Architecture, engineering and construction firms waste nearly one-sixth of their time as a result of using outdated design software, a report claimed this week.
The survey, commissioned by IT firm Autodesk, found that 92% of firms believed that using state-of-the-art design programs was critical to competitiveness.

But the survey said: "A breathtaking 16.2% of time is wasted through using outdated design data, a figure probably equivalent to tens of millions of pounds of waste each year."

The survey, Opportunities and Unfinished Business, the second annual survey of issues and trends in UK design, said the industry was in an optimistic mood.

The survey added that there was a division in the construction industry between "long-termists" who see quality, collaboration and effective partnerships as primary drivers and "short-termists" who focus on cost and immediate return.

The survey found that although most firms recognised the need to improve partnerships and minimise risks, they were unsure how to implementing the tools to help them to do so.

Almost 15% of those interviewed believed that the industry tended to ignore the wider commercial prospect in favour of a narrow project focus.

The survey said: "Because of trends towards integration and consolidation through mergers and acquisition, these different mindsets [long versus short] presents high potential for conflict."