CONSULTING
The way we live and work is changing rapidly. Trends in areas such as digitization, mobility and sustainability mean that building and infrastructure owners, operators and users are constantly faced with new challenges. Our consultants support clients with the development and successful implementation of long-term solutions. As a consultant at Drees & Sommer, you get to know a wide variety of different companies – from startups to major international corporations. By providing future-oriented consulting services you help to shape a world in which all generations can work and live better together.
Areas of application
Digitization is proceeding apace in both the professional and private spheres. New Work, process optimization, business transformation, ESG and the War for Talent are all of concern for companies generally. How can these issues be addressed in buildings – whether new or established properties? As a Customized Smart Building consultant, you develop sustainable, smart buildings for users, service providers and operators. Together with the customer, you establish the requirements for smart, buildings, taking stakeholders, use cases and business models into account. The technical specifications for the smart infrastructure are then based on this. As the first point of contact, you define for the architects and planners what the building must be able to do. You ensure that the building will be ‘digital ready’ – and support the project all the way through to commissioning.
The world’s climate protection goals have been clearly formulated. To meet them, principals, owners and operators must realize energy- and resource-efficient buildings and districts, and make use of renewable energy. Our role as consultants is to support clients from the concept and design stages through to implementation and operation of buildings and urban districts. We develop cost-efficient tailor-made solutions – for new and established buildings as well as for entire portfolios. We work in interdisciplinary teams across all trades, combining expertise from sustainable construction and energy and building systems engineering with current topics such as Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) aspects, Cradle to Cradle® (C2C), and Green Building. Our holistic strategies and concepts help local authorities, companies, portfolio owners principals and owners get their properties fit for the future. In this way, we create sustainable solutions that will benefit the next generation.
Megatrends such as digitization, artificial intelligence and neo-ecology make huge demands on companies. How they deal with new challenges in this environment of disruptive change is crucial to their success. The COVID-19 pandemic acted as an accelerant on expectations for the future of the work environment. As New Work consultants, our role is to develop and implement solutions that are customized, cost-efficient and successful in the long term – and closely aligned with the customer’s core process. We do this by combining years of practical experience with the latest research findings. Our change and transformation processes leverage the expertise of all stakeholders at all levels of the company. We think and act systemically, ensure that interactions are transparent, and point out synergy potential. We see the big picture, but always focus on the next step. We take an interactive, co-creative approach that leaves scope for innovative ideas.
As a consultant for strategy and organization, you advise the executive board and management on strategic issues and work in interdisciplinary teams with colleagues from a wide range of backgrounds. You advise on topics such as business modeling, growth strategies and organizational development. You also support change processes and restructuring. As a result of their role, our consultants are very familiar with the impact of digitization, AI and sustainability. As an organizational and process consultant, you help companies that need to position themselves for the future to remain successful in a constantly changing market. In addition, you support our managers as a ‘trusted advisor’, involving experts from different areas as required. You also have a high level of competence in the use of consulting tools, broad knowledge of workshop methods, some coaching experience and strong communication skills.
Technical and Economic Construction Consultancy (TECC) involves providing advice throughout the entire planning and construction process. You monitor specialist planners, carry out costings and integrated economic feasibility studies, and participate in the building acceptance process. With these measures, you make a significant contribution to the optimization of the buildings and to quality assurance. Your professional competence creates added value both for customers and for those involved in planning and construction. Social and methodological competence ensure clarity, trust, motivation and quality for all parties involved.
Our consultants in Transaction and Asset Advisory have a broad range of tasks. You combine management and engineering expertise with commercial and business know-how. For example, you prepare utilization concepts and feasibility studies for our clients as well as sustainable, innovative and cost-efficient concepts for refurbishment and revitalization projects. You may also carry out site and market analyses in addition to valuations in accordance with national and international standards. Transaction and investment consulting is about successfully positioning a property on the market and providing our clients with professional advice before and during the acquisition process. We also support owners with leasing, modernization and asset performance management services. We provide customized tenant advice to customers and represent their interests. Our consultants also develop revitalization and conversion strategies for property portfolios and vacant sites.
More and more people around the world are living in cities. This poses numerous challenges and interdisciplinary cooperation is essential in order to meet them. If you work in this area, you will become part of our ‘Blue City – Integrated Urban Solutions’ team with its comprehensive urban development know-how. As a Blue City consultant, you work on sustainable solutions for cities and develop holistic concepts that take into account the many stress factors that cities face. This entails taking economic, ecological, functional, social and esthetic aspects into account and involves such topics as biodiversity, climate, water and mobility.
Our Urban Development Consulting service is interdisciplinary and holistic. As a consultant in this field, you protect and increase the value of urban, land and building developments. You have an advisory, planning and coordination role for development projects and act as the interface for real estate projects. As a consultant, you also ensure that our customers receive the best expertise from a single source.
As a Digital Services consultant, you combine specialist knowledge from the real estate industry with extensive IT expertise. You are at the customer’s side during every phase of a project, whether it be planning, tendering and procurement, or the implementation of an IT system.
During the preparation of tender documentation, you ensure that the bidders have all the necessary information to submit accurate tenders. And in the execution phase, you and your team actively monitor the project and act as a reliable partner for project control. As a Digital Services consultant, you start with a detailed process analysis to understand the specific requirements. Based on this, you then support the design of efficient data models for IT systems. You work with a range of different IT systems and project management software to efficiently plan and manage real estate projects – from CAD/BIM (Computer-Aided Design/Building Information Modeling) for planning and visualization to CAFM (Computer-Aided Facility Management) and TAI (Tendering, Award and Invoicing).
As a commissioning manager, your work doesn’t just start with the actual commissioning of the building services equipment. You work in close consultation with the project participants as early as the planning phase and contribute your experience in the commissioning of buildings and technical plant and equipment early in the project. You develop commissioning concepts and specifications, and take care of scheduling. During the construction and execution phase, you will be responsible for coordinating the interdisciplinary commissioning and function tests. Your extensive expertise, combined with your social and methodological skills, ensure smooth transition to full operation.
Your development as a consultant
You can follow the development path within the consultant job family. This provides orientation, creates transparency, and ensures systematic yet personalized development. Whether you are aiming to take on management responsibility or would prefer to deepen your expertise in a specific field – at Dreso you can shape a career that suits your strengths and preferences.
JOB PERSPECTIVES IN CONSULTING
Professionally diverse and informal: this is how our colleagues describe their work in our consulting job family. In the video, they tell us what they value about their work and what prospective consultants should know.
As a sustainability consultant, I contribute my expertise in green bonds, sustainable financing, energy efficiency and climate neutrality. For example, I produce ESG due diligence and sustainability reports, and sustainability guidebooks. The great thing about this work is that I am constantly getting up to speed on new topics and can set my own priorities.
Our projects
Everything we have already achieved together: Discover our projects - from underground railway lines to hospitals, factories and mixed neighbourhoods to skyscrapers.