by Simplar | Jan 14, 2021 | Procurement
SUBJECT: THE HISTORY OF LOW BID “The Bidder Who Makes the Most Mistakes… Gets the Job” If this weren’t true, it wouldn’t be funny. Irony is humor because the underlying truth shouldn’t be so, but it is. Our industry has been enjoying this old joke ever since the...
by Simplar | Jun 26, 2025 | Built Environment, Cash Flow (Getting Paid), Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Leadership, Leadership, Risk Management, Risk Management, Weekly Construction Message
A major theme throughout the Godfather trilogy is betrayal by enemies hidden within the family. “You’re nothing to me now, Fredo” Al Pacino says to his brother who has betrayed him in Godfather 2. “Nothing happens to Fredo while my mother is...
by Simplar | May 29, 2025 | Built Environment, Business of Construction, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Project Selection, Project Selection, Weekly Construction Message
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” As most of my readers I am sure will testify, I don’t often quote Shakespeare. But the confusion around the word profit in the construction industry has driven me to desperate measures. What do we mean...
by Simplar | May 23, 2025 | Built Environment, Business Failure, Business of Construction, Business, Strategic and Project Planning, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Leadership, Leadership, Weekly Construction Message
Last week we established that the high failure rate in the construction industry comes down to a single cause – a shortage of working capital. Some blame failures on a whole variety of causes: labor unrest, natural disasters, economic stress, market shrinkage,...
by Simplar | May 15, 2025 | Business, Strategic & Project Planning, Cash Flow (Getting Paid), Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Growth, Growth, Leadership, Weekly Construction Message
Last week we discussed the irony of the construction industry’s traditional low-bid acquisition system. It seems you can’t win the game of making money if you pick up all your work by being the cheapest price. On the other hand, you can’t even play...
