Construction is Broken – Give me the Onsite EOR Executive Summary. Contractors are told to build projects in record time without having complete information. It’s not fair to the Engineer, the Contractor, the Owner, or the Taxpayer. There’s an easy fix which will get the project most of the way […]
What a College Degree Says
Executive Summary A college degree sometimes seems overrated as it isn’t necessarily a measure of intelligence, nor a guarantee of success. A pigskin on the wall says more than “I know engineering” or “I know business”. It says, “I can finish things.” What is a College Degree? A Bachelor of […]
K.I.S.S. – Keep It Simple Stupid
Executive Summary There’s power in simplicity. Harness the power to more efficiently communicate in-house and with your clients. What’s in a Task? Each day we all show up to work and have to accomplish a task. There are usually two main components of a task: the speed at which it […]
Needed Software for a Contractor
Executive Summary. What are the “necessities” for software and apps for your construction business? Here’s a look at what’s out there – software and/or apps that are in use by successful firms to accomplish necessary functions in your business. What do I need? If you’re doing more than a million […]
Why be an Engineer: It’s the Mornings
Executive Summary: A recent article by the American Bar Association caught my eye. It was entitled “When is it okay for a lawyer to lie?” I could probably end the article right here. I’ll keep going. [QR] Contemplating a law career. Yup, I get it, you know someone who watched television like the rest […]
Top 10: Basic Business Etiquette
Executive Summary: Landing the work has enough challenges in meeting the scope, schedule, and cost requirements of the client. You’re defeating yourself if you can’t be polite and practice simple business etiquette. Low hanging fruit. If your client has been kind enough to consider doing business with you, don’t give […]
Grammar for Professionals… and the Rest of Us
A friend recently sent me this link to a grammar website, Grammarly. Grammarly gives you tips, tricks, and some plugins to help keep your grammar in check. Honestly, I don’t know if it’s any better than the next, but I do know one thing. I know that the majority of engineers […]
Incentive Clauses: Do they Work?
Executive Summary: Engineers have wondered if incentive clauses are a benefit to Owners in producing a timely, or accelerated, contract completion. My experience has been that it is of great benefit to the Owner because of the aggressive nature of project completion by the Contractor. What is an incentive clause? There […]
Choosing a Professional Services Provider
Executive Summary: How do you pick an attorney, a banker, a certified public accountant, an insurance agent, or an engineer? General: As a contractor, you need the following professional services on a regular basis: Legal Banking Accounting Insurance Engineering Some companies may provide these services in house, but likely you […]
Opinion: Engineer Found Negligent for Not Verifying Product Data
Engineer Found Negligent for Not Verifying Product Data Civil Engineering magazine, page 92, June 2016 Executive Summary: Scott Jennings, P.E., M. ASCE, responds to an article published in ASCE’s signature publication, Civil Engineering magazine. Kudos to the project owner for holding the engineer of record responsible for the engineering of […]