Perspective

Founders Day 2021

DCI's Journey in Technology

It was April 8, 1988 when Mark D’Amato and Guy Conversano founded D’Amato Conversano, Inc. Back then, VHS tapes were flying off the shelves and only 15 percent of U.S. households had a personal computer (compare that to over 89 percent in 2016).

It was the predawn of major computer usage, but Mark and Guy made it a point back in 1988 to provide every DCI employee with a computer at their workstation. They knew the advancements of technology were heating up, and they wanted their engineering firm to be a part it.

That sense of ingenuity continues today.

As DCI Engineers turns a seasoned—yet youthfully spirited—33 years old, we can’t help but reflect on how far we’ve come as a company AND industry. From hand-written calculations and drafting to digital tools and automation.

Today, DCI is running on several programs and implementing processes that make what we do just a little easier, more efficient and of higher quality – resulting in a better product for our project partners.

Despite limitations and hurdles of the past year, DCI pushed forward with new programs like EI: Engineering Intelligence. This internal DCI program develops work efficiencies and processes while allowing staff to learn and grow their individual skills.

We continued pushing for better processes by exploring computational design, allowing us to essentially use code to solve design problems and improve production capabilities, in addition to implementing Tally, a project management software.

While DCI has added new programs over the past year, for the past several of them we’ve been delivering projects with the use of BIM, an immersive model that allows better trade coordination and design schedule by way of clash detection.

Despite all the improvements in technology—today and tomorrow— it’s important to remember there is no software update or parts replacement for unparallel service. From 1988 on forward, Mark D’Amato and Guy Conversano knew that calculations, design and formulas were only as good as the people who delivered them.

That’s why celebrating how far we’ve come can’t be done without recognizing our greatest asset: our people.

Happy 33rd year of Innovation, Service and Value, DCI!

About the author

Erin Spaulding

Erin Spaulding, Communications Manager/ Erin comes from a journalism background with an emphasis in feature writing. She enjoys capturing the unique details of a story and is a firm believer that every person (and every project, for that matter) has a story to tell. Erin loves running, fly fishing and learning about unique spaces. Back in Michigan, she owns a little studio condo readapted from an asylum into a mixed-use residential building.

Share this article
linkedIn facebook twitter

Related perspectives

See all
DCI Connect Speech
news

DCI Celebrates 30 Years

Generic blogpost DCI
news

DCI Celebrates Silver Anniversary