Philadelphia, Penn., April 11, 2023 – “Not all design challenges can be solved with a piece of technology,” according to Carl Fleming, DPR Construction Healthcare Strategist at Bisnow’s State of Philadelphia Healthcare event. Fleming explained, “if we truly believe there is value in blending the built and digital environments, then getting the right stakeholders to the table early is crucial.”

An interesting shift DPR has seen is company roles in digital, sustainability, innovation, and experience are being elevated into C-Suite positions with more decision-making power. “Even if you are two years into a project, pull them in,” Fleming said. “It’s never too late, and you must align to avoid unexpected total project costs.”

Changing market conditions and technological advancements affect companies’ OpEx and CapEx investment decisions. Two forces are pushing IT spend toward the OpEx column. First, the cost of capital is getting expensive, and second, technology is changing rapidly. What was planned at the start of a project doesn’t necessarily align with current business needs. “What used to be a 3-year strategic plan has become a rolling strategic plan,” Fleming said.

For health systems to truly realize the potential of their new facilities, first cost cannot be the only factor in evaluating project success. As stewards of the client’s money, construction firms should consider long-term operational expenses when making decisions. Fleming emphasized, “an important question to ask is, does the organization have the necessary resources to support the technology long-term? Sightlines to the impact of decisions on the total project cost are why you need stakeholders involved as early as possible, so they know cost-wise and operationally what adding technology means.”

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