In mission-critical facilities like data centers and 911 call centers, the word "value engineering" rarely comes up — and for good reason. This episode explores why sophisticated clients prioritize time and reliability over marginal savings, the massive labor shortage driven by data center and stadium construction, and why trying to shave 10% off a project today often costs you far more in delays and lost production. We also cover where VE actually makes sense (lighting brands) and where it doesn't (redundancy and gear selection for mission-critical builds).