The process of estimating and preparing bids is one of our most essential management tasks, including direct and indirect costs. Professional estimators have a detailed knowledge of construction materials, specifications, techniques, codes, and pricing trends as they...
If you say “contracting” to anyone they immediately think of “construction”. The “building” industry has become identified with the signing of a contract at the point of sale. “Builders” have become “contractors” in the eyes of the public. This misidentification has...
Risk Mitigation Thomas C Schleifer, Ph.D. Thirty-five years ago, I initiated research that resulted in ranking construction contracting #2 in business failure rate (restaurants are #1). That data inspired me to begin ongoing research into the causes of construction...
INSIGHTS INTO THE RISK OF FAILURE If that’s all it takes to succeed in the construction business is a pickup truck, a box of tools, a cast-iron stomach, and a forgiving wife, why do so many contractors fail? Check next to the causes listed below that you believe most...
Bad Beliefs The Root of All Evil It took me 30 years of research to get to the hidden root cause of construction business failures: Bad management decisions are caused by firmly held bad beliefs. Beliefs In other words, whether we are aware of it or not, every...
Ten Minute MBA The iconic comedian George Carlin brought down the house with a routine he called, “The 10 Minute University”. He proposed that colleges should limit course content to only what students remembered five years after they had graduated. It would save...
