BQE CORE PRESENTS
The A/E Firm Maturity Index:
A Roadmap to Sustainable Growth
Tuesday, May 6th, 2025
2 pm ET | 11am PT
Is your AE firm operating at peak efficiency, or are you constantly putting out fires? Many firms struggle with inconsistent business development, project bottlenecks, financial uncertainty, and disorganized operations—often without realizing the root cause is a lack of business maturity.
In this 60-minute webinar, Founder of The Well-Designed Firm Steve Burns, FAIA, will walk you through a structured Maturity Index to help you assess your firm’s strengths and weaknesses across six critical areas: Winning Work, Project Management, Client Experience, Finances, Billing, and Operations. You’ll gain a clear understanding of where your firm stands today and, more importantly, the specific steps you can take to level up your business processes, improve efficiency, and drive sustainable profitability.
We’ll explore practical, real-world strategies for moving from reactive to proactive firm management, ensuring you’re not just delivering great designs, but also running a thriving, resilient business. Whether you’re a principal, partner, or senior leader in an AE firm, this session will equip you with the actionable insights needed to build a more predictable, scalable, and profitable practice.
By the end of this session, you will learn how to:
1
Assess your firm’s maturity and identify the gaps that are limiting growth.
2
Strengthen business development strategies to win high-value projects consistently.
3
Optimize project management workflows for greater efficiency and profitability.
4
Enhance client experience through better communication, streamlined processes, and proactive engagement.
5
Improve financial health and billing processes with better tracking, forecasting, and automation.
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Did you know that you can receive one LU for this course?
Steven Burns, FAIA
Founder of The Well-Designed Firm &
Former Chief Creative Officer at BQE Software
LEARN FROM AN EXPERT
As a distinguished thought leader, Steve blends his passion for design and firm management with profound insights into emerging technologies. Over the past 2 decades, working directly with over 1,400 firm owners, Steve has significantly contributed to reshaping these businesses for enhanced growth and sustainability.
Steve's career highlights include a 7-year tenure at SOM Chicago, founding BBA Architects in 1993 and growing it to 17 architects before its 2007 sale, and creating ArchiOffice, a groundbreaking project management software company acquired by BQE Software in 2010.
Recognized for his significant impact on the profession, in 2009 Steve was elevated to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects. Currently, as Founder of The Well-Designed Firm, he focuses on leading AE firms to operational excellence, mentoring leaders to craft businesses as elegant and innovative as the architecture they create.
ABOUT BQE: A PROUD HOST OF THIS WEBINAR
BQE CORE is the award-winning firm management software, created by architects and engineers for architects and engineers, that project-based firms trust to run their operations for better project outcomes, and more profitable futures. Their fully integrated suite of intuitive tools with 24/7/365 support provides back-office automation to power front-office insights, making firm management more agile, informed, and data-driven. Learn more at www.bqe.com.