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HEADLINES ADDED: September 16, 2009
Lean Project Implementation Is Not Adoption
lass="pull_ad">I was speaking today with the COO of a large construction firm that has been on a journey to deliver their projects on a lean basis for the last 8 years. We were speaking about the usual comments senior people make about lean. He said, "Don't paper the projects; you need to change your practices to deliver a lean project." In other words, going through the motions won't make the project lean. But what will make it lean? lass="pullquote">You need to change your practices to deliver a lean project.Doing... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: June 24, 2009
10 Steps to Becoming More Profitable in the Residential Industry
Learn about how you can become more profitable in the construction industry by better business management... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: December 19, 2008
The Perfect Construction Year
download as PDFMany businesses operate based on the "things to do" strategy. While this can be successful, it is also very stressful.Click Here To Download Full-Resolution ImageWhat if you were to sit down with your team and jointly decide what a perfect day, week, month, and year would look like in your company? Strive to achieve these ideals every day. Focus on the process, not on the task. I am not advocating the elimination of planning and goals. The achievement of these goals can be enhanced if you back... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: November 24, 2008
Project Manager's Job Description
Given the many different types of contractors, type of work, regional differences, thus the need for flexible job responsibilities in construction, we could never write a definite job description for project managers. Outlined below is a summary of general responsibilities of the project manager in managing the client, project, subcontractors and vendors. It is important for the project manager to understand his or her role and how these duties and responsibilities relate to other personnel on the project. These duties outlined below may be typically assigned to the project... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: November 21, 2008
Pre-Fabrication Saves 190,000 Hours Of Traffic Delays
Pre-planning which leads to pre-fabrication opportunities is something we work with clients relentlessly on. It still amazes me that even in this tight economy how much push back we get from people at all levels of the company. If we can find a way to pre-fabricate entire sections of a building or bridges as shown in this article why do so many contractors fight the basics of setting up a pre-fab operation for their own niche of work? Labor is the most valuable and highly variable component of a... Read More
Rules of Lean Project Management
lass="pull_ad">Claude Emonde writes the weblog Surviving the Project Age at Project Times. He recently finished a four-part series on the Rules of Lean Project Management. Overall, he did a good job. Those of us who developed and teach the lean project approach don't refer to these ideas as rules. For us, we tend to think about principles. But, Claude has done a good job. quote class="pullquote">Make your choices and commitments at the last responsible moment. Let's take a look at Claude's four rules. (...)Continue reading Rules of Lean Project... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: November 20, 2008
Online Project Management Software
I just came across a good article today about some factors and trends regarding the use of online project management software for construction. Typically the problem of remote software use has always been connectivity and trust with information being stored off-site. Don Fornes does an excellent point of laying this all out. Read more about trends in web-based construction project management software... On the website www.softwareadvice.com there are many more great resources to help you determine the best software for your company. You can also learn more about Don... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: November 18, 2008
Boring in Downtown Las Vegas
Doing any kind of road work in downtown Las Vegas is going to take some planning, but installing 4,500 feet of fiber-optic cable in the middle ...... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: August 09, 2008
Construction Disputes and Nonpayment Issues- Marilyn Klinger
Los Angeles lawyer Marilyn Klinger of Sedgewick, Detert, Moran & Arnold, LLP discusses the five remedies for nonpayment issues during a construction project. CSI Webinars :: Registration for "Construction Project Disputes from the Legal Perspective" on September 2 is now open File Download (2:47 min / 3 MB)... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: June 03, 2008
Financial Monitoring Of Projects Is Critical To Business Success
Financial monitoring of projects is critical to success in today’s construction market, according to Kathryn Crosby of C2 Consulting, Salt Lake City, Utah. Speaking to the Mechanical Contractors Association of Georgia’s annual Mechanical Industries Council retreat in Pensacola Beach, Fla., Crosby explored the importance of monthly financial monitoring of projects and of the company as a whole.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: April 08, 2008
The Need For Standardized Project Management
Henkels & McCoy, Inc. is one of the largest privately held engineering, network development and construction firms serving the communications, information technology and utility industries in the United States. Additional offerings have traditionally included installation, maintenance and training services.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: March 02, 2008
General contractors, Specialty contractor relationships
In the last month, I believe I have heard from more specialty contractors having problems being paid by general contractors than I have heard in years. I know there is always two sides to every story, but there are some things that should not be happening here, gang. So, I’m going to be bold and make suggestions to both general and specialty contractors. If you’ll follow these suggestions, we can stop a lot of this stuff. Both Parties - If you make an agreement with another company, keep it.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: February 20, 2008
What Constitutes a "Real Scheduler"?
Project controls personnel typically are familiar with both cost and schedule, can recognize the ability to forecast trends and have the ability to determine whether a project is really “on time and on budget.” On large complex projects, it is common for the Project Controls Group to comprise both schedule and cost personnel. However, given the multi-faceted nature of scheduling today, what constitutes a “real scheduler?” One might comment that it is a person who understands critical path method scheduling (CPM) and from his or her personnel experience can... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: February 12, 2008
Good Impressions- How Not to Screw Up
Ohio Public Relations Professional Kimberly Kayler explains how to do pre-planning and good presentations. How Not to Screw Up Forum :: Share a lesson you learned- the hard way. File Download (9:52 min / 9 MB)... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: February 11, 2008
The Proximity Principle and Project Success: Revisiting Project e-Tip 016
lass="pull_ad">In my first guest-blogger entry, I mentioned the importance of managing perceptions. I wrote that not doing so was the main cause of why only one project out of three was considered successful by major stakeholders, according to the Standish Group's Chaos Report1. I concluded that "not managing perceptions" could be considered the 10th waste of ill-managed projects. asy to say that we have to manage perceptions. But where and how should we start doing that? The Chaos Report gives us pretty good leads on that. The report identifies... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: February 07, 2008
16 / 3 Rule
Over the years, general contractors have consistently taken small gambles on young or unproven subcontractors. Time and again, the ratio I used to see was 16 / 3. That is, if a GC had 16 subcontractors on a project, he or she was using 3 who were not proven or simply cheap. As you know, this is a rational gamble as the building owner was asking for price first and then asking for speed second. In my experience, this ratio has changed to 16 / 2 or 16 /... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: January 28, 2008
Can Cultural Differences Derail Project Success?
Today’s complex mega infrastructure projects require the formation of joint ventures and other type of associations in order to have either the talent, skills and/or monetary funds required to complete the project. Because of the nature of mega projects, owners, financial agencies, contractors, sub-contractors, vendors and suppliers, often come from different cultural backgrounds-much as the direct result of globalization. Differences in approaches, values, and experiences have led to many mega-project failures. Therefore it is imperative to understand the impact of cross-cultural differences among the team players in order for... Read More
Profit vs. Puttering: Solve Challenges Without Wasting Time
When you’re faced with a challenging technical situation, be prepared to innovate without spending too much of your client’s time.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: January 18, 2008
Take Pictures of Open Walls For Future Reference
At the end of a prewire, take digital photos of all the wiring in the open walls, advises Dale Schultze, operations manager for Beachwood, Ohio-based S.M.I.L.E. Inc. ... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: January 16, 2008
Negotiating Contractor Change Order Entitlement
... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: January 09, 2008
10 Ways for a Project Manager to Get Fired
lass="pull_ad">Don't you just love Industry Week? Whether you work in manufacturing or you do projects for manufacturers you gotta pay attention to IW stories. In the December 2007 issue there was a sidebar on careers. IW quoted from John M. McKee's book, Career Wisdom: 101 Proven Strategies to Ensure Workplace Success. McKee offered these 10 ways to get yourself fired: n't have a clear life plan. Don't keep your skill set current. Never deliver results. Confuse efficiency with effectiveness. (...)Continue reading 10 Ways for a Project Manager to Get... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: December 20, 2007
Legal Aspects of Public Purchasing - Training
... Read More
Basics of Public Works Contract Administration - Training
... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: October 29, 2007
Change order boat (more)
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Change orders, prime consultants and relationships
... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: October 16, 2007
$80,000 Firewood- How Not to Screw Up
Nashville Building Contractor W. Richard Cooper shares the wisdom of listening to everyone on the site- not just the specialist How Not to Screw Up Forum :: Share a lesson you learned- the hard way. File Download (5:32 min / 5 MB)... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: October 15, 2007
Friendly Lawsuit- How Not to Screw Up
Landscape Architect Phil McDade explains that Documenting conversations can cure temporary amnesia and friendly lawsuits. How Not to Screw Up Forum :: Share a lesson you learned- the hard way. File Download (7:35 min / 7 MB)... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: September 28, 2007
Avoiding Snail Mail- How Not to Screw Up
Pennsylvania Architect Sal Verastro explains why it is important to know more about your client than just the project needs. How Not to Screw Up Forum :: Share a lesson you learned- the hard way. File Download (5:14 min / 5 MB)... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: September 25, 2007
Saying Too Much- How Not to Screw Up
Architectural Specifier Edith Washington explains why saying too much on the phone can hurt your project. How Not to Screw Up Forum :: Share a lesson you learned- the hard way. File Download (4:16 min / 4 MB)... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: September 24, 2007
Communication and Paper Trails- How Not to Screw Up
California Construction Attorney Bryan Varner shares wisdom about communicating often and leaving a paper trail. How Not to Screw Up Forum :: Share a lesson you learned- the hard way. File Download (6:52 min / 6 MB)... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: September 21, 2007
Ahead of the Game- How Not to Screw Up
School District Project Manager Bob Kenworthy puzzles why the same drawings can mean different things to different people How Not to Screw Up Forum :: Share a lesson you learned- the hard way. File Download (5:01 min / 5 MB)... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: May 14, 2007
Online Applicant Screening Idea
Last night I was doing some research on the Boston Consulting Group and came across their online interview preparation process. They base part of their hiring decision on the questions that people ask. When you really think about it there are such things as "stupid questions" and it's a good tool to use to judge a potential applicant whether they are applying for an electrician slot or senior management. See the Boston Consulting Group example... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: April 27, 2007
7 Hour Rule of Project Management for Work Life Balance
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Project Conflict?
I’ve been reading Dr. Tammy Lenski’s blog “I Can’t Say That!” Her blog focuses on how to talk things out in relationships that matter. It seems that whenever two or more people have a relationship, whether it be personal or business, conflict inevitably pops up. Project Managers face this kind of conflict on a daily basis. One way to avoid conflict during your project is to set up some ground rules for discussing project issues. The first rule should be that you focus on the present and not rehash... Read More
Building Project Team Relationships
Hal Macomber just posted a great article on the Reforming Project Management online Magazine entitled Ten New Rules for Project Mangers. One of item on his list caught my eye: 6. Build relationships intentionally. Project teams come together as strangers. To do great work…innovation, learning, and collaboration…all take people who like and care for each other. Don't leave that to chance. Start your projects by building relationships among team members. Here are ten tips for developing relationships among team members. 80% of your results will come from 20% of... Read More
Project Leadership
Projects are managed… sometimes very well, sometimes not. People are led. That takes good leadership along with good project management skills. Project leadership falls to those people who are in charge of the daily work on your project. Leadership can be difficult to define. We do know that even a highly intelligent and skilled individual can fail at leadership. Another person with solid, yet not extraordinary abilities can soar. When promoting people we need to look not only at their intelligence and technical skills, but also (and maybe even... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: April 24, 2007
Can a Company Be Run as a Democracy?
Running a firm democratically sounds like a recipe for anarchy, but executives who adopted the system insist that it works.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: March 18, 2007
ManageSmarter Rewind: Become a Meeting Master
Business will always be business-- and that means some best practices are evergreen. ManageSmarter.com digs through the archives to present you with timeless articles and strategies for today's market.... Read More
Caltrans Will Ramp Up Innovative Project Delivery Methods
As the California Dept. of Transportation gears up for the next 10 years with almost $20 billion in bond measure money, its director vows that the agency will pursue more design-build projects and public-private partnerships.... Read More
Extended Enterprise Service Helps Write Project Success Stories
In an increasingly cutthroat construction market, the words partnership and alliance often become meaningless corporate buzzwords.... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: March 17, 2007
Project Communication
Over the past 20+ years, I have provided dispute resolution/partnering services to various companies. One of the most common questions I have been asked is how to solve a "failure to communicate" in projects. In nearly every partnering session I've conducted, the number one goal of the project team is open, honest, effective communication. If we all recognize that communication is so important, then why are there so many communication failures? One reason is because we don't work to build genuinely strong skills in effective communication. We take the... Read More
HEADLINES ADDED: March 11, 2007
Solving the Problems of Small Projects
Many times small projects can have big problems – and very little time to solve them. It’s easy to be fooled into thinking that just because the project is small, it will go smoothly. A small project is still a project, and it can have just as many problems as a large project. In fact, it’s been my experience that small projects are harder than large ones. Small projects usually have a short schedule, with no slack. Resources are fully committed and not available to be reassigned to problem... Read More
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Favorite Book 2007
The Toyota Way is my favorite book for 2007. It had so many good ideas that I could not keep up and ended up reading it again and even buying the Field Book to go along with it.
Download Elegant Solutions from Change This which provides some highlights of the Toyota Production System. Too many ideas that are applicable to contractors to even count!
Recent Posts
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- Lean Project Implementation Is Not Adoption
- 10 Steps to Becoming More Profitable in the Residential Industry
- The Perfect Construction Year
- Project Manager's Job Description
- Pre-Fabrication Saves 190,000 Hours Of Traffic Delays
- Rules of Lean Project Management
- Online Project Management Software
- Boring in Downtown Las Vegas
- Construction Disputes and Nonpayment Issues- Marilyn Klinger
- Financial Monitoring Of Projects Is Critical To Business Success
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