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MEP Coordination: why it’s expensive to be cheap Source: Blogs
MEP Coordination: why it’s expensive to be cheap. You’re a contractor and you have been awarded a contract to do what your good at, build a building. You assemble a team to ma...

Contract Sales: How to Understand Your Performance Source: Blogs
...struction Type (i.e. Out of Ground) Squarefootage Customers bidding the job Bid Price and Margin (duh!) Competition including final results Geographic Location Proposed Team Owner Why you won ...

Bid Work? Risk Taker, Price Taker! Source: Blogs
If you are bidding work out there, you are going to be a price taker and not a price setter. In fact throughout the construction industry whether it is bidding, negotiated, time...

How to Improve Construction Productivity Source: Blogs
pro·duc·tiv·i·ty (prō'dŭk-tĭv'ĭ-tē, prŏd'ək-) n. The rate at which goods or services are produced especially output per unit cost of labor. Or if you prefer how much does it c...

Why BIM? Source: Blogs
So why would anyone BIM, or Building Information Modeling? Unless you are doing a power plant or some very specialized industrial job, our guys in the field can work things out,...

Construction Customer Service Source: Blogs
In my last installment I talked about performance in relation to holding people accountable for what they accomplish and not what they do. Let's look at the bigger picture of wh...

Is PM software a Waste of Money? Source: Blogs
Almost every construction company out there sees the value in Estimating software and utilizes some form of it. I will agree that not every company is utilizing a specifically d...

Keys to being a Great Estimator Source: Blogs
So what does it take to be a good estimator? Being great with numbers? Having a desire to color on drawings all day? There are a few key traits I have found in my career that ...

MEP Coordination: It’s Expensive to be Cheap Source: Blogs
MEP Coordination: It’s Expensive to be Cheap. You’re a contractor and you have been awarded a contract to do what your good at, build a building. You assemble a team to manage...

Risk Mangement, What is Your Role? Source: Blogs
In construction, talk to anyone about the single greatest challenge in surviving in the industry and it is risk. "Based on the risk, add more profit to it." "I am not goi...

The Art of Estimating Source: Blogs
Sun Tzu wrote the Art of War in the 6th Century BC. Since that time military experts have considered it a complete view on how to operate a military machine and business scholar...

Cost Control is Construction's #2 Rule Source: Blogs
In Construction the #1 rule is safety. Without the principal of safety, the things we build and the people we employ will not be around once we finish. I hope that fact is not ...

Subcontractor Projecting 2010: Part 2 Source: Blogs
In Part 1, we talked about how to start coming up with a realistic look at 2010 by looking at your continual or flow work. In this part, let's take a look at the next part of th...

Quality Control, Be in Control Source: Blogs
When you ask Owners what their top priorities for their next construction project, quality control is always near the top if not at the top. With the slow down in the economy th...

Want to Win Better Projects? Source: Blogs
Given the turmoil in the marketplace over the past 2 years, I have heard repeatedly from different contractors that they are looking to move into different markets. We need to...

Pipeline Projections Source: Advertisements
When utilizing Construction Monkey to manage your pipeline, we utilize our proprietary calculator to automatically calculate the revenue, manpower, and gross profit of ...

Subcontractor Projecting 2010: Part 1 Source: Blogs
As 2009 closes, most of us are in the process of deciding what we think about 2010. If you have done your job right you already have this answer and if you have been lucky 2010 ...

Tracking Productivity is the Key to Productivity Source: Blogs
Productivity is defined by economists as the amount of output per unit of labor. For example the number of light fixtures installed per labor hour worked. As a subcontractor I ...

Life of An Estimator, Tougher than You Think Source: Blogs
For those of us in the construction industry we know the Estimators that are more cynical than the average Joe. They appear to be more prevalent than the fun loving young estima...

What Value Do You Add? Source: Blogs
In any economy and in any service industry, there is a very fair question: "What Value Do You Add?". This question goes for companies and employees and in this economy it become...

Construction: The Lost Decade Source: Blogs
Yesterday the Department of Commerce came out with the July 2010 construction numbers and the current state of affairs is not very attractive. The numbers represent the seasonal...

New Year, Let's Accomplish Something! Source: Blogs
No matter where you sit in your organization I would like for you to take a different look at your job duties. Over the years the titles for different positions have become pret...

Construction Production, What to Track Source: Blogs
In my last blog, I discussed the need to track productivity to increase the performance of the company which now comes up with the natural question: What do we track? It is actu...

What Does Earth Day Mean for Construction? Source: Blogs
Yesterday was Earth Day, a yearly mark that is growing in significance around the world. It is a time for us to understand the issues about our impact on the environment. I am ...

Analytics, the Best Way to Improve Your Business Source: Blogs
Analytics is simply the science of analysis. In construction, and probably more specific in the subcontractor community analysis of data is few and far between, even though our ...

Subcontractor: Projecting 2010 Part 4 Source: Blogs
Well, we are almost done. We have now compiled all of our revenue and gross margin amounts for our 2010 year. You should have a spreadsheet that has totals that mirrors the fol...

Need a Safety Program? Try a Culture First. Source: Blogs
As one of the most dangerous industries on the planet, construction focuses significantly on safety. Our industry is focused on the health and safety of our tradesmen and for go...

Where is 2010 going? Source: Blogs
...al Jobs Good luck. Outside of very large projects that take time from companies that need the facilities internally, I would expect 2010 to look like 2009. Not too many people will be out there dro...

Construction: My Valentine Source: Blogs
As I sit here and package up chocolates for the wife and hope she got me that hoodie-footie I have been seeing so much on TV, I have been thinking about my 2nd love Construction....

What Makes a Specialty Contractor so Special? Source: Blogs
In construction there are the general trades and then the infamous specialty subcontractors. Ever think what is so special about the specialty trades? The construction industry...

Can Contractors Change? Source: Blogs
The past two years have been the worst global economic times in more than a generation and it is anyone's guess if we are coming out of it or if there are more challenges ahead. ...

So What Does the Project Manager Do Anyway? Source: Blogs
At the expense of offending Project Managers as wells as the Monkey: A woman was looking at the animals on display in a pet store. A few minutes later, a man walked in and sai...

Three Most Important Things to Being A Contractor Source: Blogs
In retail and real estate there goes a saying that the three most important things are location, location, and location. In construction there is a similar truth that the three ...

Best and Final Offer, Are They Ethical? Source: Blogs
If you have been involved in bidding work you have probably at one point in time been apart of the Best and Final Offer (BAFO) routine. In private work it is typically called "s...

What Does Your 2010 Look Like? Source: Advertisements
What does your 2010 look like? This was a very typical question at the end of 2009 that sent most managers in a company scrambling to work on a spreadsheet to develop the busine...

Manpower Forecasts Source: Advertisements
If you are utilizing Construction Monkey to manage your pipeline, in less than 2 minutes you can find out what your manpower needs look like by simply clicking a few bu...

Why would Add A Project Only (With no Estimate)? Source: Help System
If you have tooled around with the Pipeline tool, you have noticed that you can enter a project without an estimate. So why would you want to do such a thing? If you are mana...

Basic Site Navigation Source: Help System
Below are some basic navigation functions of Construction Monkey. Home Screen To access your home screen at any time, just click the Construction Monkey logo in the upp...

We are selling Trust, That's It! Source: Blogs
In the previous part to this series, I made the claim that customers look towards the subcontractors to find the best "expert" in the field (or group of them) and then select fro...

Subcontractor: Projecting 2010 Part 3 Source: Blogs
In Part 1 and Part 2, we looked at projecting the flow work and the backlog, now to get a total picture of 2010, we need to look at work we don't have yet, our pipeline. The pip...

Cap and Trade, What to Expect Source: Blogs
With Copenhagen behind us and health care on the ropes, will Cap and Trade be on the block? The US House of Representatives have passed a bill, but the Senate has not taken it u...

Customer Service, It is About the Little Things Source: Blogs
Customer service in a service industry is the key to success. As specialty contractors, the service we provide is sometimes the only thing that makes us different than our compe...

Will Hiring A Safety Manager Matter? Source: Blogs
The vast majority of subcontractors in the country do not have a dedicated Safety Manager, so will hiring one make a difference? Short answer, yes. The real answer is much long...

What Makes A Good Estimate? Source: Blogs
Construction companies stand on three (3) pillars that define good business; Get Work, Do Work, and Monitor Work. If all three of them are done correctly and efficiently than th...

What Financial Reform Means for Construction Source: Blogs
The current Congress has passed the 2,300 page Financial Reform Bill which will have major impacts to the construction industry. After the 2008 elections there were three bills ...

Do You Know What You Are Building? Source: Blogs
In today's world of CADD, fast track projects, out sourcing, reduced design staffs, it is impossible to get through a project with at least a dozen new sets of drawings and hundr...

Project Experience Wins New Work Source: Advertisements
How important is it to track and know your past project experience? Many projects are awarded based upon your knowledge of the type of project you are bidding on. You...

Add New Pipeline Project Source: Help System
In order to add a new pipeline project click on the "Add New Project" submenu under the Pipeline menu option or click here and then follow these instructions. (Please note that ...

Project Experience Overview (Video on YouTube) Source: Help System
See all that the Project Experience service has to offer on a short YouTube video. Click here to watch the video on YouTube now

What can I see/do on my project's Contract Dashboard? Source: Help System
... Date Sent, and Days Outstanding. Click on the description of the Pricing Item (scope modification/change order) located in the "Outstanding Pricing" column to view that change in detail

What are we really selling? Source: Blogs
As subcontractors, especially during tough economic times, sales is a tougher and tougher battle. In the US there are approximately 800,000 specialty subcontractors, which means...

Revit: No Place for Amateurs Source: Blogs
Revit: No Place for Amateurs Let us look at the typical building information modeling services firm and how things are done. Typically, a CAD manager is hired to create all of...

What Can the Rig Disaster Teach a Subcontractor? Source: Blogs
Last month a terrible accident happened aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, killing 11 workers on the platform and creating an oil leak that is still no fully contained. The i...

Be A Master in Construction Source: Blogs
Where are the true Masters in Construction? I am not talking about those that have ventured out to get a Masters License in their prospective trade, I mean real masters. Americ...

Are Trade Shows a Waste? Source: Blogs
As spring approaches so does one of the two trade show seasons. With the economy difficult, it begs the question: Should we spend money on attending a trade show? Just a busine...

Will Distributors Have A Place in Tomorrow's World Source: Blogs
As subcontractors we buy the vast majority of our material through Distributors. The system was established well before my time and benefited almost everyone along the supply ch...

This Bonus Sucks! Source: Blogs
Bonus programs can really suck. Whether you want to call them bonus or incentive programs almost every company has them, but if they are not administered properly they can reall...

Increase Profits, Minimize Risk Source: Blogs
What is the best way for a contractor to improve their profits? Minimize risk. Let's face it, contracting is another form of gambling. When we look at all of the stipulations ...

How well do you know your pipeline? Source: Advertisements
How well do you know your pipeline?? Subcontracting, like most businesses, requires a continual and focused approach towards sales. In today's world, simply bidding a p...

Get Pipeline Today Source: Advertisements
Subcontracting, like most businesses, requires a continual and focused approach towards sales. In today's world, simply bidding a project is not nearly enough. You must focus y...

Why Do I Need The Project Experience Service? Source: Advertisements
Do you ever need to find your company's similar project experience for a project you are proposing on? For most of us this is a manual event that takes hours of cutting and past...

Bid Calendar Source: Advertisements
View your Bids on a Calendar Most of us have utilized Excel, Word, Access, or even raw paper or whiteboard to track our bids. These manual methods provide for several...

What Can You Do with Project Experience? Source: Help System
The Project Experience service provides you with some in depth easy tools to dive deep into your current and past work which will enable you to understand your subcontracting bus...

Pipeline Overview (YouTube Video) Source: Help System
View a brief seven minute overview of what your pipeline might look like after you start entering projects! Click here to see it now on YouTube

What electrical calculations are available on Construction Monkey? Source: Help System
View all of the electrical calculations that we offer by watching our short YouTube video. All calculations are free when you create a free user account! Construction Monkey'...

What can I see/do on my RFI Dashboard? Source: Help System
...Process Average Days Outstanding (DSO) # of RFIs Past Due Total With Cost Impact With Schedule Impact Average Days Past Due (DPD) # of RFIs Answered That remain Unacknowledged (let's you know t...

What can I see/do on my Contract Dashboard? Source: Help System
...ring due date) # of Outstanding Changes Written Past Due Average Days Outstanding (DSO) Financial #s Original Contract Value Change Orders Value Current Contract Value Projected Changes Value...

Do you have a referral program? Source: FAQ
Do you have a referral program

Boating from an Owner's Perspective Source: Blogs
If you read the first part of this series, you have looked at the photo of two boats and hopefully gained a different perspective about the photo that has been circulating around...

So What is BIM? Source: Blogs
Building Information Modeling (or BIM) is all the rage in today's commercial and industrial construction markets. I am unaware of many large General Contractors that haven't inv...

Subcontractor: Projecting 2010 Conclusion Source: Blogs
So we went through all of the steps of producing a good business plan for 2010, now what? First let's review what we have covered so far. Part 1: Building our Flow Work Pa...

Sustainable Yes! LEED be Careful Source: Blogs
When LEED was introduced it became a revolution in the construction industry changing the way Owners, Designers, and Builders approached jobs. The major objective was to create ...

Construction News U Can Use 2.10.2010 Source: Blogs
Construction related news that you might of missed and can help you in your business. Mobile Data Traffic: 3.6 Billion Gigabytes a Month by 2014 All things Digital is reporti...

Best Way to Win that Next Project Source: Blogs
It appears as if the market is recovering (at least there are more projects out there to be bidding on), so how can you win that work to turn it from an opportunity to revenue? ...

How to Create More Construction Jobs Source: Blogs
The biggest single thing on the minds of the American public is jobs. With unemployment over 10% and the possibility of that rising to 12% this year, it is a very real concern. ...

News U Can Use: Feb.3.2010 Source: Blogs
In a new weekly installment, we will be scanning the news sources to find the most interesting news items for contractors and summarize what it means to them. For our Februrary ...

Where Have the Good Craftsmen Gone? Source: Blogs
One of the largest complaints I hear is "the quality of the workforce is not what it used to be". Whether I am talking to union or non-union, family owned or large business, the...

Electrical & Other Calculations Source: Advertisements
Do you need to do some calculations and want a simple tool to make that possible? Construction Monkey has the calculation tools you are looking for. From calculating the size...

Referral Program Source: Advertisements
Think Construction Monkey is a great solution? Want to earn your way towards free services? Receive a $20 credit towards your account for every company you refer for each servi...

Can The Monkey Help You? Source: Advertisements
Construction Monkey is an innovative tool that will be able to assist you in your daily work life. Whether you are a Project Manager, Superintendent, Field Installer, or the Own...

Track Data with Resume/Proposal Builder Source: Advertisements
With the Resume/Proposal Builder you can track every piece of important data: General Contractors Your Team Square Footage Contract Value Project Costs Project ...

Projections Source: Advertisements
...ine: Future Outlook Create your business plan in minutes instead of hours! Easily enter a plan for multiple locations, offices, or profit centers! Projects entered into your pipeli...

How will it help me? Source: Advertisements
Win more work! - Spend less time figuring out and creating your project resume on proposals, and more time concentrating on the details of the estimate! Know exactly how...

How will it help me? Source: Advertisements
Improve Communication! (without speaking) System automatically notifies your project team of any changes to a project! 24/7 access from anywhere! Company executives ...

Project Experience Map Source: Help System
The Project Experience Map allows you to view the various reports created utilizing the Project Experience tool on a geographic map. On the report there are three areas of inter...

How do I add a new post? Source: Help System
To add a new post to share with others, please complete the following steps: Create a user account. Click here to learn about creating a user account. If you already have an...

What can I see/do on my Project's Drawing Set List? Source: Help System
Your Drawing Set List shows all of the drawing sets associated with your project at a quick glance. How do I access my project's Drawing Set List? click here What can I do...

Order to Stop Work Source: Library Letters
We bid this project based on your having the work on the project in such condition that on , we could start our work in the and continue work uninterrupted until its conclusion ...

Order Not to Start Work Source: Library Letters
We bid this project based on your having the work on the project in such condition that on , we could start our work in the and continue work uninterrupted until its conclusion ...

Deferred Submittal of a Cost Proposal Source: Library Letters
was received on and is being implemented at the present time. Because of the complexity of this change, we are unable to submit a proposal for an equitable adjustment at this ...

As Built CheckList Source: Library Forms
Untitled Page .style1 { height: 21.0pt; width: 48pt; color: windowtext; font-size: 16.0pt; ...

A Tale of Two Boats Source: Blogs
By now most of us have seen the change order and contract boat image that has been circulating around the internet over the past several years. The big boat is rightly called th...

Is the Economy Affecting Your Ethics? Source: Blogs
Contracting is a tough business. Our industry has a reputation among the community of having little or no ethics. That reputation is earned due to our poor communication, but d...

Do we have the money for Safety? Excuse Me? Source: Blogs
I have been reading and having discussions on whether it is worth it to save money on safety. Excuse me? Why are they mutually exclusive? If you execute a smart and well orche...

Treat Construction as a Science Source: Blogs
Construction is a massive industry and has promoted innovations in tools, equipment, products, and of course the structures that are built. With all of that said it is not hard ...

Construction News U Can Use 3.24.2010 Source: Blogs
Some news that will be of interest to you: Sustainable Expansion Underway in Eleven States through January Reed Construction Data is reporting that 26 states are expanding ...

Is there More Work with ObamaCare? Source: Blogs
Three months ago, I took a stab at what I thought ObamaCare meant to Subcontractors. In reviewing that after passage, I still agree with my thoughts in that article. I did not ...

Will Anti-Immigration Law Affect You? Source: Blogs
Arizona recently took an unprecedented step in passing a law that required the state to action on a federal issue. I am not going to get into the middle of the political ideals ...

Construction News U Can Use 4.20.2010 Source: Blogs
Some of the more important news for subcontractors for the week of April 20, 2010 Commodity prices are on the march again Reed Construction Data is reporting that commodity p...

FREE Tickets to the Electric West Show in Vegas! Source: Advertisements
Dear Construction Monkey Users, The Construction Monkey team would like to invite you to Register for the Exhibit Hall FREE (a $55 value) at the Electric Wes...

Resume/Proposal Builder: Brief Source: Advertisements
Do you ever need to find your company's similar project experience for a project proposal? Does your project spreadsheet have minimal, outdated, or incorrect data? Are you sp...

How will it help me? Source: Advertisements
...e Garbage In/Garbage Out! - The monkey tells you where the garbage is, so you can fix it! Sales Funnel Hit Ratio

The 5 W's Source: Advertisements
...Projections – Future Outlook of Revenue, Margin, and Man Power based upon the work in your pipeline. Statistics – Real time Stats and Hit Ratios by Project Type, Market, Funding, Estimator, etc. to h...

Reports Source: Advertisements
A slew of reports to help manage your subcontracting business: Bid List View just the projects that are upcoming or potential bids! Filter the data by: Team ...

Customers Source: Advertisements
Automatically track your success with your customers: List of Customers Quickly view a list of customers! - designated as Target, Listed, or Non-listed custom...

Project Detail Source: Advertisements
All of the details of your project and more: Similar Projects – Instantly see which projects are similar to the one you are viewing! Project Details – Project Name, C...

The 5 W's Source: Advertisements
Who is it for? - The Project Management system is for the entire specialty contractor community. More specifically, it is meant for your company’s Project Managers, Super...