Scheduling Pitfalls!

Scheduling is an important factor for projects of all types and sizes, as mistakes associated with timing, material deliveries and processes can be very costly.

According to a study published by Angotti Engineering of CA, three of the top project schedule risk factors include:

• Optimistic Scheduling - "tell them what they want to hear" without regard to real and practical limitations.
  
• Piling on People – All will go well if we throw people at the project, especially at crisis points.
  
• Refusing to anticipate learning curves when new people, tools or processes are introduced.

Officer's Club Project!

We're pleased to announce that we have been selected to perform a renovation and systems upgrade project by the US Navy. 

This fast-track initiative will involve interior renovations and HVAC-system updating in the officer’s club building at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. 

The scope-of-work will include new ceilings and walls, electrical and architectural upgrades, interior finish work, and the installation of a dormer on the building’s slate roof to accommodate the new HVAC unit. The new system will be more energy efficient, and will also have sufficient capacity to properly heat and cool the entire facility.

Read press release...

The Costs of Relocating a Business?

Research by urbanbound.com and others indicates that business leaders must consider a range of options and costs before deciding whether or not to relocate their organizations; and many are surprised at where the biggest costs are incurred, as they often relate to people!

For example, the cost of relocating people and families, especially homeowners, is often significantly higher than anticipated. 

The cost (and risk) of rehiring when some team members opt not to move is often more costly than expected as well.

Renovate, Expand or Relocate?

The business location and building size that was perfect for your firm in the past now make it a struggle for you and your staff to perform the daily tasks that need to be done.

Hence, the questions posed in this post's title are of critical importance... either expand and/or renovate at your current location if space is available, or relocate into a different facility at a new location.

Should we stay...
In order to make your decision you must first perform a thorough evaluation of current operations at the existing site. Some of the factors to consider in making this decision include:

• Is there sufficient real estate to expand?
• Does the existing location have access to a good work force?
• Is the business climate competitive?

Or should we go...
If the decision is made to relocate to a new facility, both the area where the existing facility is located and additional locations should be analyzed as part of the due diligence process. 

Whether moving in close proximity or further away, key criteria must be explored, analyzed and evaluated to ensure that the company makes the best decision for today and into the future. 

Some of these issues might include:

• Willingness of team members to relocate and associated costs
• Timeframe for the move
• Potential downtime
• Zoning and land-use issues

For additional perspective, you might like to read the full article...

Design/Build Continues to Grow in Popularity

Due to the competitive nature of the construction industry, it's no surprise that design/build continues to be the fastest growing method of project delivery in the country; and not only among owners, but also among developers and design professionals. 
 
In fact, according to statistics compiled by the Design/Build Institute of America, the percentage of design/build contracts will hit 55% this year. Reasons cited include:

• Cost effectiveness
• Less risk
• Promotes a collaborative work environment
• Most often results in a higher level of quality

Fun Fact

In a prior post we shared information about and guidelines for "Buying American."

As a follow-up "fun fact," given a choice between a product made in the U.S. and an identical one made abroad, 78% of Americans would rather buy the American product, according to a new nationally representative survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.

Naturally the reasons vary. The top two reasons given:

• Retaining domestic manufacturing jobs - 80%
• American-made goods were of higher quality - 60%

Quote of The Week

Time is Money!

People often say that "time is money," and this is especially true during construction projects of all types and sizes.

For example, a regional organization was in the process of expanding their headquarters by adding a new wing. The initial decision-making and approval process took a little longer than expected, and consequently the project began six weeks late. This delay brought-about a time-challenge for the company, as winter was quickly approaching.

In addition, the communication between site management personnel, suppliers and sub-contractors was not the best. In certain instances the main crew was unable to work productively because materials were late in arriving. In other cases sub-contractors didn’t arrive on site because they were confused about the schedule. As the frequency of these types of misunderstandings increased, the "ripple effect" became significant and it soon became apparent that the facility would not be weather-tight prior to winter’s arrival, thus bringing about a need to import additional workers and to authorize overtime work – expensive solutions to say the least!

Managing a schedule is not always easy, but the upshots associated with failure to do so can be costly in multiple ways. In addition to delay-related costs, some contracts include punitive fines if certain deadlines are missed. In other cases the negative impact on worker morale can result in safety or quality lapses, as the overall job-site culture becomes one of mediocrity. Finally, a contractor’s brand-value can be damaged once they get a reputation for missing timelines.

Brookstone Builders Inc.-Friday Funny-weather

A big welcome to this beautiful Friday afternoon.  Hope everyone has plans to enjoy the spring like temps we are enjoying this mid December.  Happy shopping too!

Brookstone Builders, Inc.-Friday Funny-Holiday stress

Happy Friday, first one of December.  Don't blink, you might miss the month.  Are you ready for the holiday? Done with wrapping, baking, shopping, decorating. O my so much to do, which brings us to our Friday Funny... Enjoy and have a nice weekend.

Job Site Safety is No Accident!

Safety in the workplace is the joint responsibility of the entire workforce of any organization.

The benefits of maintaining a safe work environment are many, but first and foremost, safety is about proactively protecting workers and those around your work area... who are often customers.

For example, Joe Jones was serving as Project Manager for a renovation project during which the customer site was to remain open-for-business while the work was being done. This meant that a number of people who were unfamiliar with construction work and site protocols would be passing-by and working-around the work area.

Fortunately Joe was well-trained in safety rules and best practices, and he took the initiative of applying this knowledge to maximize safety during the project.

Read the full article...

Friday Funny- fall

Happy Friday and for some it is a long weekend.  The weather is looking like a beautiful New England fall weekend, time to go leaf peeping. Enjoy. We will be open on Monday.

What is it Wednesday, recycled

What is it Wednesday, recycled.  This one is certainly different and a conversation starter. 
Enjoy this beautiful day!

Brookstone Builders Inc.-Friday Funny-safety first

Hello and happy Friday once again.  Almost the weekend, hang in there.  Whatever your plans this weekend, pack an umbrella or a raincoat. Have a good weekend and we will be back next week.

Brookstone Builders Inc.-What is it Wednesday

Hello on this very soggy "What is it Wednesday"  This week our image is sort of an easy one, but we will share the answer with you tomorrow.  Until then drive safe on the wet roads, there are reports of a lot of oil on the roads due to  the long duration of no rain. Stay dry.

Brookstone Builders, Inc.-Fall greeting

Hope your week is going well!

Brookstone Builders Inc.-Friday Funny- after Labor Day

Hello and what a beautiful Friday.  Hope you can enjoy your lunch break outside.  Anyway, just a few short hours until the weekend but before we hope you will get a little laugh out of our weekly Friday Funny.  Have a great weekend all!

Brookstone Builders, Inc.-"What is it Wednesday-recycled

Hello and happy Wednesday, half way through the week.
On this "What is it Wednesday"
we are sharing an idea with you on how to re-use something old in a fun and different way.

Enjoy the day!

Brookstone Builders, Inc.-Friday Funny/tools and back to school

Hello and happy Friday!  For many this was the first week back in school and back into a different kind of routine.  We hope that adjustment went well for all.  In honor of our industry and the equipment we use and back to school we found this cartoon to share with you on this Friday Funny. Enjoy and have a nice weekend.

Brookstone Builders Inc.- NEWS-Aberdeen Renovation

We hope everyone is getting through this latest heat wave.  Don't complain though because it is September so it won't last and you know what is coming. 

We wanted to share this bit of Brookstone  Builders Inc. news with you Follow the link;
http://www.brookbuild.com/AberdeenRenovationAward080515.pdf