Four Trends That Will Impact Your Work in 2022

The past two years have brought dramatic disruption to both our work and personal lives—and the change continues. That means there’s plenty about 2022 that we can’t predict. But based on our collective responses to the disruption so far as well as ongoing developments in the future of work, here are some trends that we see shaping the work we do and how we do it in the year ahead:

1. Digital transformation

You know how it goes with digital tech in industry: what’s innovative becomes standard, what’s standard becomes expected, then dated, then obsolete. That’s why companies need to be thinking about digital transformation every year, 2022 included—because wherever you are in your digital journey, there’s something you can do to better connect your teams, reimagine how you engage with customers, improve how you design, and fundamentally rethink how you deliver value.

There is no doubt that your industry is changing—the only question is where you want to fit into the future of it. And with new technologies like AI, machine learning, AR and VR, and the cloud becoming more accessible for everyone, now is the time to start adapting.

• Marin Pastar and Raja Kadiyala show you how to start your digital transformation journey in AEC—the right questions to ask, and the steps to find the right answers for your business.
• Thomas Nagel explains how to use discovery workshops and other transformation processes, and how to keep “why” at the center of your digital transformation.
• Autodesk CTO Raji Arasu and Charlene Li of Altimeter discuss how the next wave of digital transformation is contributing to the convergence of data, processes, and industries.
   

2. Remote collaboration and cloud-based workflows

With the pandemic lockdown, most offices have turned to video conferencing in the cloud for meetings. But the cloud is about much more than remote collaboration. It’s a tool to connect people, processes, partners, projects, workflows, and data. The cloud enables diverse teams within a company—from marketing and sales to design, fabrication, and management—to share data in new ways between systems that were once siloed, and share data securely with other companies, too. And Forge is the cloud-based platform that makes this ecosystem possible, as Autodesk CEO Andrew Anagnost explains.

In manufacturing, the cloud enables the creation of a digital thread that captures every detail of how a product was made. And the cloud gives you access to new services—whether you’re talking about Fusion 360 for manufacturing or Autodesk Construction Cloud for building. What’s more, the cloud gives you access to unlimited storage and processing power—now everyone has a supercomputer on call whenever they need it. And that in turn enables you to use compute-heavy applications like simulation, machine learning, and generative design without the risk of heavy upfront capital investment. So whether you’re talking about how you collaborate, how you generate and share ideas, or how you fabricate, expect to be doing more with the cloud in 2022.

• Philippe Bonneau shares what the cloud can do for structural steel experts, from quick exchanges of shared views to extensive multi-team collaboration.
• Stephen McDonald, Courtney Hawkins, and Sean Hulbert discuss what the cloud can do for infrastructure professionals and share their work designing and building a pipe network.
• Fernando Novo explains what the cloud can do for VFX professionals using Flame software.
   

3. Upskilling

With new technology transforming industry practices, businesses must also change—and that means people have to change, too. Decision makers evaluate the new possibilities and decide which ones can deliver the most value, then set their transformation priorities. And those who use the technology learn the skills and workflows to put them to work. All of this means that upskilling is a key part of the digital transformation process. Whether you’re doing the work or managing the people and technology that do, upskilling should be part of your year in 2022. And at Autodesk University, you’re in the right place to do just that.

• Diana Lee and John Russell explore new methods for workforce training in DfMA and modular construction.
• Jeremiah Williams and Timothy Robertson discuss how we can reconnect industry to professional education to better train the manufacturing workforce of the future.
• Kylee Swenson leads a Tech Trends panel of industry experts discussing the impact of digital transformation on the future of work.
   

4. Automation

Automation can be hard or soft, meaning that it can take the form of hardware like robots and CNC machines, or it can be software like simulation and design automation. Either way, anytime you have people doing something that a system or machine might do better in terms of quality, efficiency, safety, or cost, exploring automation makes sense. And every year, the possibilities for automation expand. On the hardware side of things, robots are becoming cheaper, easier to train, and able to work collaboratively with people—including robots on the construction site. 

On the softer side, generative design can now help create solutions to design challenges, while machine learning can help you evaluate the options. Simulation enables you to test and analyze designs before they become products or structures in the real world. So whether your work involves design, fabrication, or a bit of both, consider looking at what the latest advances in automation can do for you in 2022.

• Juan Tena Florez shows you how to automate repetitive tasks with BIM 360 to improve cloud collaboration.
• Shinu Mathew introduces you to the possibilities of “automation thinking” for civil engineers and BIM professionals—from how to approach problems to how to structure an automated solution.
• Lee Ambrosius breaks down the workflow for how to customize and automate tasks in AutoCAD.
• Stefan Knorr shows you how to program a KUKA robotic arm in Fusion 360.
   

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