Overview of Presentations
Call us at 503-223-4022 to request PDF versions of recent presentations.

Impacts to Labor Productivity in the Metal Stud Framing, Drywall,
Tape & Finishing Trades
Northwest Wall & Ceiling Bureau- Tuscon, April 2010

This presentation was an introduction of the recently completed labor productivity study for metal stud and drywall installation trades. In it we cover the background for the study, why the work was performed, what we found and how to use the study most effectively in managing framing and drywall work.

Topics include:

• Purpose of the Study
• Legal Issues Requiring Cause & Effects
• Research Project Overview
• What are the Factors that
  Negatively Affect Productivity
• Survey Instrument
• Finding Sources for Productivity Loss
• Analysis Structure
• Correlation Matrix
• Types of Impacts
• Calculating Congestion & Fragmentation
• Logistic Regression Usage
• Likelihood of Loss
  
  
  
  

Productivity Study Tips
by James T Yand & Stafford Frey Cooper

• What Wins Lawsuits?
• What Do You Have To Prove?
• Factors That Harm
• Solutions
• Profit Equation
  Checklist
• Tips For Quick Resolution
  

Bidding & Taking Work in Today’s Competitive Market
Northwest Wall & Ceiling Bureau- Tuscon, April 2010

The financial recession which began in 2008, poses some real threats to the financial stability of construction companies now, and when the nation climbs out of recession. We discussed some of the problems we foresee and how to avoid making commitments on projects which could come back to bite you later.

Topics include:

• Overview of Current Economy & Outlook
• How This Can Effect You
• Bidding Mistakes
• How Projects Fail and How to Avoid Problems
• Elements of Contractor Failure
• 10 industry-wide elements of risk to potential profit or failure:
• When to assess risk

• Execution of the Contract
• Project Set-up, Data Collection, Documentation
• Job Set-up
• Account and Financial Management
• Schedule and Labor Management
• Schedule Management
• Minimum Labor Control Functions
• Ideal Document Management System
• When the Job Goes Sideways
• Getting Paid for Changes and Claims
• Projects As Systems
• Recommendations for Resolution

Construction Project Management in Challenging Times
Las Vegas - February, 2010

Topics include:

Comprehensive Drywall Bidding
Making Exclusions and Clarifications for Strategic Bidding, 2010

Topics include:

• The Economic Conditions/Climate require Strategic and Tactical Bidding.
  • Profitability of your project will be established by your bid and your contract.
  • There are a lot of common mistakes that bidders make.
  • Bid Clarifications and Exclusions can be tricky.
    
• Structure of the bid is determined by the customer:
  • Government owner versus Private Owner
  • Contractor versus Owner
    
• Can You Modify the Bid?
  
• Legal Considerations for Modifying the Bid
• Types of Modifications
• Basic Strategies of Bidding
• Tactics
• Evolution of Scope Clarifications
• Bare minimums

Effective Project Management and Labor Productivity in Drywall Trades
Northwest Wall & Ceiling Bureau - Annual Convention April 26, 2008

Effective Project Management: This presentation was given at the Northwest Walls & Ceiling Bureau convention in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and was the third in a series of project management talks we gave to the NWCB membership.

Topics include:

• What is a Claim?
• Red Flags and Project Risks
• Management Process
• Project Management
• Recognizing Risk
  Keys to Losing Money from Risk
• Types of Construction Project Risks
• Contracts are about allocating Risk between the Parties Three periods to assess ris
• Execution of the Contract
• Result of Pre-mobilization Review
• Minimum Labor Control Functions
• Ideal Document Management System
• When the job goes sideways
• Managing Change

Project Setup and Documentation for Mitigation of Construction Risks
and Labor Productivity in Drywall Trades
Northwest Wall & Ceiling Bureau - October 23, 2008

Topics include:

• Claims & The Labor Productivity Study
• What is a Claim?
• Red Flags and Project Risks
• Documentation
• Keys to Losing Money from Risk
• Management Process
  
• Types of Construction Project Risks
• Contracts are AboutAallocating Risk between the Parties
• Flow Chart for Operational Risk Assessment Tool
• Execution of the Contract
• Pre-mobilization Review
• Project Set-up
• Job set-up
• Data Collection, Schedule and Labor Management
• Minimum Labor Control Functions
• Ideal Document Management System
• Minimum Data Collection Systems
• How to set up a data control or labor control system
• What to do When the Job goes Sideways
  
  
  
  
  

Service Engineering: A Case Study of Productivity Analysis
in the Construction Industry
Dr. Gerald H. Williams, Jr., Ph.D., PE & Dr. Timothy R. Anderson
INFORMS - October 14, 2008

Topics include:

• Importance of the Construction Industry
• Principal Tasks in Drywalling
• How Contractors are Selected
  
• Price Impacts
• Distribution of Wall Framing Rates
• Temperature Effect Interpretation
• Finding Sources for Productivity Loss
• Trade Stacking, Labor , Congestion Due to Materials and Equipment
• Construction Claims

• Project Management
  • Drucker Defined Management:
  – Planning (Scheduling)
  – Staffing (Marshaling Resources)
  – Executing (Doing the work)
  – Measuring (Tracking)
  – Correcting (Taking action)
  
• Recognizing Risk
• Understanding the Contract
• Managing Change
• Documenting work
• Scheduling
  
• Resolving Disputes
• Training Program for Risk 7 Claim Mgmt

Construction Procurement and Contract Management

Construction Defect Litigation
An Application of the Allocation of Fault using AHP

Case Study: Water Intrusion Defect Litigation

Case involved an apartment complex in Washington County:

• 711 Apartment Units
• 23 Buildings & Extensive Site Work
• Total Cost > $30 Million
• Building began in Fall of 1997
• Original Completion December 1998
• First mold discovered in October 1998

Project Management Issues:

• Out of State Developer/Contractor
• Aggressive Project Management Approach
• Lowest Price Subcontractors
• Little Oversight by the Project Architect
• Understaffing of the Construction Management
• Very Aggressive Schedule

Other Problems Identified:

• Water Intrusion Possibly From:
  • Floor Slabs
  • Siding
  • Windows
  • Lack of Flashing
  • Landscaping
  • Open Breezeways

Initial Results:

• Mathematical Model did not Resolve the Conflict
• Some Parties Settled in Mediation
• Negotiations dragged on of 6-9 Months
• Final Settlement Reached on the Courthouse Steps
• Total Cost of Litigation Nearly Equaled the Total Settlement Amount

Analytic Hierarchy Process
AHP is an Operations Research Tool
Uses Constant Sum Pairwise Comparisons

Use of Problem Structure


Pairwise Comparisons & the Delphi Process

Conclusions Regarding AHP:

• AHP is an Appropriate Tool for Allocations in Complex Environments
• AHP Modeling gives Structure to Complex Problem Solving
• AHP has been shown to be Robust
• Inconsistency Measures help to drive Group Consensus
  

Conceptual Estimating
Portland State University, 2006