How to Increase Efficiency for Engineering Firms: Tips, Tricks, and Modern Technology

In today’s fast-paced and competitive AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) industry, engineering firms are under more pressure than ever to deliver high-quality work efficiently. Labor shortages, increased project complexity, and the need to manage multiple stakeholders are just a few of the challenges firms face. Fortunately, with the right project management strategies and the help of specialized technology, firms can drastically increase efficiency and productivity.

In a recent webinar titled How to Increase Efficiency for Engineering Firms: Tips, Tricks, and Modern Technology, Adam Loewentheil, CEO and Co-Founder of Aldoa, and Anthony Fasano, P.E., AEC PM at the Engineering Management Institute (EMI), shared key insights that can transform how engineering firms operate. In this blog post, we dive deep into their expertise to provide actionable tips on improving engineering firm efficiency through project management and the latest software solutions.

Understanding the Root of Inefficiency in Engineering Firms

According to Adam Loewentheil, inefficiency in engineering firms often stems from outdated workflows and lack of visibility into staff availability and project timelines. Many firms are still using spreadsheets and disjointed systems to manage schedules, tasks, and resources. This makes it difficult to understand who is working on what, when they are available, and whether new work can be taken on.

"We hear from thousands of engineering firms, and one thing that comes up time and time again is that they're not always aware of when they are able to take on new work. Sometimes they even double-book employees," says Loewentheil.

This lack of clarity results in missed deadlines, duplicated efforts, and dissatisfied clients. Without a comprehensive view of project milestones and staff schedules, engineering firms are essentially flying blind.

Why Efficiency Matters More Than Ever

With a national labor shortage of professional engineers, firms can no longer rely on simply hiring more staff to meet increasing demand. Anthony Fasano notes that engineering leaders must now focus on doing more with the team they already have.

"We're entering a period where it may be hard for business owners to find reliable, skilled workers. Business owners are starting to look toward software and AI trained on specific verticals like engineering to get more efficiency out of their teams," explains Fasano.

Engineering firm efficiency isn't just a nice-to-have—it's a business imperative. Firms that fail to optimize how they manage projects and people risk falling behind more agile competitors.

Building a Culture of Efficiency: Where to Start

Improving efficiency begins with culture. Leaders must prioritize transparency, planning, and communication throughout their organization.

1. Create a Capacity Planning System

Capacity planning is essential. Firms need to know what projects are in the pipeline, who is available, and when. This allows for better resource allocation and helps avoid burnout from overbooking team members.

"Every firm needs to develop a capacity planning system so you have good knowledge and foresight of your pipeline of work," says Loewentheil.

2. Use Standardized Formats

Inconsistent processes and formats can cause chaos. Standardizing how project data is collected and reported ensures that everyone is on the same page. This is especially critical for change orders and client communications.

3. Train Your Teams on Project Management Best Practices

Often, inefficiencies arise because staff aren't trained in project management methodologies. Providing PM training helps team members understand their roles, responsibilities, and how to track deliverables effectively.

The Project Management Problem for Engineering Firms

Many engineering firms operate with a patchwork of tools—Excel spreadsheets, Outlook calendars, shared drives, and email threads. While these tools can be effective individually, they lack the integration needed for comprehensive project management.

"They usually have a master Excel sheet with upcoming project deadlines, Outlook calendar reminders, but it's problematic because if you're changing the Excel spreadsheet it might not always change everything else associated with it," notes Loewentheil.

This disjointed approach leads to: missed deadlines, forgotten deliverables, inefficient communication, and inconsistent data across platforms.

Why Project Management Software for Engineering Firms Is a Game-Changer

Project management software designed specifically for engineering firms addresses these issues head-on. Platforms like Aldoa provide a centralized hub for:

Resource planning

Effective resource allocation is essential for engineering projects, where specialized skills and billable hours must be carefully managed. Aldoa enables firms to assign the right people to the right tasks based on availability, expertise, and workload. Project managers can forecast staffing needs in advance and avoid bottlenecks that could delay deliverables.

Task tracking

With multiple stakeholders and dependencies in play, task tracking becomes crucial. Aldoa provides a clear visual roadmap of who is doing what and by when, helping teams stay accountable and focused. Engineers and project managers alike can quickly spot overdue items, prioritize critical tasks, and adapt when timelines shift—all from one intuitive dashboard.

Time management

Time is a finite resource, and in engineering, every hour counts. Aldoa’s built-in time tracking tools ensure accurate logging of billable hours, simplifying timesheet approvals and reducing administrative overhead. The software also highlights time discrepancies or overages early, so teams can course-correct before a project veers off track.

Budget monitoring

Keeping projects within budget is non-negotiable. Aldoa gives real-time insight into project financials, letting teams monitor labor costs, expenses, and profitability in one place. With customizable budget alerts and visual reports, managers can make informed decisions to mitigate risk and maintain healthy margins.

Change order management

Scope changes are inevitable in engineering projects, but they don’t have to derail progress. Aldoa streamlines change order tracking, making it easy to document modifications, communicate impacts to stakeholders, and adjust timelines and budgets accordingly. This transparency helps maintain client trust while keeping the project on a controlled path.

By using engineering-specific project management software, firms can reduce manual errors, improve team collaboration, and gain real-time visibility into project status.

Key Features to Look for in Project Management Software for Engineering Firms

When selecting a platform to boost engineering firm efficiency, here are the essential features to consider:

1. Capacity Planning Tools: This allows you to forecast availability and ensure that staff are not double-booked. Capacity planning is more than just seeing who’s available—it’s about understanding team workload at a glance and ensuring each resource is optimally allocated. The right tool allows you to forecast future staffing needs, account for planned absences or non-billable time, and avoid costly overcommitments. For engineering teams, this can also mean balancing specialists across multiple projects and ensuring the right mix of skills is always on hand.

2. Integrated Scheduling: Synchronize tasks, deadlines, and meetings in one unified calendar to avoid conflicts and overlaps. An integrated schedule brings together all moving parts—tasks, meetings, and key deadlines—into a single, shared calendar. This holistic view helps prevent conflicts, missed milestones, or scheduling overlap between teams. With drag-and-drop interfaces and automatic syncing with tools like Outlook or Google Calendar, integrated scheduling keeps everyone aligned and reduces time spent coordinating via email.

3. Task Dependencies and Milestone Tracking: Visualizing how tasks are connected helps prevent bottlenecks and ensures timely delivery. Engineering projects often have complex interdependencies—one delay can cascade across multiple teams. Software that supports task dependencies and milestone tracking allows teams to visualize these relationships through Gantt charts or critical path views. This clarity ensures that crucial handoffs are managed carefully, risks are flagged early, and progress toward project goals stays on track.

4. Time and Budget Tracking: Stay on top of costs and labor to keep projects within scope and profitability margins. Engineering firms operate on thin margins, making accurate time and cost tracking essential. A strong project management platform should allow staff to log hours directly against tasks, while also capturing billable vs. non-billable time. Budget dashboards should update in real time, showing cost-to-complete, earned value, and burn rate—helping project managers take swift action before budget overruns occur.

5. Collaboration and Communication: Built-in chat, file sharing, and comment threads help teams communicate in context without jumping between platforms. Cross-functional collaboration is at the heart of successful engineering projects. Tools with built-in communication features—like threaded comments, real-time chat, @mentions, and in-app file sharing—make it easier for dispersed teams to stay connected. By keeping discussions tied to specific tasks or documents, context is preserved, and decisions don’t get lost in long email chains or scattered messaging apps.

Real-World Benefits: What Firms Are Seeing

Firms that implement purpose-built project management software report significant improvements:

• 30-50% reduction in time spent on scheduling and task tracking

• Greater accuracy in capacity forecasting

• Faster turnaround times on deliverables

These improvements not only lead to increased efficiency but also drive growth. When firms can deliver projects faster and with fewer errors, they win more business.

The Human Element: Developing and Retaining Top Talent

Technology alone isn’t enough. As Anthony Fasano emphasizes, engineering firms must also focus on professional development to attract and retain skilled professionals.

"Most AEC organizations are too busy to focus on attracting, developing, and retaining talented professionals. Through EMI, we help organizations build professional development plans that support team growth," says Fasano.

By integrating project management training into your onboarding and ongoing education programs, you empower your team to work more efficiently and independently.

Steps to Get Started with Increasing Efficiency

If you're ready to improve efficiency in your engineering firm, here are the steps to begin:

Step 1: Assess Your Current Workflow: Document how projects are currently managed. Identify where inefficiencies or gaps occur.

Step 2: Define Key Efficiency Metrics: Set goals around scheduling accuracy, project timelines, budget adherence, and resource utilization.

Step 3: Choose the Right Project Management Software: Evaluate tools like Aldoa that are built specifically for engineering firms. Conduct demos and trials to ensure fit.

Step 4: Standardize Your Processes: Develop templates, workflows, and documentation practices that are consistent across projects.

Step 5: Train Your Team: Invest in training to ensure everyone understands how to use your tools and follow your processes.

Step 6: Review and Optimize: Use reporting features to analyze performance and make ongoing improvements.

Why Aldoa?

Aldoa was founded with a mission to empower engineering and environmental consulting professionals. With deep industry insight and a platform purpose-built for engineering firm needs, Aldoa provides the tools to: eliminate redundant work, Improve team coordination, and deliver projects on time and within budget.

As a former financial analyst turned tech entrepreneur, Adam Loewentheil brings a unique perspective to solving operational challenges in engineering. His firsthand experience working alongside builders and engineers helped shape Aldoa into a solution that understands your real-world pain points.

Final Thoughts

Efficiency isn’t just about working faster—it’s about working smarter. With a combination of cultural change, process improvement, and purpose-built technology, engineering firms can transform their operations.

In the words of Adam Loewentheil:

"Our goal at Aldoa is to free up engineers to do what they do best: solve complex problems and build the world around us."

With the right tools and strategies, your firm can not only survive in today’s competitive landscape but thrive.

Ready to increase efficiency in your engineering firm?

Explore how Aldoa can help you streamline your projects, maximize your team’s potential, and take your operations to the next level.

Visit www.aldoa.com to book a demo today.