ABSTRACT
An external analysis focuses on what is happening in the marketplace in which the firm is operating. It is an outward-looking analysis that evaluates environmental influences affecting the organization and compares the firm to the competition. One of the most critical and perhaps most neglected type of analysis an Architectural, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) firm can perform is a client relationship analysis. The supply chain for an AEC firm is the system of linkages between all of the different service providers involved in a project. Relationship analysis involves gaining an understanding of the expectations and frustrations of the other service providers included in the supply chain. A gap analysis evaluates the firm’s current performance level, compares it to the desired performance level, and develops potential actions that could bridge the gap between actual performance and desired performance. Independent external assessments are more expensive, but also more valuable than assessments performed by internal staff members.
