? Are there other options besides having an in-house IT group?

6. What are a few up-and-coming technologies you are excited about that could have a large impact on how we design or manage civil engineering projects?


------------------------------
Stephanie Slocum P.E., M.ASCE
Founder
Engineers Rising LLC

Original Message:
Sent: 11-27-2018 12:53
From: Anthony Fasano
Subject: The Role the IT Team Plays in Civil Engineering Firms

Later this week, I will have the honor of interviewing the CIO of a good sized Civil Engineering firm for The Civil Engineering Podcast and we plan to talk about the importance of the interaction between IT and CE professionals in CE firms and how this relationship can really impact the company overall. What questions or thoughts do you have related to this topic that I could ask this experienced professional? Thanks.

------------------------------
Anthony Fasano P.E., M.ASCE
Engineering Management Institute
Ridgewood NJ
(201) 857-2384
------------------------------

Anthony,

I know I am late to this discussion because the podcast episode is already in my player waiting for a listen. However, I thought I would propose a possible future topic, if you can find a suitable person with which to discuss:  What are some good free and open source tools for civil engineers? I have long been a proponent of software freedom because too many programs (and let's really be honest here, computer games) I have enjoyed over the years have died because of companies going bankrupt, companies being bought out, or just plain shifts in the company/industry. This leaves the user with a program that will not be updated or maintained or even worse (loss of data because you can longer access it). One example I can share is that at work I use ArcGIS, but for more hobbyist use at home I use QGIS/GRASS and both of these can share large chunks of data. However, I have not found a good comparable to AutoCAD. These are just a few examples, but there are several other specialty tools that CEs use daily for specialty analysis and calculations.

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Reese Yontz P.E., M.ASCE
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Original Message:
Sent: 11-27-2018 12:53
From: Anthony Fasano
Subject: The Role the IT Team Plays in Civil Engineering Firms

Later this week, I will have the honor of interviewing the CIO of a good sized Civil Engineering firm for The Civil Engineering Podcast and we plan to talk about the importance of the interaction between IT and CE professionals in CE firms and how this relationship can really impact the company overall. What questions or thoughts do you have related to this topic that I could ask this experienced professional? Thanks.

------------------------------
Anthony Fasano P.E., M.ASCE
Engineering Management Institute
Ridgewood NJ
(201) 857-2384
------------------------------