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Best practices to optimize design and construction schedules, budgets
In an industry where the pace of construction is only accelerating and project timelines are compressing, consulting-specifying engineers are being asked to deliver more – faster. But with productivity in global construction declining by 8% from 2020 to 2022, backlogs are already straining teams. How do we design and build smarter without cutting corners?
According to McKinsey research, the construction industry could grow by 70% by 2050. That growth brings opportunity and significant pressure. Many engineers and consultants are already struggling to keep up with today’s demand. Improving the tools used to design and specify electrical systems presents a powerful opportunity to drive productivity, reduce delays and control costs.
To better understand where the field is headed, Consulting-Specifying Engineer magazine conducted the 2025 Critical Power & Electrical Systems study. Among the findings:
The message is clear: improved and better integrated tools, proactive collaboration, and more flexible approaches to design are essential to keeping projects on track.
In today’s fast-paced construction environments, efficiency begins with early and proactive collaboration. Engaging manufacturer application engineers (AEs) from the start helps streamline the design process, reduce rework and keep projects on schedule.
AEs bring deep technical insight and practical application knowledge to the table. Engaging them during the conceptual phase – when ideas are still rough sketches and/or your client’s scope is not fully clear – ensures better system compatibility, eliminates guesswork, and provides early layouts and budget estimates that can help guide design decisions in the right direction.
From there, collaborative development of submittals and bills of material avoids redundant reviews and miscommunications. At Eaton, we work side-by-side with consultants through live collaboration platforms to finalize submittals quickly – often within a week of a PO. We also leverage artificial intelligence (AI) internally to boost productivity, using tools that analyze drawings and specifications, flag exceptions and automate configurations. Combined, these collaborative and digital design capabilities can help reduce project timelines by 4 to 6 weeks or more.
Further, our AEs are trained to support smarter project sequencing. For instance, if only two of 20 switchboards are needed early to energize a site, identifying those priorities allows us to fast-track delivery and strategically tap regional manufacturing facilities to secure priority production slots. In these times of unprecedented demand, these strategic insights help consultants add value to keep construction moving, even amid tight schedules and supply chain constraints.
Eaton AEs can also help you take advantage of the latest digital tools that simplify system design, specification and reduce duplicated efforts. From providing drawings in native computer-aided design (CAD) and building information modeling (BIM) formats to fully edited product specifications and real-time order tracking, let’s look at how these tools are changing the way projects get done.
Modern tools are changing the game for how consultants design, specify and manage electrical systems. Here’s how:
1. Instant specification, pricing and BIM integration
Eaton’s internal BidManager tool is a powerful resource our AEs use to support complex project needs. This tool generates comprehensive technical packages, including accurate BIM files, CAD drawings, pricing estimates and bill of materials (BOMs) for both standard and custom-configured solutions. The tool even provides our AEs with expected manufacturing lead times based on the specific configuration, which can be especially impactful during the planning phase.
Eaton’s expansive product portfolio combined with our AEs deep domain expertise ensure all available product options and distribution approaches are considered to find optimal solutions. BidManager’s drawing and digital configuration outputs are generated based on your project’s specific requirements to make sure all relevant technical design details are included – such as adequate space needed to safely install and maintain equipment.
Additionally, through our integration with Autodesk Revit, the files generated by BidManager provide engineers with confidence that every configuration is dimensionally accurate and fully manufacturable from the outset. It also helps reduce the need for manual data entry and helps prevent costly errors later in the process.
2. A new Autodesk collaboration for faster design cycles
Eaton has joined forces with Autodesk to create a new plug-in for Autodesk Revit that allows consultants to configure electrical components and systems and dynamically generate detailed BIM files . This self-service functionality enables engineers to build electrical systems directly within the familiar Revit environment leveraging Eaton's automated drawings to accurately populate the associated specs and digital representations.
This is especially valuable for firms working under tight design cycles, as it empowers teams to move faster without relying on back-and-forth communications with manufacturers or manual inputting of equipment specifications. Instead, they can work within a plug-in environment that mirrors their familiar design workflow, delivering the right specs in the right place at the right time.
3. Project Center: one hub for design, orders and tracking
Eaton Project Center is a centralized collaboration and self-service tool that allows consultants, electrical contractors, distributors, Eaton teams and more to view project data, monitor order progress, access shared files and generate reports in one shared space.
Features include:
The result is fewer emails, less manual data collection and consistent visibility across all stakeholders – significantly reducing the risk of change orders and delays.
Digital design and specification innovations are only as powerful as the people using them. That’s why Eaton invests in a wide variety of educational content including in-person and hands-on training at our global Eaton Experience Centers and through our Eaton Experiential Learning (ExL) training programs.
At our strategically located Eaton Experience Center locations, engineers can engage with full-scale, live systems and digital tools to build confidence and deepen their understanding. Eaton ExL sessions, designed for every stage of an engineer’s career, offer hands-on education in system design, protection, power quality and more. Sessions are held at our U.S. manufacturing facilities, Experience Centers and enterprise data center locations, giving engineers an opportunity to interact directly with the solutions they specify every day. These in-depth sessions also help provide a greater understanding of application approaches, available configurations and exposure to the latest technologies.
Additionally, Eaton offers a complete range of on-demand and remote eLearning educational solutions that enable electrical professionals to stay up to date on the latest industry best practices as their own schedule dictates – with many courses available for continuing education credits.
Further, our Eaton.com/Consultants portal provides power system designers with a comprehensive collection of design tools, educational resources, product information and other helpful documentation. Traditional catalogs offer part numbers and static data, but our design tools go a step further, helping consultants answer not just what to use, but why, when and how to use it.
For instance, our design guides can help users identify the correct product configuration for the job based on technical requirements such as cable entry, ratings, heat dissipation and applicable code requirements. From there, you can easily pull the correct BIM file and generate product specifying guides to help save time creating files and avoid writing specs from scratch.
The construction industry is evolving rapidly, but the pressure to deliver on time and on budget isn't going away. Tackling complexity at the front end through collaboration and smarter tools can dramatically improve project outcomes.
By working closely with manufacturers like Eaton, engaging application engineers early and leveraging advanced digital tools, consulting-specifying engineers can:
At Eaton, our people, tools and platforms are designed to support this shift toward faster, smarter projects. Whether you're designing a hospital, data center, or commercial campus, we're here to help you cross the finish line with fewer delays and greater confidence.
Let’s simplify the building lifecycle—together.
Reach out to your local application engineer to get started and visit Eaton.com/consultants to learn more.
