Creating Potential and Delivered Value for Contractors

We are contractors and the contract is a tangible representation of potential value. That value is delivered when the right information, materials, and equipment come together at the right time in the hands of the right craftsperson for installation.

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Once your strategic decisions are made about your markets, operations, and talent, the business of building is largely about winning work and building work. This will be the focus of most of your people and management systems

"Eighty-Five Percent of the reasons for failure are deficiencies in the systems and processes rather than the employee. The role of management is to change the process rather than badgering the individuals to do better." - W. Edwards Deming


 

Identify priorities, bottlenecks, and constraints in your business by focusing on two critical milestones—the contract and field installation. Use this simple checklist for each to start your continuous improvement process

The Contract (Potential Value)

  1. Identifying and choosing the right opportunities to pursue (BizDev & Executives)
  2. Defining the right scope, design, and schedule to deliver maximum value to the project owner (Precon / Engineering)
  3. Accurate quantity take-off (Estimating)
  4. Accurate costs including materials, equipment, subcontractors, and crews (Estimating)
  5. Accurate unit production rates given the conditions (Estimating)
  6. Right terms and pricing for the risk (Executives)

 

Field Installation (Delivered Value)

  1. Right field workforce—trained for the task(s) including field leadership
  2. Right tools and equipment
  3. Right information
  4. Right materials
  5. Clear work area
  6. Stretch goals

Achieving this in the field comes down to Effective Tasking, The 6 Pillars of Productivity, Short-Interval Planning (SIP), and ABC Daily Planning

 

 




Focused Resources = Maximum Results
Contracting is a relatively low-margin and high-risk business. Contractors can’t afford to spread out their resources on projects or in their businesses. Leaders must put maximum resources behind their biggest bottlenecks or opportunities.
Development Progression (And Joy Level)
We’re all born with aptitudes waiting to be discovered or developed. From the start, we form preferences. How those preferences become strengths—and how we use them in life and business—shapes both our joy and competitiveness.
Cash Flow Tip 9 - The Project Schedule and Cash Flow
The smoother the project schedule is, the smoother your cash flow will be. Large variations in the resource loading across a project’s duration impact cash and productivity.