Survival of International Civil Engineering Consultancies: The Need to Adjust to Reality

Abstract

The paper describes the pressures currently being faced by American civil engineering consultancies trying to maintain a successful business in developing countries. Based on the author’s experience gained through almost thirty years of living and working as an environmental engineer in Asia, a number of strategies are described that enhance the chances of remaining viable as an international consultancy while maintaining the necessary quality of the finished product. Cost competition is intense in these environments and measures to cut costs are an essential component of a business survival package. Another important component of this survival package includes embracing localization and radically changing the corporate mindset. The pioneering spirit that was the backbone of the growth of the United States needs to be reawakened and exported overseas, where it can ensure the survival of U.S.-based civil engineering consultancies abroad.