Tuesday, April 29, 2014

The Evolution of the Project Manager

This Construction Business Owner article provides project managers with more real-world construction experience while teaching superintendents social and business skills. It also touches on the "then" and "now" aspects of the technical, construct-ability and business skills vital to modern and effective management.

F Devlenthal, Flickr.com
A long-standing joke has circulated in the industry that the project manager evolved as the solution to the mounds of paperwork a superintendent encounters. Today, the number of contractors who do not have some semblance of a project management corps is minimal. In fact, project managers drive the operations within many firms, replacing their past image as the replaceable paper pusher. Construction management and engineering programs throughout the world’s universities have developed curricula to educate and train future project leaders on everything from change order management to scheduling. However, what does the future of project management hold? Will the skills of today’s project manager be satisfactory as the complement to the field manager? Will firms have to adapt to a new model of project management as new business models in construction arise?

Examination
Project managers became the custodians of the “business side” of construction projects, enabling the superintendents or foremen to build. While the evolution of the project manager started as an office transition for many blue-collar supervisors, universities became fertile ground for growing future managers. Today, many trade contractors still utilize “star field leaders” as new office managers. The advent of the digital age and the computer skills of many younger managers aided the evolution.

For years, engineering and building construction programs equipped managers with a standard “toolbox” of basic knowledge to enter the world of construction. However, the largest criticism of this management group was their apparent lack of real-world construction knowledge. Many project managers could easily navigate the most sophisticated software but could scarcely find their way around the formwork of a multi-story building.

To read the full article, click here.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

What is a safety program policy?

Safety in the workplace could not be of greater importance but without the foundational policy, a company lacks a key element needed to build and maintain a strong safety program. This ISHN article plainly states four elements that are necessary for an efficient and effective safety program.
takomabiblelot, Flickr.com 


In conducting OSHA training, I’ve found a common misconception about what a safety program policy is. When asked, attendees have repeated company mission or value statements. Some don’t know what it is, or if their company even has one.
A policy statement by definition is an expectation with a consequence attached; in other words, a “work safe or else” message. A policy needs to be all inclusive and relate to a company’s safety program which has specific job processes in place and identified personal protective equipment (PPE) required.

All employees will follow all safety and health procedures, including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) when required. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action up to and including verbal warning, written warning and suspension.

What needs to come after this is the “How”

Click here to read more. 

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Sales Process for Selling Hardscapes


According to this Green Industry Pros article, landscaping is a huge way to improve the worth and value of your home. Investing in larger projects like retaining walls, paver patios, outdoor kitchens, fire pits/fireplaces, or a paver driveway are ways see the most return on your investment. 
Arnold Masonry and Landscape, Flickr.com

With the housing market getting better but still historically weak, it's important for landscape contractors to encourage existing homeowners to invest in landscape upgrades. Northwest Indiana contractor Mike Arnold of Creekside Landscaping couldn't agree more.

"It is so important for contractors to convince homeowners and other property owners that it is vital to their property’s worth that they invest in great landscaping," Arnold says. "If the property owner's goal is to ultimately sell the property, a fresh landscape design is a sure ticket to quick selling. An old and outdated exterior gives a negative first impression and leaves a bad taste before prospective buyers even enter the building. Then, if landlordship is the property owner’s forte, curb appeal is a must for retail, and good luck getting a quality renter in your apartments or homes without paying attention to your landscape layout."

Hardscaping fits the bill

According to Arnold, one of the best ways to bring a property’s landscape from eye sore to eye candy is through hardscape design and installation. "If done right, most of your landscape budget will be targeted toward a sophisticated mix of retaining walls, paver patios, outdoor kitchens, fire pits/fireplaces, and maybe even a paver driveway," Arnold points out.

The financial value of this option is clearly in the cost of the materials and the extensive labor to install. But the value in the eye of an estimator is its permanence and capacity to be an outdoor living space. "If installed correctly, these structures will last a lifetime," Arnold says. "At Creekside Landscaping, we firmly believe that our customers should consider hardscapes because we understand the primary concern of every homeowner: growing the value of an investment."

To read the full article, click here.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

API: Be Safe, Prevent Accidents, Call 811 Before Digging

We're all eager to get to spring yard work! Don't be afraid to tackle the job on your own, but be safe and do this first. According to this ISHN article, it's vital that you check to make sure you're not hitting a utility line, especially if you have not hired a professional contractor.

yael.benari, Flicker.com
The American Petroleum Institute (API) is helping to promote the seventh annual National Safe Digging Month by reminding all Americans to always call 811 before any digging project.

“Dialing 811 before you put the shovel in the ground will keep you and your neighbors safe,” said API Pipeline Director Peter Lidiak. “Striking a single utility line can cause injury, repair costs, fines and inconvenient outages. Every digging project, no matter how small, warrants a call to 811.

Keeping pipelines safe

“The thousands of miles of pipeline that safely crisscross this country supply Americans with the energy they need to fuel their daily lives,” said Lidiak. “To keep this infrastructure safe and reliable, we need the public’s help to prevent accidents resulting from excavation damage to pipelines.”

To read more, click here.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

10 Most Common Lawn Care Myths

April is here and that means Spring will soon follow! Make sure you're not falling prey to myths about "good lawn care." Learn about the top 10 myths from this totallandscapecare.com article. 

Lawncare Orlando, Flickr.com
Spring is in the air, and with April being National Lawn Care Month, PLANET, The Professional Landcare Network, has debunked a few common lawn care myths. “Our job as landscape professionals is to help advise and emphasize ways to save time and money on lawn care and, oftentimes, that means we need to dispel some fairly persistent myths,” says Glenn Jacobsen, Landscape Industry Certified, president of PLANET. PLANET asked its professional landscape members to name the 10 most common lawn care myths:

1. Myth: The best time to replace the lawn is in the spring, as plants get ready to bloom.
 Reality: Sowing seed in the spring sets one up for potential problems, as heat sets in during the
 summer months and weeds compete for space. The best time to sow seed is in the fall when the
 temperatures are more consistent and highly competitive weeds, like crabgrass, have gone dormant.

2. Myth: Water new plants every day to prevent them from drying out.
 Reality: Overwatering kills as many plants as lack of water. It is better to make sure you are wetting
 the entire root system of a new plant and then allow the soil to dry to the point that it is only moist.

3. Myth: To have a healthy lawn, dethatch in the spring.
 Reality: Thatch is a layer of living and dead plant material, including the crown, roots and stems of
 the turfgrass plant. The brown on the surface at the beginning of the spring will slowly recede into
 the background all by itself as new leaves emerge. While dethatching is a common and sometimes
 necessary practice, it should be done only when thatch is excessive.

4. Myth: It’s a good idea to remove clippings after mowing.
 Reality: There is a misconception that grass clippings contribute significantly to thatch. Grass
 clippings are mostly water and decompose rapidly, returning significant amounts of fertilizer to the
 lawn. Research shows that up to one-third of applied fertilizer can be recycled by simply returning
 clippings.

To read the rest of the top myths, click here.