ENGINEERS AI TOOL

OPTIMISING ENGINEERS WORKFLOW

Scottie and the roof calculator

Working with an engineering firm to optimise their workflow:

Built a live tool that pulled values straight off a structural 3D model and ran a full set of complex calculations, saving one of their specialist engineers around two hours every fortnight. The rest of the team had their own AI subscriptions by the end of the day, and I'm their go-to person for educating their team about AI.

Here's how we got there:

I listened first. Before I started, I got him to walk me through how he currently works, what the two hours a fortnight was going towards, and what would save him time.

I broke it down with him, step by step. Instead of simply handing him a finished black box, I broke down the problem in pieces he already recognised from his own process.

I showed him the how, not just the what. I sat him in front of VS Code and built it with him watching. He saw exactly where AI slotted into his existing process and where his own judgement still mattered.

I got him to verify it. Once it ran, Scottie checked the output against what he already knew as a structural engineer, and confirmed it was right.

An hour later, we'd built it. The other engineers all had their own subscriptions by the end of the day, nobody told them to, they just watched what Scottie did and and wanted in.

ENGINEERS AI TOOL

OPTIMISING STRUCTURE
ENGINEERS WORKFLOW

Scottie and the roof calculator

Last Wednesday morning I overheard a group of structural engineers next door trying to change the font on a report with AI. I wandered over, and next thing I had six of them wrapped around my laptop, buzzing over what I'd built for our office. I turned to one, Scottie, fifty eight, one of our specialist structural engineers, never used AI beyond ChatGPT. I said give me a real problem you're battling with right now, and I'll help you build a solution before lunch.

He laughed, in disbelief and keen for a challenge, and said he'd love a tool that could solve calculations provide valudes off a 3D model he had built, something that could save him two hours every fortnight.

Here's how we actually got there.

I listened first. Before I touched anything, I got him to walk me through how he actually works, what the two hours a fortnight was really going on, and what would genuinely save him time versus what would just look clever.

I broke it down with him, step by step. Instead of disappearing and handing him a finished black box, I walked the problem apart in pieces he already recognised from his own process.

I showed him the how, not just the what. I sat him in front of VS Code and built it with him watching, not for him behind a closed door. He saw exactly where AI slotted into his existing process and where his own judgement still mattered.

I got him to verify it himself. Once it ran, Scottie checked the output against what he already knew as a structural engineer, and confirmed it was right, not because I told him, because he tested it himself.

An hour later, we'd built it. It worked, first time. The other engineers all had their own subscriptions by the end of the day, nobody told them to, they just watched what Scottie did and and wanted in.

ENGINEERS AI TOOL

OPTIMISING STRUCTURE
ENGINEERS WORKFLOW

Scottie and the roof calculator

Last Wednesday morning I overheard a group of structural engineers next door trying to change the font on a report with AI. I wandered over, and next thing I had six of them wrapped around my laptop, buzzing over what I'd built for our office. I turned to one, Scottie, fifty eight, one of our specialist structural engineers, never used AI beyond ChatGPT. I said give me a real problem you're battling with right now, and I'll help you build a solution before lunch.

He laughed, in disbelief and keen for a challenge, and said he'd love a tool that could solve calculations provide valudes off a 3D model he had built, something that could save him two hours every fortnight.

Here's how we actually got there.

I listened first. Before I touched anything, I got him to walk me through how he actually works, what the two hours a fortnight was really going on, and what would genuinely save him time versus what would just look clever.

I broke it down with him, step by step. Instead of disappearing and handing him a finished black box, I walked the problem apart in pieces he already recognised from his own process.

I showed him the how, not just the what. I sat him in front of VS Code and built it with him watching, not for him behind a closed door. He saw exactly where AI slotted into his existing process and where his own judgement still mattered.

I got him to verify it himself. Once it ran, Scottie checked the output against what he already knew as a structural engineer, and confirmed it was right, not because I told him, because he tested it himself.

An hour later, we'd built it. It worked, first time. The other engineers all had their own subscriptions by the end of the day, nobody told them to, they just watched what Scottie did and and wanted in.