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McGraw Hill's New Book, Managing a Construction Firm on Just 24 Hours a Day By Matt Stevens |
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Fri, 30 Apr 2010 09:49:00 -0500
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Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:42:00 -0500
LLP4747 STEVENS FLYER_layout 2009.pdf
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Thu, 15 Apr 2010 16:29:00 -0500
S Dakota April NL 2010.pdf
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Tue, 29 Dec 2009 04:18:00 -0600
My child is in college. She is starting to ask about industries and careers. Olivia has made me think further about what construction contracting has to offer her. I have concluded it is the best career a young person could choose. You may not believe it, but the facts will show our business is unmatched. It offers participants long term tangible benefits. However, many people will argue that point. Let me show you the many virtues our industry has. You be the judge.
The Industry is Not Going Away - Construction is a basic necessity to human life (shelter, food, clothing, and water). Contrastingly, most manufacturing will be leaving this country over the next few years. Construction cannot be exported. It must be "insitu" or occurring where it produces the end product. This is unlike service center, computer programming or engineering where other countries provide it from afar and then send it back to the United States. Construction and its sister, demolition are captive to the site.
Merit Based - the construction industry rewards hard work. There is no substitute. We are all dissatisfied with the work ethic today. When we find it, we reward it. Let me give you an example - a person comes to you (male / female) doesn't speak English well, but has promised to work hard and keep their nose clean. You give them a chance and 1 year later, you are glad you did. They kept their promise. Now, what will you do? Ignore them? Cut their pay? Of course not! You will increase their wages and give them more responsibility. Construction contractors reward merit. We are an equal opportunity employer.
In a few years, that same person, having earned the technical understanding and crew following might start their own business. It is almost expected. After working in the field, interacting with clients and managing labor, it is normal and rational for this person to at least attempt it.
Additionally, the industry is also merit based. Question: What is the best advertising in the construction business? A completed project that is on-time and on-budget. It speaks volumes of a contractor's savvy and diligence. There are a minority of good contractors. Word of mouth will travel fast. Excellent contractors have more opportunities for work than their lesser competitors.
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Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:45:00 -0500
Email us at clientservices@stevensci.com for a listing of 100+ ways to cut costs out of your construction firm. We will send to you the list within 2 working days.
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Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:09:00 -0500
Following is a listing of Civil Works projects to be funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The legislation, signed into law by President Barack Obama on February 17, appropriated $4.6 billion to the Corps for its Civil Works program. The $4.6 billion is distributed in the following program accounts:
Please send to us a note titled "USACofE" Project listing to clientservices@stevensci.com and you will recieve the list within three working days.
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Sun, 09 Aug 2009 10:31:00 -0500
Numbers 6 -10 of Top Ten Tips for 2010.pdf Email us - clientservices@stevensci.com for the entire list of ideas 1 through 10. It is complimentary.
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Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:04:00 -0500
Book reviews.pdf
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Thu, 30 Jul 2009 20:35:00 -0500
Please send to us a note "18,000 Projects" to clientservices@stevensci.com and we will send to you the listing in Excel in three working days.
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Tue, 28 Jul 2009 02:57:00 -0500
Go to any national convention and you can't miss seeing dozens of software vendors. It is a big business and there is high value to construction firms. The product has made estimating a less clerical and more automated. Also, it has made estimating more efficient. Due to its power, counting and measuring is less of a task; taking hours instead of days. For those of us who don't looking forward to the job of estimating, computers and software has made it bearable.
We feel that most estimating software is very useful for contractors. However, I have personally witnessed software purchased one day and then never used. The salesman did his job. The rub is the time it takes to be proficient. The contractor's busy schedule doesn't allow for training. In several cases I know of, thousands of dollars has been invested and no payoff. The software sits in its shrink wrap still unopened.
I am raising a red flag. Take a look at all the risk in construction, some of it we choose. Buying estimating software (decreasing our cash) and never benefiting should not be one of our risk factors.
We recommend looking hard at Microsoft. (See our writing on "Computers".) If you use a computer, you can use the Microsoft Office Suite (90% of users do) and especially Excel. For any one just starting to use computers, the advent of the point and click system also known as Windows, makes it all the more easy.
As proof of our conclusion, The American Society of Professional Estimators released a survey in 2005. Here is the background and the results:
Respondents were asked if their satisfaction level with their current estimating software.
Satisfied 80%
Fairly Satisfied 14%
Dissatisfied/Plan to Change 3%
Other/n/a 2%
Respondents were asked if they anticipate change soon (one year or less)
No change planned 93%
Plan to change soon 7%
Respondents were asked the major factor in the purchase of their estimating software.
Ease of use 30%
Customization 30%
Features 25%
Price 4%
Other/n/a 11%
Average time in use
1-5 years 32%
5-10 years 47%
10+ years 21%
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