Communications on a construction project are crucial in the success of a project. Just like good fences make good neighbors, good communications yields good results. Too many projects start with poor communications at the onset of the project. This is when the plans and specifications do not reliably represent the work to be performed. If [...]
I sound really old but there is a basic bidding knowledge that is missing in today’s construction industry! IT USED TO BE: Contractors relied upon estimators and their bid managers that would not blindly accept the goofy low subcontractor’s bid. They knew there was a problem. Contractors had estimators and bid managers on staff that [...]
Perhaps the title on this one should be the Competitive Advantage Everyone Needs. In the previous blogs on this subject the responders mentioned innovation and better ideas by the contractors. If they have one, keeping it secret was one option. The thing is, cheating on the specified materials and workmanship is not a competitive advantage. [...]
My recent blog on The Competitive Advantage Nobody Needs generated some interesting responses on ENR.com. There were some very insightful comments, even from the one responder that thinks everybody is a crook in the construction industry. Bidders that short circuit the specifications are taking something of value from the owner of the project. In the [...]
I recently overheard a contractor bragging to others on how they could have a cost advantage over their competition. This caught my attention. So I listened. It seems in their bidding practices they priced materials/equipment items that were not approved in the specifications. They would not request these items to be approved in the bidding [...]
I was working on a project recently. When doing the review there was a note that was on the civil drawings – about work that the electrical contractor was supposed to perform. There was no symbol on the civil drawing just a note and there was no reference to the work on the electrical drawings. [...]
