How Complete Data Connectivity Improves the Jobsite

In the current construction market, one of the key indicators of a company's future success is its ability or inability to adopt technology. And regardless of where your company stands in the implementation of various tech solutions, you should have a firm understanding of how your company could benefit from a completely connected jobsite.  

Solace

For nearly 30 years, I have spent the third weekend of October in Buffalo Gap, South Dakota. It’s an upland bird hunting trip, which is really more about so many other things, with the hunting license being the excuse. I returned Tuesday evening from my annual trip.

I’ve had a chance to view hundreds of sunsets and sunrises in my time there, as well as clear starlit evenings sitting by the campfire with friends I get to visit only one time a year. This picture is of the “Grouse Tree,” so named because sharp-tailed grouse call it home. Below its branches, some of the ranch’s best hunting dogs have been laid to rest over the years.

The ranch, and this spot in particular, have become special to me as a place of solace. As I type, I am reminded of the importance of honoring special places, seasons and traditions. In these moments, we can be thankful for what we get to experience and not worry about maybe what might have been or what we might have missed. It’s a gift.

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How to Navigate Tariffs in Your Construction Contracts

Like it or not, tariffs on steel and aluminum are real and very much in effect. And whether directly or indirectly, your construction company will be affected by them. Understanding just how much and in what way is a bit more difficult to define, though. We’re here to help. This week, we spoke with Mason Hester, a real estate and construction attorney and shareholder with Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, on how to navigate the contractual side of new construction projects in a post-tariff world.

Your Guide to State-by-State Bond Thresholds

Most contractors recognize the need for licensing and bonding in the construction industry, but it can be a challenge to understand the bond size requirements, as bonding thresholds are mandated by each state, not an overarching federal law. Read here for a list of the appropriate bond amounts required by each state to operate legally as a contractor.

400,000 Gallons

Several months ago, we set fuel tanks on one of our projects. While words can describe the process, this time lapse does it best:

Like most building contractors, we’ve found that starting things right with an eye on quality always ends up with the best results. In this case, constant monitoring was also key in beginning, which started with the manufacturer.

A few key elements we learned along the way to ensure quality:

• Tanks actually sit pressurized at manufacturer’s facility for about a year before shipping, where they are monitored for leaks. They are checked before leaving, upon arrival and until installed.
• Tanks are double-walled. The space between walls is called the interstitial space, and it is also pressurized and monitored from top-mounted ports.
• Once the tanks are in place, four measurements are being taken throughout the backfill process to determine any deflection. All measurements are taken by the same tech.
• If a dimension falls out of range, the tank is either deemed flawed or installed incorrectly and most likely will have to be replaced. Deflecting tanks equal leaks.

Quality control has always been top of mind for us, but I was impressed at the science these folks had made out of anticipating any potential problems and delivering a safe concept for their customer. I’ve said many times that in business, there is only one chance to get it right the first time, and this meticulous approach helps shore things up.

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Why It May Be Time to Bring Back Kudos

With the skilled labor shortage in overdrive mode, finding new employees is an issue almost every construction business owner is facing right now. But another side of that issue is figuring out best practices for retaining the valuable employees you already have. Because of this, the CBO team is constantly in search of methods and strategies for keeping employees engaged. We recently talked about one such strategy with Hillary Anderson, vice president of human resources at Werner Electric.

Opioids & the Construction Industry

In 2017, the United States Department of Health and Human Services declared the opioid epidemic a public health emergency, and the construction industry certainly isn’t immune. According to a recent national study, an estimated 15 percent of construction workers have a substance abuse disorder—nearly double the national average of 8.6 percent.

How to Overcome Equipment Management Inefficiencies

In today’s complex, high-stakes construction environment, information about equipment—its cost, whereabouts, utilization and operating condition—can be just as important as the equipment itself when determining project success. Business leaders in the infrastructure space understand the value of taking a holistic view of information to create synergy across field offices and jobsites. Business processes, including construction fleet management, need to be based on informed decision making.

4 Ways to Maximize Mini Track Loaders

In an industry faced with an increasingly high labor shortage, many construction companies are turning to technology and equipment to help fill in the gaps and improve efficiency. For contractors working in congested areas, a mini track loader offers a small frame size with big versatility. The machine is powerful enough to work alongside skid-steer loaders, compact track loaders and compact excavators, yet nimble enough to maneuver on partially or fully developed jobsites where larger equipment won’t fit.

What Impact Will Tariffs Have on the Construction Industry?

There’s no question that the Trump administration’s recent tariffs on steel and aluminum have been met with mixed reviews. As the effects of the tariffs begin to trickle down throughout the industry, a group of associations and businesses, called the Americans for Free Trade coalition, have joined together in a nationwide campaign against the tariffs. The goal of the coalition is to oppose tariffs and highlight the benefits of international trade for the United States economy.

How IoT Is Changing the Equipment Landscape

Construction contractors and materials companies have been some of the slowest industries to adopt business-enhancing technologies. While some larger firms have put in place computer systems to automate processes and improve information flow, many small and midsize companies continue to rely on manual, and therefore, highly error-prone methods to collect information.

Breaking Down the Advantages & Disadvantages of Becoming a Qualified Contractor

The construction industry is continuing its climb out of prerecession lows, meaning there are several opportunities for those in the field to create their own career path. While the industry is broad, many interested in starting or growing a business in construction should consider becoming a qualified contractor. This offers several benefits, but caveats also exist.

How the 179D Deduction is Driving the Industry Forward

Looking at the numbers, it is safe to say there have been major strides made in the area of energy efficiency in recent years. According to the United States Green Building Council, the green building sector is set to outpace overall construction growth and is anticipated to contribute 1.1 million jobs and $75.6 billion in wages to the U.S. by the end of the year.

4 Surprising Benefits of Industrialized Construction

When many people hear the term prefabrication, they think of uniform, unattractive tract housing—the “little boxes made of ticky-tacky” derided in Malvina Reynolds’ satirical anthem. But in fact, design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) has the potential to help design and construction firms create innovative projects that bring clients’ visions to life in new ways.

Where Technology Is Taking Your Team

Autonomous cars will soon be a regular feature of American highways. The nation’s farmers, suffering from years of agricultural labor shortages, are banking on manufacturers developing robot swarms to make planting and harvesting cheaper and more efficient. Mining companies have already been employing autonomous trucks in various parts of the globe.

Influencers

When you walk into a conference room, the normal thought is that the authority figure is seated at the head of the table. At your next meeting, I’ll challenge you to look to his or her right, and take note of who’s sitting there. That person often has the leader’s ear.

I was talking to our CFO recently about a presentation he gave on these “influencers” in contrast to “authority figures.” I thought his points were worth sharing here.

An influencer:

• Has a reputation for being competent and showing good judgment
• Is known for discernment, and the ability to read between the lines
• Understands when to talk and when to listen
• Often serves as a mediator between the person of authority and the rest of the group.

As a general rule, we respect the authority figure’s position, even if we don’t respect that person. We respect the influencer as a person, and are more likely to go to him or her for counsel.

Given this insight, I’d argue that we might be chasing the wrong thing. Instead of working hard to achieve authority, perhaps we would do better to work on gaining influence, or better yet, being a leader who also has influence. At the very least, think about who one might target on a sales platform. The person in the highest position might not be the one who ends up making the call.

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5 Ways to Spot a Political Player Poised to Wreck Your Success

On paper, Brian was a rock star. In person, Brian was a costly mistake. His team recognized his disdain for real work, and they were appalled by his self-serving demands on those under his leadership. Sure, Brian flashed plenty of smiles. He slapped high-fives out on the jobsite and offered up empty promises like a political candidate, although he seldom kept his word. Poor supervision was Brian’s legacy. In short, he was a leadership disaster. The following are five ways you can detect a political player in-the-making like Brian.

Is the Hybrid Cloud for Me?

The cloud continues to play an increasingly larger role in the construction industry, but many construction business owners aren’t ready to overhaul their systems and go all in on the cloud just yet. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. Many are turning to a hybrid-cloud approach to manage their data and run their businesses more smoothly.

4 Ways to Help Your Estimator Prioritize & Create More Accurate Bids

All the time, effort and energy invested in winning a good construction contract or building a loyal customer relationship, which allows you to negotiate on a project, is wasted with an inaccurate or incomplete estimate. When this happens, firing the estimator will likely do your construction business more harm than good, as you need to continue bidding on a large volume of projects to keep the pipeline full. So, instead, you must help your estimator prioritize.

When Is It Time to Open a Satellite Location or New Market?

A strong market brings more customers, which often leaves business owners wondering if they should expand. Creating a strategy for entering a new market is a popular and attractive component of many business plans. Expansion is often an excellent growth engine, allowing a firm to grow, obtain and retain top talent, and position new talent in strategic roles. Satellite locations also offer contractors the opportunity to protect key accounts and customer relationships, and growing with customers helps maintain strong, lasting relationships.

The Rise of AI in Construction

Today, it seems as though everything is under construction. Be it downtown or beyond the county line, a walk outside unencumbered by a sleek looking building or bridge being built is almost a rarity.

Branding to Bring in Talent & Keep It

To be brutally honest: Prospective employees don’t need you. While the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts construction jobs will grow 12 percent by 2026, the nation’s unemployment rate continues to hover around 4 percent or less. And you’ve likely heard stories about new employees not showing up for their first day of work, quitting after 2 weeks on the job, or simply biding their time, underperforming until they find a more desirable job. There could also be some other factors at play, but the current job market underscores their confidence.

What Is the Next Hot Technology in Construction?

Keith Boyer

Managing Partner
KMRD Partners Inc.

Pairing two of the most exciting technology-forward trends in construction—augmented reality (AR) and wearables—brings innumerable benefits and some risk.
Wearable technology can monitor physical status and environmental conditions, issuing alerts when conditions become dangerous. It can also increase worker productivity and work quality by generating task and situational awareness.

Key Steps to Combating the Skilled Labor Shortage

Let's talk about the skilled labor shortage. In a recent issue of theHuddle, our weekly newsletter covering top construction news and relevant content from around the construction industry, we spoke with two industry veterans about their takes on the shortage and how the industry can work together to combat it. Read more below. 

How You Can Use the Toyota A3 Planning Model in Your Business

Have you ever pulled up the "Print" options to select how you wanted a document printed, and saw one of the print formats as being an "A3?" It is an odd size—11.69 x 16.54in or (29.7 x 42.0cm). It's a traditional landscape size in Europe, Asia and rest of the world that uses the metric system of measurement. A3 is a paper size that is typically used for drawings, diagrams and large tables. It is also frequently used in laser printers to output two A4 pages as a spread.