Zeshi Highlights | New Paths for the Development of Private Engineering Consulting Firms Seen from the Central Symposium on Private Enterprises

The symposium on private enterprises held by the central government proposed “deepening supply-side structural reform,” a concept that closely aligns with the “whole-process engineering consulting” approach recently promoted in the engineering consultancy industry. By integrating fragmented services such as investment decision-making, surveying and design, and cost supervision, whole-process consulting delivers integrated solutions covering the entire lifecycle. This not only meets the construction industry’s need to reduce costs and improve efficiency but also serves as an important lever for the nation to promote more intensive engineering management.

Take Zhongtou Zeshi (Beijing) International Consulting Co., Ltd. as an example: By establishing a system comprising “Zeshi Think Tank + Digital and Intelligent Applications + Investment and Financing + Full-Process Consulting,” the company has achieved a certain increase in both contract value and net profit. This demonstrates that, under policy guidance, private enterprises can break through traditional business boundaries by integrating qualifications and leveraging digital technologies, thus transitioning from providing single technical services to offering comprehensive management services. In the future, enterprises equipped with full-process service capabilities will gain a competitive edge in the market, while small and medium-sized enterprises will need to focus on niche segments and develop specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative strengths.

The meeting placed particular emphasis on “accelerating the digital, networked, and intelligent transformation.” Currently, the digital transformation of the engineering consulting industry has shifted from mere tool upgrades to scenario reconfiguration. For example, a certain engineering consulting firm has developed the “CEECIP” platform, which leverages three key capabilities—data ecosystemization, scenario modularity, and operation-and-maintenance visualization—to achieve digital integration across the entire lifecycle of construction projects.

In the future, digital and intelligent technologies will further penetrate the following fields:

1. Digital and Intelligent Consulting: Leveraging technologies such as BIM and GIS to enable design collaboration and construction simulation, thereby reducing rework costs. In practical applications, Zeshi Consulting has fully capitalized on the advantages of cutting-edge digital and intelligent technologies to build a data think tank. Relying on this think tank, we can provide more efficient and diversified digital and intelligent consulting services for various projects, helping them achieve a qualitative leap in their digital and intelligent transformation journey.

2. AI Consulting: Leveraging AI algorithms to optimize cost forecasting and risk assessment; in the deep exploration of intelligent applications in the engineering consulting field, Zeshi Consulting regards the digital economy and artificial intelligence as key drivers for high-quality development. Relying on its extensive industry experience and profound technological expertise, Zeshi has meticulously established the Zeshi AI Application Center, further implementing an integrated development model that combines consulting services with digital technologies, thereby helping projects achieve better outcomes.

3. Smart Operations and Maintenance: Leveraging IoT and big data analytics to provide facility health monitoring and energy efficiency optimization services.

Driven by technology, enterprises need to build a triangular support system comprising “data + talent + platform,” thereby avoiding the trap of overemphasizing technology at the expense of effective management.

The symposium on private enterprises held by the central government also called for “expanding effective investment” and “supporting new fields and new growth tracks.” Meanwhile, new infrastructure and the green economy are emerging as blue-ocean markets in the engineering consulting industry.

1. The incremental market for new infrastructure: New types of infrastructure—represented by 5G base stations, data centers, and ultra-high-voltage power transmission lines—are giving rise to emerging demands such as smart cities and energy internet. For example, the Guoshou Iron & Steel Fund focuses on strategic projects in regions like the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. By leveraging financial instruments such as REITs, it revitalizes existing assets and creates new business opportunities for consulting firms, including investment and financing planning and project evaluation services.

2. Sustainable Development Consulting: Under the dual-carbon goals, there has been a surge in demand for ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) consulting in areas such as green building and ecological restoration. Enterprises need to integrate technologies like carbon accounting and circular economy design, shifting from a “compliance-driven” approach to one that focuses on “value creation.”

1. Differentiated Positioning: Leading enterprises can transform into “think-tank”-type organizations, offering high-value-added services such as policy research and strategic planning; small and medium-sized enterprises can focus on deepening their presence in regional markets, developing specialized services like cost optimization and targeted assessments.

2. Cross-sectoral Integration: Collaborate with internet companies and research institutions to develop smart management platforms. By integrating the strengths of all parties, we will promote the efficient convergence of technology and management, or join forces with financial institutions to explore a “consulting + capital” model. In terms of actual collaborative achievements, Zeshi Consulting has already established strategic partnerships with several companies, including Guoding Architectural Design, Shan Jia Law Firm, and Sichuan Juneng Filter Materials. These partnerships have enabled deep integration in areas such as resource sharing, business synergy, and complementary expertise, jointly exploring diversified paths for business collaboration.

3. Innovation in Talent Systems: Establish cross-disciplinary teams that combine technical expertise with management skills, and enhance team cohesion through equity incentives and competitive job assignments, thereby meeting the high demands of integrated consulting services for comprehensive capabilities.

The convening of this high-level central symposium on private enterprises has injected a powerful boost into the private engineering consulting industry. However, the rise of private enterprises still hinges on three key driving forces: the release of policy benefits that create institutional space; technological advancements that reshape competitive barriers; and market expansion that breaks through growth ceilings. In the future, only by deeply integrating full-process consulting capabilities, digital DNA, and the concept of sustainable development can private enterprises secure an unassailable position amid the waves of “New Infrastructure 2.0” and the “Dual-Carbon Economy.”