May, 2015

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Practical Magic

Viewpoint Construction Technology

Before I co-founded Dexter + Chaney in 1981 with my friend and colleague Mark Dexter, we both worked for a consultant company. It was far from the norm for our construction clients back then to have computers in the office, let alone at their job sites. After we left the firm to start Dexter + Chaney and develop construction software, this remained the case throughout much of the early years of our business.

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Project Controls: Enhancing Project Profitability

Construction Business Owner

Why do construction projects experience profit fade? The obvious answer is they incur more costs than planned and overrun the budget. The more difficult question to answer is what is the root cause of profit fade? Is it a systemic problem that is linked to project control weaknesses or deficiencies? Consider some of the root causes of profit fade and underlying controls designed to prevent these occurrences.

professionals

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Another chapter in dispute over OSHA statute of limitations

FDR Safety

. Today’s guest blogger is Andrew R. Kaake, an attorney practicing in Cincinnati. Contact him at andrewrkaake@gmail.com. If you are reading this blog, you likely already know that the Occupational Safety and Health Act contains a six-month statute of limitations for the issuance of citations. You may also know that in AKM, LLC v. OSHRC (also known as the “ Volks ” decision), the federal Court of Appeals for the D.C.

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What LEED Statistics Tell Us?

Green Building Law Update

The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system dominates brand acceptance and market share in the business of green building and is a driver in the larger environmental industrial complex. So a review of LEED statistics can be telling, not only about the state of green building, but about trends and future opportunities. But as Benjamin Disraeli told us, “There are three types of lies -- lies, damn lies, and statistics.

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Optimize Operational Processes With an Industry-Specific ERP

As the use of Enterprise Resource Planning systems in the construction industry is critical to optimizing operations, it's critical that decision makers conduct a thorough software evaluation to find the one that best aligns to their needs.

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CCi Announces Groundbreaking Integration Partnership with Procore

Cassell Construction Estimating

It’s a perennial problem: your accounting department owns great software they love and utilize at a high level, as do your estimating, pre-construction, and PM teams. Yet, inevitably, each software product barely interacts with the others, if at all. This conundrum typically forces users to resort to one or more of the following: Sub-par ‘integrations’ that rarely perform as promised.

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Online Marketing for Construction Companies – An Abridged Guide

Viewpoint Construction Technology

Online marketing can be inherently difficult in certain industries, construction being one of them. Marketing the stellar work your construction company does may not be as sexy as unveiling the latest iPhone, but with the right approach, you can tell a story that is compelling and relevant to your target audience. Improving your online presence can bring in new clients and create more revenue.

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Choosing A Compact Utility Loader

Construction Business Owner

Consider the compact utility loader (CUL) the construction equipment equivalent of a Swiss army knife. The compact utility loader is a multi-purpose machine, utilizing a variety of attachments to tackle a range of landscape and construction applications. The first compact utility loaders entered the U.S. market almost two decades ago.

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FDRsafety names Tim Sirofchuck as Chief Operating Officer

FDR Safety

FDRsafety names Tim Sirofchuck as Chief Operating Officer. Franklin, TN (May 22, 2015) – Tim Sirofchuck , a veteran safety executive in the construction industry, has been promoted to the post of Chief Operating Officer of FDRsafety, the company announced today. In his new position, Sirofchuck will oversee the day-to-day operations of FDRsafety, one of the nation’s premiere safety consulting firms.

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An Arm and a Leg and the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code

Green Building Law Update

The 2015 version of the International Energy Conservation Code is soon to be upon you. Modern building codes are most often adopted by local government legislative bodies and as such vary from place to place. The IECC is in use or adopted in 47 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, New York City and Puerto Rico. By way of background, the International Building Code, as published by the International Code Council establishes “the minimum requirements to safeguard the pu

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The Ultimate Procurement Software Buyer’s Guide

Choosing the right procurement software is a crucial step in ensuring third-party risk management, process governance, and bidding efficiency. With so many procurement solutions to choose from, it can be overwhelming without a frame of reference and a solid starting point. This free buyer’s guide will cover: Benefits of Procurement Software –– Why do you need it?

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Bluebeam Tip: Estimating and Layers

Carol Hagen

How many times during your estimating take-off do you right click and add an item to a layer? You use layers to place like items together (all the electrical, all the the flooring or all the insulation, etc.), so you can toggle these layers on and off, to isolate trades and to keep your take-off ordered and uncluttered. When using one drawing to take-off many trades, layers helps but adding an item to a layer each time you take-off an item in Revu is time-consuming.

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Fogged Windows

Mr Ethics

Dear Mr. Ethics, I just came from a project meeting where the owner said he wants to upgrade the windows we will be installing on a four story condo project. The owner gave me a change order with the cost he wants to pay for the upgrade. He indicated that he and the architect researched the windows and think the change order reflects a fair price for the upgrade.

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Michigan DOT Investigating Drones to Monitor Road Conditions

Construction Equipment

Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) officials are thinking about using drones to monitor road conditions, with one of the benefits being increased safety for road workers.

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Build Your Business Blueprint

Construction Business Owner

Most construction business owners are overworked and underpaid for the endless efforts and risks they take for their business. They manage by the seat of their pants, try to run their company without systems or controls in place, put out fires all day, don't delegate, need to hire professionals to help their business grow and are too busy to do what they need to do to make more money.

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Stop Making These Mistakes and Start Scaling Your Specialty Contractor Business

Anything that is built on a poor foundation will soon crumble from the ground up. This is literally the case in the construction stage of projects and it applies just the same during the pre-construction stage. This free eBook is your ultimate guide to scaling your business with customizable software as early as during the bidding stage.

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On the outside looking in: The pain (and strength) of exclusion

Construction Marketing Ideas

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg. It’s a painful feeling — finding yourself on the outside, behind a barrier you cannot break. Your competitor is on the inside, with a highly profitable, sweetheart deal (for the competitor) with an organization that advocates and expresses (and sincerely respects) business ethics. So, for the matter of the rules, the competitor has played by the rules — the well-run and honorable organization has managed to successfully put itse

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Is Your Accounting Software Update Worth The Cost?

Contractor Bookkeeping

Today's Guest Article Is From Adam Bluemner. Managing Editor For Find Accounting Software. Nobody wants to pay extra for a service they buy. The premise behind signing up for support and software version updates is pretty clear. You spend a bit extra up front to protect your investment and to prevent even bigger costs down the road. But is it all worth it?

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The 7 Factors of Construction Productivity

Construction Dive

In a webinar on Lost Productivity in Construction conducted this week by University of California professor Dr. William Ibbs and founder of the Ibbs Consulting Group, reference was made to a recent report on changes in construction and effect on productivity. The report, Change and the Loss of Productivity in Construction: A Field Guide, authored by Dr.

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Fogged Windows

Mr Ethics

Dear Mr. Ethics, I just came from a project meeting where the owner said he wants to upgrade the windows we will be installing on a four story condo project. The owner gave me a change order with the cost he wants to pay for the upgrade. He indicated that he and the architect researched the windows and think the change order reflects a fair price for the upgrade.

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The Specialty Contractor's Guide to Job Cost Accounting

Supply chain challenges and rising material costs are forcing specialty contractors to pay more for what they need to complete each job. Following a simple set of principles, this easy-to-follow guide can help you manage job costs, ease the pains of accounting, and run a more profitable businesses. If you are a Specialty Contractor or Self-performing GC, you do not want to miss out on this essential guide!

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Navistar Opens Proving Grounds in Indiana

Construction Equipment

. Navistar announced the opening of proving grounds in New Carlisle, Ind., where the company will test its entire portfolio of products, including Class 5-8 commercial trucks.

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Enhanced Accounting Methods Add Value

Construction Business Owner

During the economic downturn, demand for construction plummeted, forcing contractors to face a new normal. Contractors were expected to maintain a high level of service at break-even or loss margins. New competitors created downward pressure on bid pricing, which radically reduced opportunities to replace backlog at reasonable margins for new projects.

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A look into the construction specifier’s mind (and the relationship with technical reps)

Construction Marketing Ideas

Paul Gerber offered advice to technical representatives seeking to connect with and influence construction specifiers in his Construction Specifications Canada national conference presentation. Paul Gerber’s presentation to the annual Construction Specifications Canada (CSC) conference in Winnipeg probably attracted more attention than any other in the four-day program. “Inside the Mind of a Specifier: What All Product Reps Should Know About How a Specifier Works” captured the

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Is Your Accounting Software Update Worth The Cost?

Contractor Bookkeeping

Today's Guest Article Is From Russ Davidson From. Find Accounting Software - findaccountingsoftware.com‎. Nobody wants to pay extra for a service they buy. The premise behind signing up for support and software version updates is pretty clear. You spend a bit extra up front to protect your investment and to prevent even bigger costs down the road. But is it all worth it?

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Report: Optimism for Construction Growth in the Next Year Remains High

Research reveals 96% of respondents are very or fairly optimistic about their organization’s growth prospects for the next year. The InEight Global Capital Projects Outlook also finds over half see digital technology as the greatest growth opportunity. But these are only some of the findings. Don't be kept in the dark when it comes to the future. Read the report today!

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Is It Fair to Require Detailed Schedules with Bid Submittal?

Construction Dive

By Bruce Jervis It is common for construction contracts to require a detailed, as-planned construction schedule for a project. This schedule is typically required within a stipulated number of days after contract award and is subject to owner approval. But some public contract solicitations are now requiring detailed construction schedules before contract award, submitted with a bid or proposal.

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Digging in for happy campers

Digger Blog

According to Practical Caravan magazine, Grantown-on-Spey Caravan Park in the Scottish Highlands is “the number one campsite in the UK” I am not in a position to argue with that assertion, but what I do know – because the people at Volvo have told me – is that they’ve bought themselves a new digger to make the place even better.

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Liebherr Announces New Dealer for Central & North Florida

Construction Equipment

International Iron accepted dealer sales and service responsibility for the full line of Liebherr earthmoving and material handling equipment. International Iron’s corporate office is located in Apopka, Florida. Internation Iron offers new and used equipment as well as a rental fleet. International Iron will be the full service dealer for Liebherr Earthmoving and Material Handling equipment, encompassing sales, service, Rental, parts and warranty in Central and North Florida.

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6 Myths of Mobile Technology

Construction Business Owner

Mobile technology has positively changed the landscape for businesses in how they empower their employees and interact with and service their customers. That’s not news, but the surprising part is how slow some contractors are to adopt 
mobile technology.

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Discover 7 Ways to Cut Construction Inefficiencies

Construction sites are often just-barely-controlled chaos. Without clear coordination, you risk everything from clashes to delays, cancellations, and missed deadlines. Get the free eBook & learn how to solve the biggest challenges in construction!

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Disintermediation: Who has the knowledge (power) now?

Construction Marketing Ideas

I found Idibri’s website and Jensen’s blog after reviewing the SMPS/CPSM daily feed. Word-of-mouth’s effectiveness cannot be understated in the disintermediated economy. Craig Jensen of Idibri Design , which describes its business as: “We are technology designers, theatre consultants and acousticians” recently wrote this blog posting, which raises some ideas worthy of consideration for anyone in the AEC marketing space.

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Government Contractors: Threatening to File a Claim is Not the Same as Filing a Claim

Best Practices Construction Law

Words matter. Grammar matters. Even punctuation matters: Let’s eat, Grandma! Let’s eat Grandma! For one government contractor, its claim was recently rejected by the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals because the Board found that the Contractor did not properly state its claim. In Construction Group LLC v. Dept. of Homeland Security , 15-1 BCA para. 35900 (Mar. 5, 2015), aff’d, CBCA 4459-R (Apr. 22, 2015), the Board dismissed the case for lack of jurisdiction because no underl

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The Tools Matter

Help Everybody Everyday

Specialists have tools of their trade. Architects, engineers, and contractors are great examples. You use software like Microstation, Revit, P6, and Contract Manager to do your job. You use these tools to help you build projects. You could create a construction schedule in Excel, but it’s going to be better and more useful in P6. You could create the drawings for a building in Windows Paint, but it will be easier and better to do it in AutoCAD or Revit.

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