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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...

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,...

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 ...

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 ...

Contract Sales: How to Understand Your Performance Source: Blogs
Last week we bid a few jobs. This week we bid a few jobs. Next week we will bid a few jobs. I am sure we all know which ones we won and which ones are lost, but do we really k...

Where is 2010 going? Source: Blogs
Well 2010 is finally here. It couldn't come quick enough with the difficulty and challenges we all had to deal with in 2009, it feels good to have a "fresh" start on a new year....

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 ...

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...

We are selling Trust, That's It! Source: Blogs
... care what it cost? Would you look for the most caring surgeon? Or would you look for the person that you trusted was the best to get it done. We are not brain surgeons, but we are damn close. W...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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 ...

MEP Coordination: It’s Expensive to be Cheap Source: Blogs
...ght? Not so fast. Would you let the plumber do the drywall or let the concrete sub do the painting? Sure, it can get done, but it will take longer and in construction, time is money. There will pro...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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? ...

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...

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 ...

Reserving Impact Costs Source: Library Letters
We are in receipt of your Change Order which compensates us for the direct costs incurred in performing the extra work referred to in that change order. However, as you know, t...

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...

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...

Revit: No Place for Amateurs Source: Blogs
...ibly new personnel? Wouldn’t it make sense to hire experience in the first place and have fewer problems? Look for an experienced dependable team and collaborate with them. Redesigns waste money. ...

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...

Construction News U Can Use: 2.24.2010 Source: Blogs
Some of the more interesting news from around the Construction Industry: Margin Pressure Will Worsen for Nonresidential Contractors Reed Construction Data is reporting that ...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Is ObamaCare Good for Subcontractors? Source: Blogs
Even though the health debate is not yet over and the full scope of health care reform is not known (or even if there will be reform), I think it is important to look at how it c...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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...

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...

Brief Source: Advertisements
... and project leads? Would you like to know instantly where your company stands in projected workload compared to the plan? Enhance your ability to win work, and create a more efficient sales team by...

The 5 W's Source: Advertisements
Who is it for? - The Bid/Sales Management system is for the entire specialty contractor community. More specifically, it is meant for your company’s preconstruction depar...

The 5 W's Source: Advertisements
Who is it for? The Resume/Proposal Builder system is for the entire specialty contractor community. More specifically, it is meant for your company’s preconstruction dep...

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...