As chief information officer and senior vice president at software vendor Bentley Systems, Claire Rutkowski spends a great deal of time talking to Chief Technology Officers and other tech-minded people in AEC firms. Earlier this summer she hosted a panel at the Environmental Financial Consulting Group's Technology Leadership conference on what technology for remote work means in the future, as some firms transition to bring some workers back to the office. Rutkowski took the time to chat with ENR Senior Technology Editor Jeff Rubenstone about how technology is enabling long-term remote working, and what managers must learn to run a hybrid office. The transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.
ENR: Here we are, more than a year into the disruption from COVID-19, and many companies still have employees working from home or are beginning to bring them back to the office. What has been your experience with this, both at Bentley Systems and among the industry firms you’re talking to regularly?