why construction projects fail

Why Construction Projects Fail – And what you can do about it.

Why Construction Projects Fail

The specifics as to why rampant waste is endemic to the ” Construction Sector”:

  1. Award of contracts to the lowest bidder to “save money” versus best value procurement (Demonstrative of the need for improved owner competency, leadership, and fundamental change management).
  2. Fail to adequate define, develop, and communicate project values and budget (Fundamental lack of understanding and deployment of proven LEAN planning, procurement, and integrated project delivery methods).
  3. Poor upfront and ongoing coordination and collaboration.
  4. Lack of common terms, definitions, and common data environments (How can anyone possibility fully define communicate, and understand any project without detailed line item construction tasks, organized via CSI-Masterformat, and using locally researched labor, material, and equipment costs?)
  5. Prevailing tendency to go with the ‘status quo’ including proprietary systems or sole source specifications/partners without considering currently available options.
  6. Focus upon technology (i.e. BIM) versus process. (LEAN construction delivery methods have existed for decades and consistently deliver quality projects on-time, on-budget, and to everyone’s satisfaction.)
  7. Failure to build the team… A/E’s, Contractors, Subs, building users, FMers, Procurement…. from day one. (Due to inherent lack of trust, lack of mutual respect, lack of shared risk/reward…)
  8. ….

Client Comes First – Relationship Drive Success – Collaboration and Ongoing Training are Mandatory – Common Data Environment – Metrics – Continuous Improvement

LEAN Asset Management
LEAN Construction Delivery
construction cost control
The Path to Measurably Improved Outcomes
LEAN Asset Management
The Toolkit

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Design based upon a Detailed Estimate – Team Works to Issues and Produce Solutions – Engage Those Doing the Work in Decision-Making

Traditional Project DeliveryLEAN Project Delivery
Design then pricePrice then design
Design in large blocks and coordinate latter (top down)Design in smaller milestones and continuously coordinate (bottom up)
Hard-bid via design-bid-buildValue based contractor selection with appropriate leverage of LEAN indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity
Reactive processProactive process
Push – Base price and deliverables upon designPull – Determine tasks, price, and construction deadline and drive design accordingly

Integrated Facilities Planning

Framework for Integrated Facilities Planning, Procurement, and LEAN Project Delivery

Simplifying a System to Meet Actual Facilities Needs

Any real property owner can develop and deploy a robust Framework for Integrated Facilities Planning, Procurement, and LEAN Project Delivery. The only prerequisites are minimum thresholds of leadership and competency and the support of the associated organization. The benefits of LEAN process adoption consistent include the optimized delivery of quality repair, renovation, maintenance, sustainability, and new construction projects.

People, Process, Information, and Technology are central components to optimally planning, planning, funding, maintaining, and managing facilities and other forms of physical infrastructure. Participants and stakeholders affected by facilities related decision… building users, builders, architects, engineers, oversight groups, and the community at large… are best served through the availability of current, accurate, actionable information, and associated decision-support and execution processes.

LEAN Asset Management

Locally Researched Actionable Information

The critical functions of facility planning, acquisition, construction, alteration, maintenance, and operations (including decommissioning and disposal) are impossible to execute efficiently without sharing locally researched, transparent information presented in a common, easily understood format. On example of share information within a LEAN common data environment (CDE) is a locally researched detailed line item unit price book (UPB). The later enables all participants and stakeholders to easily view detailed, verifiable costs for labor, material, and equipment for all relevant construction tasks. A UPB eliminates the sole reliance upon contractor and subcontractor quotes or “back of the envelope” estimates. Furthermore, a locally researched UPB virtually assures a detailed scope of work for each work requirement. One that can be easily documented, understood, and shared with all participants and stakeholders.

Others examples of actionable data include current information that contributes to any or all of the following:

  • Measures of Facility Condition
  • Factors That Measure Facility Adequacy
  • Factors That Measure Facility Utilization
  • Factors That Measure the Environmental Impact of Facilities
  • Factors That Measure Facility Impact on Health and Wellness
  • Factors that Measure Costs and Define Budgets

LEAN Processes Embedded with Enabling Technology

All LEAN processes share certain fundamentals, all of which can be embedded within collaborative information technology to assure consistent, lower cost, deployment and ongoing monitoring and management.

Policy goals, objectives, indicators, as well as projects and workflows are all supported within the LEAN information management system.

Core Elements of LEAN Construction Planning, Procurement, and Project Delivery

Sample listing of LEAN components specific to physical asset management:

  • Owner LEADERSHIP
  • Focus upon BEST VALUE outcomes
  • Early and Ongoing COLLABORATION among all participants and stakeholders
  • Mutual TRUST and RESPECT
  • Shared RISK/REWARD
  • PERFORMANCE-BASED reward system
  • Planning and DECISION-SUPPORT based upon inter-dependencies
  • COMMON DATA ENVIRONMENT (CDE) – example: locally researched unit price book (UPB) using common terms and definitions in plain English and standard data architectures (for example CSI Uniformat, Masterformat, Omniclass)
  • Supporting Technology – Modular technology that supports, rather than restricts, robust yet flexible business processes and workflows
  • Long term, mutually BENEFICIAL RELATIONSHIPS
  • Global oversight that takes advantage of local knowledge and capabilities
  • Required initial and ongoing training for all participants
  • Continuous monitoring and improvement
  • Clear, written definition of roles, responsibilities, requirements, and deliverables in the form of a Operations Manual or Execution Guide

Collaborative LEAN Construction Planning, Procurement, and Project Delivery Information Management System

While technology should never be a driver, it can be leveraged to speed and lower the cost of deployment, and significantly aid in improving information sharing and associated accelerated learning, on ongoing monitoring, as well as aiding in gaining overall productivity gains. Core elements of a LEAN Construction Planning, Procurement, and Project Delivery System include…

  • Program Management
  • Project Management
  • Estimate Management
  • Document Management
  • Workflow Management
  • Task and Issue Management
  • Reporting
  • Collaborative Information Sharing
  • Standardized Data Architectures and Data Formats

construction cost control

The goals of LEAN Construction Planning, Procurement, and Project Delivery can easily be achieved if proper care is given to organization-specific design and appropriate phased implementation. These goals of LEAN can simply be stated as …

  1. “Solve the customer’s problem completely by ensuring that all the goods and services work, and work together.
  2. Don’t waste the customer’s time.
  4. Provide exactly what the customer wants.
  5. Provide what’s wanted exactly where it’s wanted.
  6. Continually aggregate solutions to reduce the customer’s time and hassle.”

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Integrated Planning, Design, Procurement, Job Order Contracting, LEAN Job Order Contracting

Best Value Job Order Contracting

LEAN Job Order Contracting Delivers
Integrated Planning, Design, Procurement, Construction, and Operations

LEAN Job Order Contracting delivers integrated planning, design, procurement, construction, and operations to virtually assure best value repair, renovation, and project delivery outcomes.

Our integration of LEAN processes, locally researched and verifiable unit price cost data, procurement, and project delivery enables both owners and builders to optimally balance facility project needs while maximizing financial performance.

Working within a robust, financially transparent, and collaborative environment support by robust workflows owners and builders work together to manage and expedite repair, renovation, maintenance and new construction projects.

Unlike “national average cost databases” that rely upon location factors to attempt to duplicate costs in your area, we locally research labor, material, and equipment costs. The new result is improved accuracy range from 30% to 300%! And that’s just the start. Our LEAN JOC framework truly benefits all participants and stakeholders equally and provide a basis from which to build long lasting, mutual beneficial relationships.

Best value, LEAN repair, renovation, and new construction has arrived and is at your fingertips.

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Learning LEAN Construction

Learning LEAN Construction

Infrastructure Needs
Leadership and Culture
Processes
Performance
Knowledge Management
Community and Social Responsibility

Learning LEAN construction can measurably improve facilities management outcomes.

LEAN planning, procurement, and project execution drives significantly improved repair, renovation, maintenance, sustainability, and new construction outcomes via adherence to an overarching methodology/approach with a focus upon collaboration, transparency, and mutually beneficial outcomes for all participants and outcomes.

Robust processes, tools, and ongoing training and support are readily available to any real property owner, builder, architect, engineer, or facilities user.

Consistent achievement of quality repair, renovation, and construction outcomes is not only possible, but the norm if LEAN processes are deployed and managed properly.

While the current AECOO sector is fragmented, with a misalignment of incentives, or lack of coordination, that spawns inefficient allocation of resources, adversely impacts quality, cost, and outcomes; eliminating waste from improving quality and reducing cost and making structures financially sustainable is well within reach. The solution lies with integrated delivery systems.

Integrated project delivery, IPD, and job order contracting, JOC, are two robust integrated delivery systems with a successful track record spanning decades. Unfortunately, both require owners with requisite levels of leadership and competency, and a relatively large change in how all actors conduct their daily activities. In addition to dedicated workflows and processes, LEAN integrated delivery requires… • Complete transparency; • Common date environments, including locally researched detailed unit price cost data as well as safety, quality, and performance standards and metrics • Open and honest consideration of the facts as they become known, but significantly earilier in a project life-cycle than the current norm; and • Initial and ongoing training.

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BIM and ISO

Forget BIM, Forget ISO…

Forget BIM, Forget ISO, ….

Sure, BIM and ISO have their role, but neither provides a robust, usable methodology and associated suite of tools and services to consistently deliver quality facilities repair, renovation, and construction projects on-time, on-budget, and to the satisfaction of all participants and stakeholders. Today’s article will explain how any real property owner or facilities manager can team with their service providers and consistently achieve measurably improved, mutually beneficial construction project outcomes; from planning to execution and beyond!

Talking about collaboration and actually working in a truly collaborative environment supported by LEAN processes, workflows, current actionable and standardized information and digital technology are two very different things.

We at Four BT and our partners atBuilding in Cloud , have been inspired by this concept from the beginning.

LEAN processes, workflows and operational tools for the full involvement of all participants in the building process are now available embedded within technology and consequently drive greater overall productivity.   This supports greater consistency, enhanced learning, and continuous improvement. This integration has previously been unavailable or unaware to most real property owners. Many owners in fact have been “distracted” by the 3D visualization aspects of BIM, rather then focus upon an integrated management approach that truly enables the transparent control of time, costs, and quality of work.

All key elements for a project’s success can be available within and integrated LEAN process and technology enabled environment.

The traditional lack of cooperation and coordination has be mainly due to inefficient communication between the parties, lack of commonly shared standardized information, and antagonistic construction planning, procurement, and delivery methods. These common core causes of project failure can now be virtually eliminated.

Once owner leadership and awareness has improved to enable an understanding and ability to deploy LEAN processes,  significant productivity gains will be realized.

While an overall increase in the productivity of 40%-60% can be achieved today, it requires fundamental changes in organizational behaviors.
Leadership, especially on the part of the Client, must be expresseda shared work practice.  The objectives and the benefits that collaboration enables must ultimately be clear, accepted, shared, and measurable from the outset.

A measurable, structured approach to project workflow and information flow based on the availability of up-to-date and shared information, must drive for the restructuring of digitally-supported processes and procedures.  The end goal is to allow all the project participants and stakeholders understand expected outcome as well as their specific roles and responsibilities.  Full availability and transparency of information drives the timing, costs and expected quality and consequently provides the ability introduce the corrective measures to bring the project back in line with expectations.

Key tools required for the success of the project include a written Operations Manual or Execution Plan, a document that must clearly contain the roles, responsibilities, process, and specific outcomes and common data environment (CDE), inclusive of a locally researched detailed line item unit price book Both are shared within a common digital environment and supported by initial and ongoing mandatory training.

4BT-PE Building in Cloud offers these possibilities, manages the Team, structures the information and information models, as well as controls and digitally manages procedures and processes throughout the phased life-cycle of the work.

If you want to find out how all this can become a reality for your organization, simply contact us.

Construction Productivity

Solving the Construction Riddle

Increasing repair, renovation, and construction productivity begins with maximizing knowledge, understanding, communication, and collaboration.

  1. Standardized terms, definitions, and task descriptions with an innovative and verifiable locally researched detailed unit price book… the Open JOC Unit Price Book (TM).
  2. Adopt LEAN construction processes and workflow.
  3. Leverage cloud-based collaborative technology integrating Program, Project, Work Order, Document, Contractor, and Subcontractor Management.

construction cost control

Davis-Bacon Wage Rates, Federal Construction

Davis-Bacon Wage Rates and Construction

NOTE:  The following is provided for awareness purposes only and is not, nor it it intended to be any form of legal advice or service.

The Davis-Bacon Act (DBA) requires the payment of prevailing wage rates (which are determined by the U.S. Department of Labor) to all laborers and mechanics on Federal government and District of Columbia construction projects in excess of $2,000. Construction includes alteration and/or repair, including painting and decorating, of public buildings or public works.

Davis-Bacon  a listing of various construction work classifications, such as Carpenter, Electrician, Plumber and Laborer, and the minimum wage rates (and fringe benefits, where prevailing) that people performing work in those classifications must be paid.
Davis-Bacon wage decisions are established by the DOL for various types of construction (e.g., residential, heavy, highway) and apply to specific geographic areas, usually a county or group of counties. Wage decisions are modified from time to time to keep them current. In most cases, when a contract is awarded or when construction begins, the wage decision is “locked-in” and no future modifications are applicable to the contract or project involved.

RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PRINCIPAL CONTRACTOR
The principal contractor (also referred to as the prime or general contractor) is responsible for the full compliance of all employers (the contractor, subcontractors and any lower-tier subcontractors) with the labor standards provisions applicable to the project. Because of the contractual relationship between a prime contractor and his/her subcontractors, subcontractors generally should communicate with the government contract administrator/contracting entity only through the prime contractor.

 

The Department of Labor (DOL) has published rules and instructions concerning Davis-Bacon and other labor laws in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). These regulations can be found in Title 29 CFR Parts 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7. Part 1 explains how the DOL establishes and publishes DBA wage determinations (aka wage decisions) and provides instructions on how to use the determinations. Part 3 describes Copeland Act requirements for payroll deductions and the submission of weekly certified payroll reports. Part 5 covers the labor standards provisions that are in your contract relating to DavisBacon Act wage rates and the responsibilities of contractors and contracting agencies to administer and enforce the provisions. Part 6 provides for administrative proceedings enforcing Federal labor standards on construction and service contracts. Last, Part 7 sets parameters for practice before the Administrative Review Board. These regulations are used as the basis for administering and enforcing the laws.

 

DAVIS-BACON DEFINITIONS.

Laborer or mechanic.

Anyone who is performing construction work on the project, including trade journeymen (carpenters, plumbers, sheet metal workers, etc.), apprentices, and trainees and, for CWHSSA purposes, watchmen and guards.
Working foremen:

Foremen or supervisors that regularly spend more than 20% of their time performing construction work and do not meet the exclusions below are covered “laborers” and “mechanics” for labor standards purposes for the time spent performing construction work.  Exclusions. People whose duties are primarily administrative, executive or clerical are not laborers or mechanics. Examples include superintendents, office staff, timekeepers, messengers, etc. (Contact the contract administrator if you have any questions about whether a particular employee is excluded.)

Employee:

Every person who performs the work of a laborer or mechanic is “employed” regardless of any contractual relationship which may be alleged to exist between a contractor or subcontractor and such person. This means that even if there is a contract between a contractor and a worker, the contractor must make sure that the worker is paid at least as much as the wage rate on the wage decision for the classification of work they perform. Note that there are no exceptions to the prevailing wage requirements for relatives or for self-employed laborers and mechanics.

Apprentices and trainees:

The only workers who can be paid less than the wage rate on the wage decision for their work classification are “apprentices” and “trainees” registered in approved apprenticeship or training programs. Approved programs are those which have been registered with the DOL or a DOL-recognized State Apprenticeship Council (SAC). Apprentices and trainees are paid wage rates in accordance with the wage schedule in the approved program.
– Probationary apprentice. A “probationary apprentice” can be paid as an apprentice (less than the rate on the wage decision) if the DOL or SAC has certified that the person is eligible for probationary employment as an apprentice.
– Pre-apprentice. A “pre-apprentice”, that is, someone who is not registered in a program and who hasn’t been DOL- or SAC-certified for probationary apprenticeship is not considered to be an “apprentice” and must be paid the full journeyman’s rate on the wage decision for the classification of work they perform.
– Ratio of apprentices and trainees to journeymen. The maximum number of apprentices or trainees that you can use on the job site cannot exceed the ratio of apprentices or trainees to journeymen allowed in the approved program.
Most often, the apprentice/trainee wage rate is expressed as a series of percentages tied to the amount of time spent in the program. For example, 0-6 months: 65%; 6 months – 1 year: 70%; etc. The percentage is applied to the journeyman’s wage rate. On DavisBacon projects, the percentage must be applied to the journeyman’s wage rate on the applicable wage decision for that craft.

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d. Prevailing wages or wage rates. Prevailing wage rates are the wage rates listed on the wage decision for the project. The wage decision will list a minimum basic hourly rate of pay for each work classification. Some wage decisions include fringe benefits which are usually listed as an hourly fringe rate. If the wage decision includes a fringe benefit rate for a classification, you will need to add the fringe benefit rate to the basic hourly rate unless you provide bona fide fringe benefits for your employees.
1. Piece-work. Some employees are hired on a piece-work basis, that is, the employee’s earnings are determined by a factor of work produced. For example, a Drywall Hanger’s earnings may be calculated based upon the square feet of sheetrock actually hung, a Painter’s earnings may be based upon the number of units painted. Employers may calculate weekly earnings based upon piece rates provided the weekly earnings are sufficient to satisfy the wage rate requirement based upon actual hours, including any overtime, worked. Accurate time records must be maintained for any piece-work employees.
If the weekly piece rate earnings are not sufficient, the employer must recompute weekly earnings based upon the actual hours worked and the rate on the wage decision for the work classification(s) involved.
e. Fringe benefits Fringe benefits can include health insurance premiums, retirement contributions, life insurance, vacation and other paid leave as well as some contributions to training funds. Fringe benefits do not include employer payments or contributions required by other Federal, State or local laws, such as the employer’s contribution to Social Security or some disability insurance payments.
f. Overtime. Overtime hours are defined as all hours worked on the contract in excess of 40 hours in any work week. Overtime hours must be paid at no less than one and onehalf times the regular rate of basic pay plus the straight-time rate of any required fringe benefits.
Note that the total hourly wage rate paid to any laborer or mechanic (basic wage or basic wage plus fringe benefits) may be no less than the total wage rate (basic wage or basic wage plus fringe benefits) on the wage decision for their craft. If the value of the fringe benefit(s) you provide is less than the fringe benefit rate on the wage decision, you will need to add the balance of the wage decision fringe benefit rate to the basic rate paid to the employee. For example, if the wage decision requires $10/hour basic rate plus $5/ hour fringe benefits, you must pay no less than that total ($15/hour) in the basic rate or basic rate plus whatever fringe benefit you may provide. You can meet this obligation in several ways: you could pay the base wage and fringe benefits as stated in the wage decision, or you could pay $15 in base wage with no fringe benefits, or you could pay $12 basic plus $3 fringe benefits. You can also off-set the amount of the base wage if you pay more in fringe benefits such as by paying or $9 basic plus $6 fringe benefits; as long as you meet the total amount. The amount of the base wage that you may off-set with fringe benefits is limited by certain IRS and FLSA requirements.
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g. Deductions. You may make payroll deductions as permitted by DOL Regulations 29 CFR Part 3. These regulations prohibit the employer from requiring employees to “kick-back” (i.e., give up) any of their earnings. Allowable deductions which do not require prior DOL permission include employee obligations for income taxes, Social Security payments, insurance premiums, retirement, savings accounts, and any other legally-permissible deduction authorized by the employee. Deductions may also be made for payments on judgments and other financial obligations legally imposed against the employee.
h. Proper designation of trade. You must select a work classification on the wage decision for each worker based on the actual type of work he/she performed and you must pay each worker no less than the wage rate on the wage decision for that classification regardless of their level of skill. In other words, if someone is performing carpentry work on the project, they must be paid no less than the wage rate on the wage decision for Carpenters even if they aren’t considered by you to be fully trained as a Carpenter. Remember, the only people who can be paid less than the rate for their craft are apprentices and trainees registered in approved programs.

Split-classification: If employees  perform work in more than one trade during a work week,  wage rates specified for each classification in which work was performed can be paid only if accurate time records are maintained showing the amount of time spent in each classification of work. If accurate time records are not maintained,  the highest wage rate of all of the classifications of work performed must be paid

Site of work:

The “site of work” is where the Davis-Bacon wage rates apply. Usually, this means the boundaries of the project. “Site of work” can also include other adjacent or virtually adjacent property used by a contractor or subcontractor in the construction of the project.

Via Four BT, LLC – LEAN Construction Delivery Solutions

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Construction Cost Optimzing

Construction Cost Optimizing

Better manage cost, time, and material across numerous facilities repair, renovation, and construction projects.   The OpenJOC(TM) Solution streamlines construction procurement and project delivery by integrating LEAN processes with locally researched unit price detailed line item construction task cost data, and supporting Program, Project, Estimate, Document, Contractor, Subcontractor and Task/Issue and Management.  Summary and detailed reporting as well as BIM viewing and information access is also included.

Collaborative Consruction Procurement and Project Delivery

Sample JOC Workflow City 2019

The OpenJOC Solution is tailored for federal, state, county, local governments as well as educational, healthcare, and transportation facilities managers and procurement teams.

Innovative LEAN Construction Procurement and Delivery Platform Controls Costs and Assure Compliance

Real property owners can now collaboratively work with builders and AEs to consistently deliver quality repair, renovation, and construction projects on-time and on-budget, a previously elusive outcome.

OpenJOC software is entirely web-based, and enables secure information access and use virtually anywhere with an Internet connection.    The use of OpenJOC cost data uniquely provides owners and builders with project scope of work clarity and cost transparency.  Embedded LEAN workflows combine with collaborative technology and verifiable cost data drive previously unattainable levels of efficiency.

Owners are assured that they are paying rates in concert with market standards and builders earn a reasonable profit and engage in long term relationships.

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SoftwareCapabilitySnapshot

Software

LEAN Construction Tools

Innovative LEAN Construction Tools

An innovative, yet proven method of construction services planning, procurement, and project delivery is gaining traction with owners who require consistent quality repair, renovation, and construction services that are both on-time, and on-budget.

The OpenJOC(TM) Solution virtually eliminates the slow, costly, error prone, inefficient practices associated with design-bid-build, lowest bidder, and other traditional construction delivery methods. It embodies all of the fundamental aspects of LEAN construction, including:

  • Collaboration
  • Long-term Relationships
  • Common Terms, Definition, including a locally researched, detailed unit price book for associated construction tasks
  • Financial Transparency
  • Shared Risk/Reward
  • Mutual Trust/Respect
  • Defined Workflows
  • Initial and Ongoing Training
  • Key Performance Metrics
  • Continuous Improvement
  • Focus Upon Outcomes

Planning, estimating, negotiating, procuring, managing, and closing out projects are all phases that are fully defined within a LEAN construction environment.

The end result is that project delivery times, quality, satisfaction, and efficient use of funds and resources are all measurably improved. Real property owners tasked with the timely, successful completion of multiple maintenance, repair, and construction projects have been proven to greatly benefit from the appropriate deployment of LEAN construction practices, especially Job Order Contracting and Integrated Project Delivery. Both remove the negative incentives and relatively poor results associated with low bid, lowest technically acceptable, design-bid-build, or design-build. Both change orders and legal disputes can be virtually eliminated with a properly designed and managed LEAN construction procurement and delivery framework.

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US building portfolio

U.S. Commercial Building Portfolio Snapshot

 

4BTlogosquaretaglinevia Four BT, LLC – LEAN Construction Planning, Procurement, and Project Delivery Solutions, including locally researched detailed unit price line item construction cost data. www.4bt.us

https://www.eia.gov/consumption/commercial/data/2012/#b6-b10

2019 construction cost data

2019 U.S. Commercial Construction Costs Continue to Rise

2019 Commercial Construction Costs Continue to Rise

2019 commercial construction cost data

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via Four BT, LLC – LEAN Construction Planning, Procurement, and Project Delivery Solutions, including locally researched detailed unit price line item construction cost data. www.4bt.us

 

2019 cost data

Construction Productivity

UNLOCK Construction Productivity and Quality with the LEAN OpenJOCTM Solution

Job Order Contracting Best Practices

  • Streamline construction project delivery
  • Add 10, 20, 50+ proven construction professionals without the typical administrative burden and risk
  • Integrate Program, Project, Estimate, Document, Contractor, and Subcontractor Management into one system
  • Leverage the experience of multi-discipline teams… procurement, builders, building users, facilities management, oversight groups…
  • Consistently deploy and manage robust LEAN processes
  • Full financial transparency
  • Improved scope of work definition
  • Collaborative long-term, mutually beneficial relationships
  • Global oversight supported by local management and technical expertise
  • Secure cloud technology, deploy via multiple devices
  • Central repository of current, actionable information (full version control and privilege management)
  • Standardized, yet tailored and flexible processes
  • Improved project delivery timelines, quality, and satisfaction at reduced cost
  • Multi-format document use, including BIM information
  • Detailed unit price line item cost data… locally researched and regularly updated, will full descriptions of task in plain English.
  • Full work order management from concept through warranty and beyond
  • Issue and task tracking and management
  • No use of inefficient email or spreadsheets
  • Dashboards will information appropriate to each user
  • Comprehensive data and process management
  • Regulatory compliance

LEAN Project Management

LEAN Project Management for Best Value Construction Delivery

Building in Cloud OpenJOC(TM) 4BT-PE is an innovative collaborative software solution that successfully integrates proven LEAN project management and construction project delivery processes.

A common data environment, including a locally researched detailed line item construction cost database organization using CSI Masterformat, is an exclusive and critical component of the 4BT-PE cloud solution.

LEAN project management virtually assures transparency, accountability, and compliance, as well as significantly improved productivity across a wide spectrum of facilities repair, renovation, and construction projects.

LEAN Asset Management

Contact us to see how we can assist your organization.

Job Order Contracting Best Practices

LEAN Asset Management

LEAN Asset Management

LEAN Infrastructure Asset Management

LEAN asset management is simply defined as best value life-cycle management of the built environment, inclusive of buildings, roadways, utilities, transportation systems, bridges, dams, and landscapes.

LEAN asset management is based upon current, actionable information, including condition, costs, and priority as well as robust processes that are best value outcome focused.

Maximizing value to the organization with respect to repair, renovation, and construction requirements, requires also requiring sharing rewards and risks with selected service providers.  Unless there is a win-win, collaborative relationship between real property owners and service providers, history has proven that there will be little chance for best value outcomes for any participant.

Detailed, locally researched unit price line item item cost databases and LEAN construction procurement and project delivery methods are fundamental to best value LEAN asset management.   Educating all real property owners and service providers in this regard is critical.  Real property must attain higher levels of leadership and competence specific to LEAN processes is any measurable improvement in life-cycle asset management is to become a reality.

Fortunately, tools and services are readily available to any real property owner that consistently wishes to deliver best value outcomes.   Researched has consistently shown that over 90% of all repair, renovation, and construction projects can be delivered on-time, on-budget, and to the satisfaction of all participants, building users, and oversight groups, if LEAN procurement and construction delivery methods are properly leveraged.

An example of a LEAN procurement and construction delivery method is the OpenJOC(TM) Job Order Contracting Framework.   It integrates people, process, information, and technology to consistently deliver best value LEAN asset management outcomes.

LEAN Asset Management

LEAN Asset Management

LEAN Construction Delivery Implementation

LEAN Construction Delivery Implementation

LEAN Construction Delivery Implementation involves an integration of Strategy, People, and Process appropriate to the specific organization.   

Today, all the tools and services are readily available to any real property owner that wishes to consistently procure and execute quality repair, renovation, or new construction projects on-time and on-budget.

For example, the OpenJOC(TM) Job Order Contracting Solution  of is a powerful LEAN construction services procurement and project method for best value construction services production planning and life-cycle management from concept through joint site visit and warranty  period, and beyond!

LEAN Construction Delivery Implementation

Using the OpenJOC(TM) Job Order Contracting Solution allows real property owners and facilities managers to  more efficiently plan their work and execute it with their awarded builders.    Owner/builder collaborative teams  that apply  the OpenJOC(TM) Job Order Contracting Solution have been able to significantly reduce project delivery times, while increasing the quality of the finished work and reducing overall cost.   Furthermore, they were able to more accurately and transparently forecast cost, schedule, and labor demands leading to more efficient use of limited resources and full regulatory compliance.

LEAN Construction Services Procurement and Delivery, Lean Construction Services Procurement and Project Delivery

CRAFTING YOUR LEAN CONSTRUCTION SERVICES PROCUREMENT AND PROJECT DELIVERY STRATEGY

While each organization has specialized needs, all can benefit from core best management principles, workflows and tools based upon proven LEAN processes.   The degree to which an organization phases implementation, in order to achieved short and long terms goals in concert with current and planned resources is also an important consideration.

A proven approach to long term benefits with respect to facilities repair, renovation, and construction services procurement and project delivery involves consideration of STRATEGY first, PEOPLE, and PROCESS with an continuous single-minded focus upon OUTCOMES and CLIENTS. 

Learn more… SIMPLE GUIDE TO LEAN CONSTRUCTION

Uncategorized

There is always an easy solution to every problem – neat, plausible, and wrong.

– H. L. Mencken

LEAN Construction Leadership

Traditional project delivery methods such as design-bid-build, low bid, etc., are the primary cause of much of the waste and low levels of satisfaction across the AECOO (Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Owner, and Operator) sectors.   In addition the levels of owner leadership and competency must be elevated.

While virtually every other sector has adapted LEAN methods, including manufacturing, technology, and service industries,  viable widespread use within AECOO has not occurred for three reasons:

1.)  Many have attempted to directly apply LEAN from other sectors, without understanding the unique requirements of AECOO.,

2.)  The level of Owner leadership and competency was lagging and unable to break strong AECOO cultural barriers,  and

3.)  Open,  low-cost LEAN procurement tools and services were unavailable.

While there is still a ways to go,  all three of these issues have been resolved by a small but growing group of innovators.

 

LEAN Construction isn't a Project

LEAN Construction isn’t a Project

LEAN Construction isn’t a Project

LEAN construction isn’t a project, but a program. Assuring the availability of current, actionable, transparent, and adequately communicated information… in support of robust, collaborative decision-making… is a process-centered people-driven program that involves change management, ongoing training, and continuous improvement.

While technology shouldn’t be a focus, or primary driver, it is an enabler. Procuring and executing repair, renovation, or construction services supported by a system of file cabinets, paper documents, and spreadsheets, and depending upon traditional ‘ad-hoc’ procurement and construction delivery methods consistently leads to an avoidable waste of valuable time and money resources… not to mention less than happy facilities staff, service providers, and building users.

ROBUST TOOLS AND SOLUTIONS ARE READILY AVAILABLE

There are proven tools and services at your disposal to consistently and efficiently maintain your built environment, and do so with full financial transparency and regulatory compliance.

Understanding that new tools and processes present challenges and that  change isn’t easy for many,  the ability to significantly improve outcomes is well worth the effort.

Cost-effective best value LEAN construction services procurement and project delivery tools and services are now available to all public sector real property owners.  These innovative, open, and low costs tools and services can be tailored to support federal, state, local governments, as well as the education, healthcare, transportation, and utility sectors.

Learn more… Simple Guide to LEAN Construction

Job Order Contracting

Job Order Contacting is a Program not a Project

Job Order Contracting, JOC, can deliver major benefits to public sector real property owners and their service providers… if deployed and managed property. Unfortunately, JOC is not well understood.

One of the most important things to know about JOC is that it is a Program and not a Project. The takeaway from this is that focus must be upon strategy, people, and process first, and overall improvement of outcomes for all participants and stakeholders. While there may be some additional upfront costs, and some projects may cost more than anticipated, the overall result of a properly instituted JOC Program will be improved quality and satisfaction, timely delivery, greater cost visibility, and overall cost savings.

Owner leadership is critical to JOC Program success. Owners need to be actively involved in the JOC Program and potentially alter the mindsets of internal and external teams. For example, traditional adversarial relationships between owners and contractors must be changed to collaborative win-win associations.

As an owner, leading your JOC Program, it is your role to cultivate pride, compassion, gratitude, perseverance, teamwork, and the ability for participants to engage in self-sacrifice to achieve overall better outcomes. Mutual respect is also a required teaming attribute. All of these and more, are components of open LEAN construction services procurement and project delivery methods.

The two best know LEAN procurement and projects delivery methods are Integrated Project Delivery, IPD for major new construction, and Job Order Contracting, JOC, for repair, renovation, maintenance, sustainability, and “minor” new construction. Both are also referred to as alternative construction delivery methods or alliance contracting.

Innovation and improved outcomes require a team effort. Teams with diverse backgrounds and capabilities must be brought together to efficiently solve problems. This necessitates a consistent level of cooperation that is simply not attainable via traditions construction delivery methods such as design-bid-build, low bid, or even design-build.

All the tools and services to support and open, LEAN Job Order Conrtract are readily available to any public sector real property owner.

Studies show the successful adoption of LEAN processes improve timeliness, satisfaction, and cost by 50% over more. Is your organization ready to build teams dedicated to improving outcomes?

Job Order Contacting is a Program
not a Project.

LEAN Construction

LEAN Construction versus Black Belts

LEAN Construction versus Black Belts

​Search “LEAN Construction” in Google and you will get over 11 million hits. Most of these results define LEAN Construction as a variant of the following ” Lean construction is based on the lean manufacturing popularized by the Toyota Production System developed by Taiichi Ohno after World War II. ” You will also find terms such as “black belt”, “kaizen”, and “Last Planner”. While some of this information can be useful to those learning about LEAN procurement and construction delivery, not one is a LEAN procurement and construction delivery method.

A LEAN procurement and construction delivery method is a proven framework for the consistent delivery of quality facilities and other physical infrastructure repair, renovation, maintenance, sustainability, and new construction projects on-time, on-budget, and to the mutual satisfaction of all participants and stakeholders.

Furthermore, LEAN didn’t begin with Toyota, but rather with Henry Ford. But, that’s for another time.

There are current two proven forms of LEAN procurement and construction delivery methods, Integrated Project Delivery, IPD, for major new construction, and Job Order Contracting, JOC, for repair, renovation, and “minor” new construction. Both are also forms of alliance contracting or alternative project delivery. Workflows, tools, and support services are readily available to any responsible real property owner for design implementation, and ongoing management of either of these LEAN construction delivery methods in concert with individualized organizational requirements.

The only barrier to productivity across the AECOO sector are the needs for greater awareness, education, and leadership. (AECOO – Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Owner, Operator)

Learn more… SImple Guide to LEAN Construction

Core Elements of LEAN Construction Services Procurement and Project Delivery

  1. Focus upon outcomes and clients
  2. Required collaboration
  3. Financial transparency
  4. Common data environment, including a locally researched detailed line item unit price book
  5. Mutual trust/respect
  6. Shared risk/reward
  7. Defined roles, responsibilities, deliverables, and workflows
  8. Initial and ongoing training
  9. Long-term relationships
  10. Global oversight with leverage of localized expertise and execution management
  11. Continuous improvement
  12. Enabling cloud technology – Program, Project, Estimate, and Document Management, as well as, Asset/Space and Workflow Management including Issues/Tasks.

Review of research and practices relative to the above and demonstration of significant measurable productivity and quality gains via these methods.

Uncategorized

What is Job Order Contracting

Job Order Contracting Basics

WHAT IS JOB ORDER CONTRACTING?

A significant portion of taxpayer funds are allocated to facilities and other physical infrastructure to ensure quality of life.  How public sector procurement, facilities management, and oversight groups develop, operate, maintain, reuse, and recycle these assets is critical to our economic, environmental, and social well-being.  Furthermore, best value facilities and asset management is a mandate for public service procurement and facilities management professionals.

Properly developed and implemented, Job Order Contracting (JOC), a LEAN procurement and project delivery method, can assure numerous, commonly encountered repair, renovation, and construction projects are procured and executed quickly and easily through alliance contracts. 

JOC is most commonly used to clear deferred maintenance backlog, as well as efficiently meet a wide range of construction project needs.

A LEAN Job Order Contract is a competitively bid, fixed price, multi-year construction contract based on locally researched unit prices via a unit price book (UPB).  Awarded JOC contractors build project cost proposals using the locally researched UPB and then apply a multiplier (also sometimes called a factor or JOC coefficient) to the resultant line item estimate total.  The benefits of a locally researched UPB include clear communication of the scope of work and fully transparent financials for each and every project.  A JOC is an IDIQ or indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contract for on-demand construction services and a LEAN procurement and construction delivery method. 

Alliance agreements, Lean construction, procurement methods, partnerships., LEAN Partnerships, LEAN Procurement, LEAN Procurement for Construction Services

LEAN Procurement for Construction Services

LEAN Procurement & Construction Delivery
for
Improving Performance

Different procurement methods have been developed and applied in the construction industry for improving performance, yet only a select few have consistently enabled superior outcomes.


The path forward for the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Owner, and Operator sector is to move away failed traditional planning, procurement, and construction delivery methods that are confrontational, risks averse and lacking value, vision, verification and accountability.

Construction services procurement and project delivery that follow robust LEAN processes have been successfully adopted and deployed. With the proper focus upon change management, continuous education, improve owner leadership, and use of appropriate LEAN tools and services consistent delivery of quality on-demand repair, renovation, and construction services is not only possible, but can be the daily norm.

LEAN construction principles and implementation methods are far from complex. That said, it can be difficult to weed through the jargon and misconceptions. First, be aware that LEAN construction is not simply applying lean manufacturing concepts to construction. For example, Last Planner(TM), black belt, six sigma, kaizen, and similar terms are not LEAN construction procurement and delivery methods. Study of each can be helpful, however, only the following are proven LEAN procurement and construction delivery methods: 1.) Integrated Project Delivery, IPD, for major new construction, and 2.) Job Order Contracting, JOC, for repair, renovation, sustainability, maintenance, and “minor” new construction. To a lesser extent Alliance Contracting and other formats may also be capable of also consistently delivering best value, compliance, and financial transparency…if deployed correctly.

Similarly, IPD and JOC must also be developed and deployed appropriately to assure best value and compliance for all participants and stakeholders. Owner leadership, commitment, and a full, open partnership better owner procurement and facilities

With the appropriate combination of objectives, principles, techniques, tools, and training any owner can adopt and deploy LEAN Procurement and Construction Delivery. Research studies and case studies clearly indicate that long-term collaborative LEAN partnerships between owners, building users, and service providers drive best value, mutually beneficial outcomes, including consistent delivery of on-demand, quality, on-time, on-budget, projects to the satisfaction of all participants and stakeholders.

The following forms the basis of LEAN procurement and project delivery characteristics in concert with best management practices. Appropriate adoption enables early and ongoing collaboration and teamwork through design and construction partnerships from initial concept through project completion and beyond.

  • Owner leadership and global oversight
  • Focus upon mutually beneficial best value outcomes in alignment with all stakeholders
  • Strong partnership and continuous interaction between owner procurement and technical (facilities management, engineering, DPW) teams
  • Required initial and ongoing training
  • Common data environment, inclusive of a locally researched unit price book organized by a standard data architecture
  • Financial transparency
  • Shared risk and reward
  • Continuous improvement
  • High emphasis upon culture
  • Ongoing monitoring via key performance indicators (KPIs)
  • Mutual trust and respect
  • Leverage of on-site, local expertise as well as all team members
  • Concurrent design
  • Dynamic versus static environment
  • Reduction of non-value-adding activities and variance
  • Clear, simplified process workflows
  • Written operations manual and/or execution guide as part of contract defining roles, responsibilities, deliverables, tools, term, values, and exception handling
  • Leverage of collaborative technologies to assure program, project, estimate, document, and process control within a full transparent and verifiable environment
  • Regular third-party audits and performance reviews
  • Decentralized decision making with multi-tasking, multi-discipline, self-managing working groups
  • Customer-focus, service-oriented culture
  • Long-term mutually beneficial relationships and performance-based contracts
  • Program versus project approach – optimize overall program versus every project
Sample LEAN Procurement and Project Delivery Workflow – City Government

The path forward for the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Owner, and Operator sector is to move away failed traditional planning, procurement, and construction delivery methods that are confrontational, risks averse and lacking value, vision, verification, and accountability. Value-centric procurement and construction delivery operational management methodologies and associated tools are readily available today.

OPEN Job Order Contracting

What is OPEN Job Order Contracting ?

LEAN Construction Services Procurement and Project Delivery

OPEN Job Order Contracting – LEAN Construction Service Procurement and Project Delivery

Open Job Order Contracting, as embodied within the OpenJOC(TM) Solution, integrates LEAN construction best management practices (BMPs) with collaborative cloud technology to enable efficient, best value construction services outcomes.

LEAN Construction Best Management Practices – The following is a listing of requisite core elements of any LEAN procurement and construction delivery process:

  • Early and ongoing collaboration among all participants and stakeholders
  • Written execution guide or operations manual
  • Common data environment including locally researched unit price cost data organized via a data architecture standard (i.e. CSI Masteformat)
  • Mutual trust and respect
  • Shared risk and reward
  • Required initial and ongoing training
  • Continuous improvement
  • Owner leadership

OpenJOC Job Order Contracting provides the following benefits:

  • Design and implementation of tailored “turnkey” solutions.
  • Integration of BMPs, locally researched cost data, and enabling cloud technology to support opportunity identification, budgeting, project scope development, cost estimating, owner/contractor negotiations, and monitoring/reporting.
  • Significant reduction in JOC Program implementation and management costs.
  • Reduced project delivery times.
  • JOC Program compliance
  • JOC Program transparency
  • Risk mitigation
  • Support for all JOC Program/Project sizes
  • Fully auditable
  • Ongoing training and support
LEAN Job Order Contracting

www.4bt.us

    Job Order Contract

    Does your Job Order Contract Work This Way?

    Job Program Capabilities.png

    We are Four BT, LLC (4BT).  We saw the need for open, customer-focused, cost-effective, JOC solutions based upon LEAN best management practices. 

    Our founders have decades of experience with organizations including R.S. Means Company, LLC, US Cost, VFA, Inc., and The JOC Group, serving over $4.5B in JOC construction annually.  Some of the largest County, State, and Educational institutions are already converting to the 4BT OpenJOC Job Order Contracting Solution.

    We help guide organizations to achieve accelerated improvement of their facilities repair, renovation, and construction outcomes and focus upon customer value.  Let us help your team deploy proven LEAN processes, current actionable data, and enabling cloud technology.  Consistently deploy quality repair, renovation, maintenance, sustainability, and new construction projects on-demand, on-time, on-budget, and to everyone’s satisfaction. Contact us directly at info@bt.us, or visit 4BT.US!

    Controlling Job Order Contract Costs, Controlling the Costs of Job Order Contract

    Controlling Job Order Contract Costs

    Controlling the Costs of Job Order Contract
    Work Orders

    While Job Order Contracting can provide significant benefits over traditional construction services procurement and project delivery methods, controlling Job Order Contract Costs is a key consideration.  Full benefits from a JOC Program should not involve excessive administrative costs, or a fee schedule based upon a percentage (%) of total annual JOC construction value.

    At a minimum, the following are important responsibilities for contracting entities using JOB ORDER CONTRACTS / JOB ORDER CONTRACTING.

    1. Assure that a compliant LEAN Job Order Contracting methodology and associated tools are used, including a locally researched detailed unit price book.
    2. Unit pricing should be comprehensive, site specific, recent, detailed, clearly state in plain English what is included and excluded,  include labor, material, and equipment subtotals where appropriate, and organized by CSI Masterformat.
    3. Perform detailed review of work order costs proposed by  contractors, including regular independent third party audits. 
    4. Ensure that proper unit price line items are selected and quantities of unit prices match the work order scope and  specifications for each project and work order. 
    5. When the unit price book is not appropriate for certain work  orders, and the contract requires contractor to obtain quotes,  the owner should review the quotes to ensure: work requested precisely matches the work order.  Lowest quote was selected or reasons for not doing so were  provided. Contract should specify the level of monitoring expected by those charged with overseeing work orders.
    6. Owner should review ALL contractor proposals in detail and perform independent owner estimates for ALL work orders over a specified dollar amount.

    Learn more….

    Contact a LEAN Construction Services Procurement and Project Delivery Professional…

    Controlling Job Order Contract Costs
    Controlling Job Order Contract Costs
    LEAN Construction Services

    4 Steps to Efficient LEAN Construction Services Procurement and Project Delivery

    • Establish LEAN process to optimally procure and deliver facilities / infrastructure repair, renovation, and construction services
    • Design, deploy, maintain, and continuously improve a LEAN facilities repair, renovation, and construction framework and associated enterprise management system
    • Comply with Federal, State, and Local regulations, policy and your developed strategy
    • Demonstrate via external third party audit that your organization is applying LEAN best management practices

    Learn more about LEAN construction delivery…SIMPLE GUIDE TO LEAN CONSTRUCTION

    Contact us…

    Limit Construction Risk, Limit Construction Variance, Mitigate Construction Risk

    Mitigate Construction Procurement and Project Delivery Variance and Risk

    Achieve agreed outcomes on the basis of mutual trust and respect, sharing risk and rewards, financial transparency, and long term mutually beneficial relationships.
    Assure substantial cost and quality benefits without the adversarial relationships common in traditional construction contracts.

    • Optimized Schedule & Cost
    • Clear Expectations and Objectives
    • Commercial & Technical Innovation
    • Proactive Risk Mitigation
    • Full Regulatory Compliance
    • Financial Transparency – Locally researched detailed unit price book, UPB
    • Reduced Time & Money Wasted On – Procurement, Change Order, Legal Disputes…
    • Owner Leadership, Team Input and Control Throughout Project Delivery\
    • Focus upon Outcomes – Performance and Monetary Objectives
    • No Excessive Fees or Payments to Consultants
    • Structured Contractor/Service Provider Process
    • Defined, Flexible and Easily Audited Workflows
    • Proven
    • Learn more… www.4bt.us

    All participants and stakeholders are motivated to focus on PROJECT FIRST goals. This changes the delivery attitude and “breaks the barriers” common to traditional construction delivery models.Learn more…

    Keys to Success

    • Required Collaboration
    • Owner Leadership and Genuine Support
    • Selection of the right team members
    • Ability to understand costing and pricing at a detailed line item level
    • Owner wants everyone to be successful

    Owner Leadership and LEAN Construction Procurement and Project Delivery

    Lean Construction and Project Delivery


    LEAN Construction


    Achieve agreed outcomes on the basis of mutual trust and respect, sharing risk and rewards, financial transparency, and long term mutually beneficial relationships.
    Substantial cost and quality benefits without the adversarial relationships common in traditional construction contracts.

    • Optimized Schedule & Cost
    • Clear Expectations and Objectives
    • Commercial & Technical Innovation
    • Proactive Risk Mitigation
    • Full Regulatory Compliance
    • Financial Transparency – Locally researched detailed unit price book, UPB
    • Reduced Time & Money Wasted On – Procurement, Change Order, Legal Disputes…
    • Owner Leadership, Team Input and Control Throughout Project Delivery\
    • Focus upon Outcomes – Performance and Monetary Objectives
    • No Excessive Fees or Payments to Consultants
    • Structured Contractor/Service Provider Process
    • Defined, Flexible and Easily Audited Workflows
    • Proven
    • Learn more… www.4bt.us

    All participants and stakeholders are motivated to focus on PROJECT FIRST goals. This changes the delivery attitude and “breaks the barriers” common to traditional construction delivery models.

    Learn more…

    Keys to Success

    • Required Collaboration
    • Owner Leadership and Genuine Support
    • Selection of the right team members
    • Ability to understand costing and pricing at a detailed line item level
    • Owner wants everyone to be successful
    Leadership and LEAN Construction

    Owner Leadership and LEAN Construction Procurement and Project Delivery
    Save Time and Money

    Much has been documented about how AECOO (architecture, engineering, construction, owner, operator) sector has been technology adverse when compared to manufacturing, healthcare, education, and virtually every other public and private category. Nonetheless, it would be incorrect to assume that technology alone will solve the AECOO’s dismal legacy of low productivity, waste, and legal disputes. While technology use is accelerating, similar improvement is output are not. Neither BIM, nor mobile systems such as Field Data Collection, have delivered on the promise of improving the AECOO sector’s procurement and project delivery woes.

    Lack of leadership skills and awareness of core LEAN construction procurement and delivery methods are the real barriers to achieving Best Value Outcomes for real property owners, building users, service providers, and the community at large.

    Real property owners are the stewards of the built environment and pay the bills, they are ultimately responsible for providing leadership and assuring overall optimal facilities/infrastructure management outcomes. All the tools and services are readily available to support owners in doing just that.

    Owners that implement open, best value, LEAN procurement and construction delivery methods are capable of teaming with their service partners to sustain consistent, quality, on-demand, on-time, and on-budget repair, renovation, and new construction outcomes.   

    The key is to integrate people, process, technology, and current actionable data throughout the life-cycle of all projects.  

    Public Sector Facilities Management

    Attention Public Sector Procurement and FM Professionals:
    STOP Paying too much for Facilities Repair, Renovation, and Construction

    All renovation, repair, and new construction work should be based upon recent, similar work, as embodied within a LOCALLY RESEARCHED UNIT PRICE BOOK. Relying only upon contractor or subcontractor quotes is simply not compatible with your fiduciary responsibilities.

    A LOCALLY RESEARCHED UNIT PRICE BOOK is one of several components of robust and open LEAN Procurement and Construction Delivery Processes that are critical to achieving best value outcomes of taxpayers.

    All processes and workflows, from initial project concept through completion and beyond, should be properly documented and verifiable in order to meet audit standards. This includes the owners original scope of work and estimated budget, owner request for contractor proposal, detailed line item proposal review, project acceptance, project executions, project closeout, and warranty.

    It’s time that all public sector organizations have required and fully transparent LEAN procurement and construction delivery framework.

    unit price book, unit price books

    The benefits of locally researched detailed line item unit price books are such that they should be a requirement for all commercial repair, renovation, maintenance, sustainability, and new construction projects. Their use is already mandatory for LEAN construction delivery methods such as Job Order Contracting.

    Benefits of Locally Researched Detailed Line Item Unit Price Books

    Locally researched unit price books should be organized by CSI Masterformat and include separate line items for demolition as well as line item modifiers. The later are adds or deducts to the parent line item to account for quantity or other task related variables, such as working height.

    Unit price books are used for bidding contracts, contractor proposals, owner independent estimates, and for validating subcontractor quotes.

    As market prices can change significantly, best practice is to update labor pricing quarterly and material pricing on an as needed basis. The entire unit price book, labor, material and equipment, should be update annually.

    The application of economic indexes or location factors to unit prices should be avoided. This approach does not provide a sound reflection of actual costs.

    Any real property owner, but especially those in the public sector, should require the use of locally researched unit price books in order to meet their fiduciary responsibilities.

    construction change order, contraction change order

    Construction Change Order
    Best Management Practices

    Any discussion of construction change order best management practices would be incomplete without the following:

    • Defining a construction change order,
    • Noting the causal factors and impacts associated with construction change orders, and
    • Methods of mitigating construction change orders.

    Definition of a construction change order: A construction change order is work that is added to or deleted from the originally agreed upon and contracted scope of work which alters the original contract amount and/or completion date.

    A change order cannot exist without an original construction contract, and may be requested by the construction contractor or the contracting entity/facilities owner. The associated processes and documentation involving change order requests and approvals should be outlined in the construction contract and the associated program/project operations manual/execution guide. The number of change orders and all related requirements have a direct relationship to the construction delivery method being used.

    The proper documentation and management of change orders is critical to holding both the contracting entity and the construction services provider accountable. The construction delivery method and associated contract dictates not only how changes orders are managed, but also plays a major role in determining their overall frequency and cost.

    Contracting entities or construction services providers that are not willing to be bound within a collaborative, mutually beneficial contract and associated best valued contract, should be suspect and deserving of further investigation.

    Major causes of construction change orders

    The primary cause of a construction change order is a poorly prepared, poorly written, or poorly communication scope of work, including incomplete/inaccurate project designs. Additional causal factors include owner requested changes due to changing organizational or additional user requirements or any unforeseen conditions.

    Change Order Impacts

    Approximately 80% of all repair, renovation, or new construction projects are deliver late, over budget, or don’t satisfactorily meet owner, user, and builder requirements. Furthermore, the overall productivity associated with the construction sector lags that of other sectors. The net result is an facilities and infrastructure management sector that is burdened with waste and negatively impacting the organizational mission associated with built structures, the economy, and the environment. Changer orders are a primary source of waste. Change orders often increase the cost of the original contract  by changing the amount or type of work to be delivered.   Additionally while contracts are initially awarded competitively, change  orders are negotiated without competition. Thus without proper oversight, change orders can easily become financial black holes.

    Ways to Avoid or Mitigate Change Orders

    The best, and proven, way to limit if not even eliminate change orders is to select a collaborative LEAN construction delivery method, and at the vary least, to create and mutually agree upon a detailed, itemized line item, list of construction tasks and associated work requirements and costs. This list should be easy to read and understand by all participants and stakeholders and organized using a CSI Masterformat. All cost data should be locally researched using appropriate labor wage rates, productivity rates, material costs, and equipment costs.

    LEAN construction delivery methods establish terms in the original contract and associate operations manual/execution guide, on how change  order pricing will be handled. The workflow for pricing, submitting, reviewing, and approving work approved under a change order are spelled out in detail. Contractors are contractually required to submit detailed line item task listing for all  change order proposals using a pre-approved, locally researched unit price book. Reporting requirements are included to assure proper oversight and audit capability for those overseeing change order pricing.

    Any owner should perform detailed reviews of contract change order costs  proposed by contractors. Public sector real property owners, facilities management teams, and procurement professionals are required to do so. Owner should also perform independent cost estimates for projects, or at the very least projects above a specified cost threshold. All owners should technically and financially go through ALL change order requests in detail and not simply perform superficial or spot‐check review.

    Without getting in a long discussion of LEAN construction delivery methods, suffice it to say that any method that allows all participants and stakeholders to share information in an early and ongoing manner and work within a collaborative and compliant manner. Two robust, more commonly known forms of LEAN collaborative construction delivery are integrated project delivery, IPD, for major new construction, and job order contracting, JOC, for repair, renovation, maintenance, sustainability, and minor new construction projects. As one might expect, however, not all all versions of IPD and JOC are the same, so do your homework!

    LEAN construction delivery methods mitigate the impacts of construction project change orders in the following manners.

     Eliminate the negotiation of change order  pricing. Tasks and quantities can be reviewed, however, pricing is fixed.

     Eliminate the common practice of contractors artificially reducing  (“low‐balling”) initial bids while intending to benefit later  from costly change orders

     Reduce costs associated with comparing  contractors’ proposed pricing to their owner independently  developed estimates

     Promote teamwork with the contractor

     Support a fair, reasonable and equitable business  relationship

     Decrease the likelihood that owners will overpay, and that real property owners meet their fiduciary responsibility as stewards of the built environment.

    Construction Procurement

    Rethink, Reshape, Rewrite Your Facilities Repair, Renovation, and Construction Procurement and Project Delivery Methods

    Rethink, Reshape, Rewrite Your Facilities Repair, Renovation, and Construction Procurement and Project Delivery Methods

    The only proven way to improve facilities management outcomes is to RETHINK,, RESHAPE, and REWRITE your facilities repair, renovation, and construction procurement and delivery methods.

    Maximizing value with limited funding requires the adoption of LEAN procurement and construction delivery processes. Organizations can more efficiently reduce deferred maintenance and consistently procure and deliver quality renovation, repair, and construction projects on-demand, on-time and on-budget.conduct business on a day-to-day basis. 

    Shift focus to best value procurement and collaborative project delivery

    All the tools and services are readily available to reshape the relationships among all all participants and stakeholders to assure earlier and ongoing involvement throughout the full program/project life-cycle, to the mutual benefit of all.

    Written collaborative contracts and operations manuals/execution guides include requirements for full financial transparency and information sharing, leveraging the use of common terms, definitions, and data sets, including locally researched detailed, and open unit price books, with tasks organized by CSI MasterFormat.  

    The Solution

    Focus upon and delivery of best value outcome by using LEAN construction delivery methods such as integrated project delivery, IPD, for major new construction, and job order contracting, JOC, for repair, renovation, and minor new construction. Both fully define roles, responsibilities, workflows, tools, requirements, deliverables,  and metrics.

      creating facilities value

      Creating Facilities Value

      Creating Facilities Value

      Creating facilities value for all stakeholders requires rigorous LEAN processes that support and assure collaborative early and ongoing information sharing, as well as decision support systems based upon current and actionable information.

      The good news it that robust tools and services are readily available that can provide any organization and any facilities management team with the opportunity to efficiently maximize facilities value.

      LEAN facilities procurement and construction project delivery methods integrate the “supply side” of the value chain (architects, engineers, builders…) with the “demand side” (facilities management, procurement, building users, oversight groups, community…).

      Robust LEAN construction procurement and project delivery frameworks can consistently delivery quality, best value outcomes, on-demand, on-time, and on-budget versus the dismal track record associated with traditional methods such as design-bid-build.

      Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), and Job Order Contracting, bring together and leverage the experience and expertise from both the demand side and the supply side, in an early and ongoing basis. Properly designed and implement IPD and JOC Programs encourage and facilitate collaborative, multi-disciplinary teams that share and disseminate appropriate information. Accurate scope of work and full financial visibility and transparency are virtually assured through the required used of locally researched, detailed line item unit price book (UPB).

      View Post

      IPD and JOC leverage innovative design, procurement, and project delivery work flows. Both can be tailored to identify appropriate procurement and management strategies for individual clients, service providers, and program requirements.

      To learn if LEAN procurement and project delivery is appropriate for your organization and review appropriate, guidance materials, please complete the below.

        construction cost control
        Public Sector Facilities Performance

        Public Sector Facilities Performance

         

        Introduction

        LEAN construction cost estimating, procurement, and project delivery jointly drive optimal, best value execution of the numerous repair, renovation, maintenance, sustainability, and new construction projects encountered by public sector real property owners, facilities managers, procurement professionals, and their service providers.

        Public sector stewards of the built environment have specific fiduciary responsibilities.  Meeting these requirements can be a significant challenge when eighty percent (80%) of all construction related projects are late, over-budget, or incorrectly completed.  The  majority of these failures can be traced back to a poorly defined and poorly communicated project scope of work.  Fortunately, robust LEAN construction estimating, procurement, and delivery processes, tools, and services are now available to consistently deliver quality projects on-demand, on-budget, and on-time.

        Simple Guide to LEAN Construction

        Before we even get to improving Scope of Work (SOW) processes, it’s valuable to first understand the basic concepts of LEAN construction.  Like most things these days, LEAN construction is a simple concept that has been complicated by hype, ignorance, and/or the well-intentioned but potentially misguided.  For example, put aside anything you have heard about Last Planner(TM), TPS, Six Sigma, belt-belt, etc., as they are not LEAN construction estimating, procurement, ore delivery methods.

        At its core, LEAN construction delivery is a primary focus upon best value outcomes with respect to all participants and stakeholders, from concept through end of life.

        LEAN construction delivery is a process-based framework that shares the following components, all of which are requirements for all participants.

        • Joint focus upon best value outcomes
        • Early and ongoing participation and information sharing
        • Shared risk/reward
        • Common data environment
        • Mutual trust respect
        • Initial and ongoing training
        • Written operations manual and/or execution guide
        • Continuous improvement
        • Global oversight and leadership with local empowerment.

        Integrated Project Delivery, IPD, for major new construction, and Job Order Contracting, JOC, for repair, renovation, and minor new construction are two (2) fully vetted forms of LEAN construction delivery.  Both have a proven track record spanning decades.  That said, not all implementations are open, transparent, or deployed appropriately.  Do your homework!

        Scope of Work – Get it Right!

        The Scope of Work (SOW) defines all of the tasks be completed to execute and deliver the project per owner requirements. Put another way, a scope of work is a set of construction items to be performed under a contract or subcontract in the completion of a project, typically broken out into specific tasks with deadlines, to achieve a well defined result.

        From the above, it is clear that missing, inaccurate, or poorly defined work items, or poorly defined desired outcomes, will directly and likely significantly impact the estimated project cost as well as overall project timeline and level of general success.

        A LEAN approach to construction cost estimating therefore requires the development and sharing of detailed line item cost estimate, created with locally researched and verifiable unit price construction cost line items. The estimate is created by the owner and/or the associated AE’s and builders. Based upon the size of the project, there is great value for an owner to develop an internal detailed line item estimate for comparison to a builder’s estimate. In some cases an independent owner estimate may even be a regulatory requirement.

        A detailed line item construction cost estimate is part of Scope of Work for any LEAN construction procurement and delivery process by default.  For each line item, the following information is provided, as appropriate for each individual construction task:

        • Standardized data organization of each construction task/line item – CSI MasterFormat
        • Full Task Description – Clear description of work in plain English
        • Unit of Measure – Each, Square Foot, Square Yard, Cubic Yard, etc.
        • Labor – Description of crew and hourly labor cost per defined output.
        • Material Cost – Description and cost of materials associated with specified task.
        • Equipment – Description of equipment required for associated task and associated cost.
        • Modifiers – Adds or deducts to line items costs to account for location, quantity, or other defined factors.

        Adoption of LEAN construction cost estimating assures that costs are based upon correct items and associated costs, and enables more efficient review of all content, including quantities. The use of a locally researched unit price book (UPB) can greatly increase the speed of developing a detailed line item estimate as well as serve as a comparative check and balance.  Remember that a cost estimate is NOT the same a price estimate. Thus costs estimates should be prepared WITHOUT OVERHEAD and PROFIT. The latter is so inconsistent that a cost estimate is critical in monitoring, if not controlling, associated volatility.

        It’s no surprise to anyone that errors and omissions are largely the cause of cost creep, change orders, and general dissatisfaction. Furthermore, it’s not surprising that lack of collaboration and information sharing, and the failure to use standardized, commonly understood tasks and costs in an early and ongoing basis is the primary cause of errors, omissions, change orders, and ultimately, project failure.   LEAN cost estimating and a UPB can mitigate these issues.

        LEAN Process, Plus Experience, Experience, and Experience

        Any and all owner, AE, and builder cost estimate must be prepared by a cost estimator experienced in line item construction cost estimating. Good construction cost estimators are professionals with decades of experience and fully knowledgeable with respect to means, methods, trades, prevailing labor rates, materials, and equipment. Experienced line item construction cost estimators play primary role in the preparation, review, and final approval of any project.

        Historical Costs and Lump Sum Subcontractor/Contractor Quotes

        While storing historical estimates and actual project costs are both important in terms of fiduciary responsibility, there is little value of historical projects costs in creating new estimates, other than comparison and appropriate information repurposing (information reuse is limited to line time descriptions and components, versus cost data). Not everyone is skilled in estimating labor, materials, and other variables that need to be part of the final cost estimate. This is the role of an experience line item construction cost estimator.

        Summary and the Path Forward

        The absence of leadership, competency, and associated LEAN best value strategy is the inherent roadblock to measurable gains in productivity across the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Owner, Operator sector(AECOO).  A certain degree of change management is also required.  Some individuals, organization, or groups, may find it easier than others to adopt LEAN methods. While the associated processes and workflows are far from complicated, the day-to-day methods of doing things differs from traditional practices.

        Front end planning and resource allocation is greater for LEAN adoption and implementation, however, the major benefits gains far outweigh any additional, “front-loaded” investment.

        All the tools, information, data sets, and services are readily available to enable the consistent delivery on quality, on-demand, on-time, and on-budget repair, renovation, and construction projects. Are you ready?

        via Four BT, LLC – Efficient Construction Procurement and Delivery Solutions

        Learn more… www.4bt.us

        LEAN Construction Cost Estimating

        LEAN Construction Cost Estimating

        LEAN construction cost estimating

        LEAN Construction Cost Estimating Drives Optimal Performance

        Introduction – LEAN construction cost estimating, planning,  procurement, and project delivery, drives optimal performance for the numerous repair, renovation, maintenance, sustainability, and new construction projects encountered by real property owners, facilities managers, and their service providers.

        Eighty percent (80%) of all construction projects are late, over-budget, or incorrectly completed. The vast majority of failures can be traced back to a poorly defined and poorly communicated scope of work. Currently available robust LEAN construction estimating, procurement, and delivery processes, services, and tools, make it possible to consistently deliver quality projects on-demand, on-budget, and on-time.

        Simple Guide to LEAN – Before we even get to improving Scope of Work (SOW) processes, it’s valuable to first understand the basic concepts of LEAN construction. Like most things these days, LEAN construction is a simple concept that has been complicated by hype, ignorance, and/or the well-intentioned but potentially misguided. Put aside anything you have heard about Last Planner(TM), TPS, Six Sigma, belt-belt, et al. These are not LEAN construction delivery methods.

        LEAN construction delivery is simply a focus upon best value outcomes for all participants and stakeholders, from concept through end of life.

        LEAN construction delivery is a process-based framework that shares the following components, all of which are requirements for all participants.

        1. Early and ongoing participation
        2. Shared risk/reward
        3. Common data environment
        4. Mutual trust respect
        5. Initial and ongoing training
        6. Written operations manual and/or execution guide
        7. Continuous improvement
        8. Global oversight and leadership with local empowerment.

        Integrated Project Delivery, IPD, for major new construction, and Job Order Contracting, JOC, for repair, renovation, and minor new construction are two fully vetted forms of LEAN construction delivery.  Both maintain a program versus project orientation.

        LEAN construction cost estimating

        Scope of Work

        The Scope of Work (SOW) defines all of the tasks be completed to execute and deliver the project per owner requirements. Put another way, a scope of work is division of construction items to be performed under a contract or subcontract in the completion of a project, typically broken out into specific tasks with deadlines.

        From the above, it is clear that an work items that a missing, inaccurate, or poorly defined will directly and likely significantly impact the estimated cost as well as overall project timeline and level of general success.

        A LEAN approach to construction cost estimating therefore requires the development and sharing of detailed line item cost estimate using locally researched and verifiable unit price construction cost line items. This information is develop by the owner and/or the associated AE’s and builders. Based upon the size of the project, there is great value for an owner to develop an internal detailed line item estimate to compare against a builder’s estimate. In some cases an independent owner estimate may even be a requirement.

        A detailed line item construction cost estimate is part of Scope of Work for any LEAN construction procurement and delivery process by default. The following information is provided, as appropriate for each individual construction task:

        1. Standardized data organization of each construction task/line item – CSI MasterFormat
        2. Full Task Description – Clear description of work in plain English
        3. Unit of Measure – Each, Square Foot, Square Yard, Cubic Yard, etc.
        4. Labor – Description of crew and hourly labor cost per defined output.
        5. Material Cost – Description and cost of materials associated with specified task.
        6. Equipment – Description of equipment required for associated task and associated cost.
        7. Modifiers – Adds or deducts to line items costs to account for location, quantity, or other defined factors.

        Adoption of LEAN construction cost estimating assures that costs are based upon correct items and associated costs, and enables more efficient review of all content, including quantities. The use of a locally researched unit price book (UPB) can greatly increase the speed of developing a detailed line item estimate as well as serve as a check and balance. Remember that a cost estimate is NOT then same a price estimate. Thus costs estimates should first be prepared WITHOUT including OVERHEAD and PROFIT. The latter is so inconsistent that a cost estimate is critical in monitoring, if not controlling, associated volatility.

        It’s no surprise to anyone that errors and omissions are largely the cause of cost creep, change orders, and general dissatisfaction. Furthermore, it should be surprising that lack of collaboration and information sharing, and the failure to use standardized, commonly understood tasks and costs in an early and ongoing basis is the primary cause of errors, omissions, change orders, and ultimately, project failure.

        LEAN Process, Plus Experience, Experience, and Experience

        Any and all owner, AE, and builders cost estimate must be prepared by a cost estimator experienced in line item construction cost estimating. These are professionals with decades of experience and fully knowledgeable about means, methods, trades, prevailing labor rates, materials, and equipment. Experienced line item construction cost estimators play their part in the preparation, review, and final approval of any project.

        Historical Costs and Lump Sum Subcontractor/Contractor Quotes

        While storing historical estimates and actual project costs are important in terms of fiduciary responsibility, their is no role of historical projects costs in creating new estimates, other than comparison and some information reuse purposes (information reuse is limited to line time descriptions). Not everyone is skilled in estimating labor, materials, and other variables that need to be part of the final cost estimate. It is required than an experienced estimator be involved with the estimating effort.

        Summary and the Path Forward

        The absence of leadership, competency, and associated LEAN best value strategy is the inherent roadblock to measurable gains in productivity across the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Owner, Operator sector(AECOO). A certain degree of change management is also present. Some individuals, organization, or groups, may find it easier than others to adopt LEAN methods. While the associated processes and workflows are far from complicated, the day-to-day methods of doing things differs.

        Front end planning and resource allocation is greater for LEAN adoption and implementation, however, the major benefits gains far outweigh any investment.

        All the tools, information, data sets, and services are readily available to enable the consistent delivery on quality, on-demand, on-time, and on-budget repair, renovation, and construction projects. Are you ready?

        via Four BT, LLC – Efficient Construction Procurement and Delivery Solutions

        LEAN Construction Cost Estimating
        construction cost control

        The Simple Guide to Repair, Renovation, Construction Cost Control

         

        Repair, Renovation, & Construction Project Cost Management

        Prioritize and Budget Requirements 
        Every real property owner is face with aligning organizational requirements with facilities repair, renovation, and construction needs as well as available current and projected multi-year resources.  Focus upon best value outcomes deliver superior achievement in this regard.   Mapping facilities physical requirements with budgets and schedules is not a trivial task, as evidenced by the fact that  80% of all construction related projects are over budget, late, yield poor quality, or result in in legal disputes.    Adopting robust LEAN process can change this pervasive problem and assure that 90%+ of all repair, renovation, and construction process are consistently procured and delivered on-time, on-budget, and per specification.

        LEAN Processes Embed Transparent Costs and Project Cost Management
        Project cost management and efficient project delivery are core capabilities enabled by the OpenJOC(TM) Job Order Contracting (JOC) Solution.   Proper design, implementation of an OpenJOC Job Order Contracting Program ensures that the numerous repair, renovation, and minor new construction projects encountered by real property owners and facilities management teams are  successfully completed within an approved budget.

        construction cost control

        Project Cost Management Processes
        The policies, procedures, data sets, tools, and documentation used for planning, executing, and controlling project cost are included with a LEAN OpenJOC enterprise system.
        Developing a detailed scope of work and associated line item cost estimate using a verifiable and current locally researched unit price book (UPB) is a mandatory component of a LEAN construction delivery approach.   The UPB consist of a granular listing of all the construction tasks with breakdowns for associated labor, material, equipment, and productivity.   Thus usage of a UPB virtually assures a mutual detailed understanding of the scope of work required and also serves as a method to validate contractor and subcontractor quotes.   A properly developed UPB is written in plain English and organized using the industry standard CSI Masterformat data architecture.  Since the primary reason for most construction failures is improper definition or communication of work scope,  and general lack of collaboration and teamwork, the value of UPB can easily be understood.   In simple terms, a project proposal using a UPB establishes a clear, detailed, baseline for work requirements, timelines, and costs.

        construction cost control

        Monitoring and Controlling Projects
        Best value can only be achieved via a properly conceived and implemented program and project management strategy.    To date, the only robust program and project management strategies proven to deliver superior outcomes on a consistent basis are the LEAN processes of Integrated Project Delivery, IPD and Job Order Contracting, JOC.

        Monitoring and controlling of construction related projects is a process of developing, tracking, reviewing, and regulating progress versus performance objectives in proposal and associated LEAN construction delivery workflow.

        Consistent, yet flexible collaborative workflows are essential in managing program and project success.    An example of this type of workflow is shown as follows: 

        Construction Cost Control

        With proper LEAN construction delivery training and adoption,  the collaborative dynamics are established to enable teams to avoid common failures.
        Elements such a collecting, measuring, monitoring and distributing important information are easily accomplished throughout program and project duration due to the LEAN framework of processes and tools.   For example, comparing owner project estimates with contractor estimates, comparing planned scope, cost, schedule, resources, performance, and values against initial plans are all commonplace activities.

        Another important of LEAN construction procurement and project delivery is integrated change control relative to both scope and costs.  Procedures and tools are in place to readily identify original requirements and planned modifications.  All changes must be formally approved and documented per the defined program operations manual and/or execution guide.

        In order to properly manage outcomes, the following information is a sampling of information that is required as well as associated processes:

        • Standardized organization and definition of programs/projects
        • Progress and status of programs/projects
        • Progress and status of project deliverables
        • Start status and completed status of program/project activities
        • Budgeted versus committed costs
        • Budgeted versus actual incurred costs
        • Resource utilization detail
        • Standard procedures for changes, including change request, change evaluation/approval
        • Definition of change types and associated factors
        • Full document management capabilities – document check-in/check out, version control, archival of versions/changes, permission/access levels
        • Document packages and approvals for each workflow stage
        • Locally researched detailed unit price book organized using CSI Masterformat
        • All costs in UPB should not include profit/overhead and only detailed line item costs should be the basis for repair, renovation, or new construction project approvals versus, order of magnitude, conceptual, preliminary, square foot, or systems level costing.  Evaluating individual work items/activities and summing them for a project total is the most accurate form of estimating and also provides a clear communication of the required scope of work.

        Training and Change Management
        The combining of good people, processes, information, and enabling technology drives optimal outcomes.   Far too often training is overlooked and processes lack the requisite attention an focus of all parties involved.    Also, technology is sometimes improperly viewed as a solution, when is reality is it just a tool for embedding processes and helping to lower implementation, execution, and monitoring costs.

        LEAN construction services procurement and project delivery is dramatically different from traditional methods such as design-bid-build, design-build, etc.   Each of the following characteristics are shared by any form of LEAN construction delivery method, and not all owners, AEs, or builders may be capable of their adoption:

        • Required collaboration
        • Financial transparency
        • Shared risk/reward
        • Mutual trust/respect
        • Common information/data environment, including terms and definitions and a locally researched detailed UPB inclusive of modifiers and separate demolition line items.
        • Enabling technology
        • Required initial and ongoing training
        • Continuous improvement via monitoring and information sharing

        As detailed cost estimating is a critical component to improving construction outcomes, the following issues are noteworthy:

        • There is no substitute for experience when it comes to creating current, actionable detailed construction cost estimates.  Assure that owners and service providers are equally skilled in detailed line item estimating.
        • Historical performance is not a good predictor when it comes to construction estimating
        • Cost estimates are highly perishable.  At minimum cost estimates should be reviewed quarterly.
        • Estimating and pricing are not the same things.   The later includes the builders overhead, profit, and contingencies.
        • Schedule, performance, scope, value, and resources are controllable using detailed line item estimating as a baseline.
        • A time base or system-based WBS (work breakdown structure) should be supported by line item estimates.
        • Attempting to deploy Earned Value Management (EVM) or LEAN without line item estimating is foolhardy and will result in failure.

        Learn more….   www.4bt.us

          LEAN Construction

          The Simple Path to LEAN Construction and Efficient Project Delivery

          LEANConstructionRoadmap

          LEAN construction delivery saves time, money, and delivers quality on a consistent basis. Through a robust process, LEAN construction delivery assures early and ongoing collaboration, an environment of mutual respect and shared risk/reward.

          Furthermore a shared locally researched detailed line item unit price book clearly communicates work scope, while also providing full financial transparency.

          LEAN processes and all requisite tools and services are provided within the 4BT OpenJOC(TM) Solution to enable owners, AEs, and builders to save time and money through a reduction of waste and and substantial increase of efficiency.

          LEANJobOrderContracting

          Lean Construction Benefits

          1. Focus upon outcomes first
          2. Create processes needed to achieve goals
          3. Require collaboration, full transparency, as well as initial an ongoing training
          4. Leverage knowledge and experience of all participants and shareholders, especially those planning and doing the work
          5. Continuously monitor and improve

           

          Learn more about LEAN… The Simple Guide to LEAN Construction

          Contact us

          National Average Construction Cost Data

          Using National Average Construction Cost Data?

          Using National Average Construction Cost Data? Here are four (4) reasons why you might rethink your decision…
          1. Price Averaging: National average or reference construction cost data, even from “leading” suppliers are prepared using national price averages. They rely upon local cost indexes to adjust the national price average to local prices. This results in errors ranging form 30% too 300%+ due to variations in local labor, materials, and/or equipment.
          2. Poor Task Descriptions: Each detailed line item construction task should be easy to understand, using plain English, and not contain confusing acronyms or abbreviations.
          3. No Separate Demolition Line Items: Owners and service providers spend the bulk of their time and budget dealing with numerous repair and renovation tasks. It is critical to have separate demolition line times versus only having new construction or “repair and replace” line items only.
          4. Quantity or Means/Methods Discounts/Adds: Thirty (30%) percent to forty (40%) percent of most construction cost estimates lies in adds or deducts to the parent line item due to means/methods and/or quantities. Line items modifiers are adds or deducts to the associated parent line item.
          And that’s just for starters!
          Learn about the other six (6)!
          4 biggest facilities managment challenges

          JOC Unit Price Book

          Locally Researched Construction Cost Data is Critical

          Locally researched construction cost data is critical, especially detailed line item unit price cost information, for the following reasons:

          1. Financial Transparency – Only locally researched detailed line time unit price books (UPB) can deliver the actionable cost information required for public sector agencies to meet their fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers.  Locally researched UPBs use prevailing labor rates and material and equipment costs from local and regional suppliers as appropriate.   Line items for construction tasks specific to an organization can also be researched and used.   No other source provides locally researched detailed line item construction cost data using the 4BT OpenJOC(TM) approach and 5% rule.
          2. Clear Scope of Work – Detailed line time cost data delivers the requisite granularity to assure that ALL parties involved understand what is being repaired, renovation, or built and how… including owners, builders, A/Es, procurement, facilities management, and oversight groups.
          3. Best Value – Locally researched detailed UPBs, when combined with robust LEAN construction delivery methods and tools, such as the 4BT OpenJOC Solution, measurably improve quality, productivity, and overall satisfaction for all participants and stakeholders.

            4 biggest facilities managment challenges

          JOC Program Guide

          JOC Program Guide

          Building a successful and compliant JOC Program requires a focus upon LEAN construction procurement and delivery best management practices.

          Don’t be fooled by vendors that claim to be the largest, or most experienced source of JOC solutions.   Do your homework!

          GOAL

          The best JOC Solution is one that enables YOU, the real property owner, to be in complete control of your destiny., and to continuously monitor and improve your outcomes.

          NO EXCESSIVE JOC FEES

          There also should not be any excessive fees charged for your JOC Program based upon a percentage of JOC construction value… paid by you or your awarded JOC contractor(s).   All financial information should be fully transparent, current, and verifiable.

          TRAINING

          Focus should be upon initial and ongoing training.

          INDEPENDENCE

          Furthermore, under NO CIRCUMSTANCE, should a JOC Consultant be involved in approving JOC Projects or JOC work orders.

          AUDITS

          Each and every JOC Project and/or Work Order should be audited for JOC Program compliance by an independent third party.

          UNIT PRICE BOOKS

          The approved UNIT PRICE BOOK should be LOCALLY RESEARCHED and include line itme modifiers.  It should NOT be a national average price book with or without localization factors.  Furthermore UNIT PRICE BOOKS should NOT be updated annually using a generic economic index.   A UNIT PRICE BOOK should be fully researched for material, labor, and equipment annually (at a minimum).

          These are just a few importance considerations when developing or managing a JOC Program.

          Learn more….

          LEANConstructionRoadmap

          A successful JOC program begins with a sound development of strategies, goals, and associated processes.     Policies, procedures, tools, and workflows must be outcome-focused.   Prepared processes and procedures must be transparent and serve the mutual benefit of all participants and stakeholders.

          Our team, which includes JOC, cost data, and facilities capital planning professional with prior experience with the RS Means Company, LLC, The JOC Group, US Cost, and VFA, Inc. as well as hundreds of owners and thousands of contractors is here to serve you.  We can develop a comprehensive set of policies and procedures that are fully documented within a written JOC Operational Manual / JOC Execution Guide.   The tailored documentation will be designed to also be dynamic to assure continuous improved, and at a minimum include the following:

          • JOC Program Planning
          • JOC Program Procedures
          • JOC Program Compliance, including MBE/WBE and independent JOC audits of each Project/Task Order
          • Unit Price Book Development & Maintenance (locally researched and dynamic)
          • Enabling Collaborative Cloud Technology for JOC Program, Project, Proposal, Estimate, Document, Contractor, and Subcontractor Management

          The above will answer the following questions and/or address the following important aspects, and more!!!!

          How is a JOC Project defined, identified, documented, approved, tracked, executed, monitored, supplemented, closed-out?

          Who is involved in directly participating in a JOC Project and when?

          What are the required JOC Documents, Phases, Timelines, Approvals?

          Who is responsible for JOC Program compliance and how is it monitored?

          How often is the JOC Unit Price Book, UPB updated and how is the UPB updated?

          Are independent owner JOC estimates created and when?

          How are JOC Proposals reviewed?

           

          Guide to LEAN Construction

          The Simple Guide to LEAN Construction Delivery

          Open collaboration between real property project owners and service providers (architects, engineers, builders…)  throughout the life-cycle of assets, programs, and projects is a fundamental outcome of using the OpenJOC(TM) Collaborative Construction Delivery Platform.   

           

          Measurably improved facilities repair, renovation, and new construction outcomes can be commonplace if the skills and knowledge of all participants and stakeholders, acquired through years of work experience, is fully utilized.

          Information sharing is the fastest proven method to  enhance the skills and knowledge essential for successful program and project delivery.

          A complete, robust suite of tools and services is available to enable improved program and project planning and execution.

          Adopting LEAN construction delivery methodology improves productivity and quality, while reducing risk and waste.

          Learn more:  The Simple Guide to LEAN Construction Delivery  https://4bt.us/simple-guide-to-lean-construction/ #leanconstruction #projectplanning

           

          Footnote:  Schools in Arizona unfortunately apparently now must suffer and take a “low bid” approach to construction procurement.  Low bid and associated traditional design-bid-build have been a proven source of major waste throughout the architecture, engineering, and construction sector.  Arizona continues to struggle?  https://azcir.org/news/2018/05/14/arizona-upends-school-procurement-laws-in-effort-to-cool-cozy-relationships-with-builders/

          Job Order Contracting, LEAN Job Order Contracting

          LEAN Job Order Contracting – Today

          Job Order Contracting Best PracticesLean Integrated Project Delivery (Lean/IPD), and more specifically OpenJOC(TM) LEAN Job Order Contracting is a robust process and toolset that delivers significant and measurable benefits facilities and project owners, operators, and builders.

          Engaging all project participants in an early and on-going basis through a
          non-traditional, BEST VALUE partner selection and team forming process focused upon mutually beneficial, long-term relationships,  enables the entire value stream to be maximized for all.

          Learn more…  info@4bt.us

          Detailed, current, and actionable locally researched construction cost data combined with proven integrated project delivery processes increase productivity and delivery optimal outcomes.

          JOC Best Practices

          JOC Best Practices

          JOC Best Practices

          LEAN Job Order Contracting

          Job Order Contract best practices should be implemented when developing JOC Programs as well as creating JOC work orders, accepting JOC projects, and filings JOC notices of completion, etc.


          Learn more….

          JOC Best Practices
          LEAN Job Order Contracting Works

          How LEAN Job Order Contracting Works

          LEAN, Productive, Consistent Construction Delivery is NOT about “Tips and Tricks”

          Job Order Contracting Works in practice as well as in theory.   If your dealing with people that use “tips and tricks” , or “sticky notes” to deploy LEAN construction delivery methods, it may be time to rethink, relearn, and rebuild your process.  LEAN Job Order Contracting Works to integrate construction planning, procurement, project delivery and teams.

          How 4BT OpenJOC(TM) LEAN Job Order Contracting Works

          The 4BT OpenJOC Framework provides an integrated toolkit consisting of tools and ongoing support services to develop a culture and associated robust programmatic processes to develop, deploy, and manage a best value facilities construction procurement and delivery environment.   

          If you are currently like 95% of real property owners and facilities management professionals, it is difficult, if not impossible to efficiently manage deferred maintenance and address building user needs in a  timely and cost effective manner.  You are likely spending the bulk of your limited funds and time a “putting out fires”.

          We can help you be significantly more proactive and be less reactive… or more simply put…. be more efficient and gain the respect deserving of a steward of the built environment and being a facilities management professional.

          Integrate facilities project planning, procurement, and delivery with all you internal and external resources… 

          Job Order Contracting Works
          LEAN Job Order Contracting Works – Best Value Facilities Repair, Renovation, and Construction Procurement and Project Delivery

          Learn more at LEAN Construction in practice… not classroom theory..

          Ready to start?… contact us!

          Collaborative Construction

          Collaborative Contracting in Construction

          Collaborative Construction Contracting & LEAN Project Delivery

          Robust collaborative construction contracting and productive, on-demand LEAN project delivery is readily available in two forms; integrated project delivery (IPD), for major new construction, and Job Order Contracting (JOC), for repair, renovation, and minor new construction.

          In both cases, real property owners, facilities managers, users, and their service providers ( contractors, architects, engineers) are integrated into a single performance-based contract based upon proven LEAN construction procurement and delivery methodology.

          While some owners and service providers may not be ready to implement on-demand, on-time, and on-budget quality construction on on a consistent basis. For regulatory, cultural, or capability limitation, they are forced to continue the use of traditional procurement and project delivery methods. Methods such as design-bid-build, and even design-build, struggle with either being limited to lowest bidder, ad-hoc processes, or limited cooperation among all key participants and stakeholders. Thus, they are forced to continue their legacy of poor productivity, waste, and legal disputes.

          In a small, but growing number of cased, public sector governance and even some non-governmental organizations are moving to completely restructure both their contractual frameworks and day-to-day activities in factor of significantly improved facilities repair, renovation, and construction outcomes.

          While all implementations of IPD and JOC are not the same, fortunately all the tools and support services are available for owner and service providers that do their homeworks.

          Virtually any real property owner, builder, engineer, or architect, can begin to explore and implement IPD and JOC and their associated LEAN workflows today. All that is needed, in addition to the right tools and support, is the appropriate threshold of leadership and capability.

          Collaborative construction contracting and project delivery treats repair, renovation, and new construction as a ongoing process or program versus a single individual project. Focus is upon building long-term mutually relationships among complementary collaborative teams.

          The fundamental premise to any LEAN construction procurement and delivery method is that both owners and service partners want the best possible outcome and that each party brings unique strengths and capabilities to the table. While there is clearly owner leadership and oversight, mutual trust and shared risk/reward enable local decision-making by those actually performing the work. The goods news and the bad news is… participants MUST hold these beliefs, and implement a number of simple but important collaborative practices, to achieve significantly better overall outcomes.

          Fundamental aspects of LEAN collaborative construction…

          • Best value procurement
          • Financial transparency
          • Common data environment (example-locally researched unit price book organized via CSI MasterFormat)
          • Early and ongoing participation among all participants and stakeholders
          • Shared risk/reward
          • Mutual trust/respect
          • Require initial and ongoing training for all
          • Atmosphere support continuous improvement
          • Supporting collaborative technology
          • Clearly written collaborative multi-party, multi-year contract and inclusive operations manual/execution guide

          While the vast majority relationships between real property owners and service providers are adversarial and fraught with competing interests, there is no reason that the situation can’t be changed.

          Learn more….

          Contact us…

          • Get everyone involved in the project
          • Contractors must have the expertise specific to the project, location, and be able to drive optimal outcomes
          • Owners must demonstrate leadership and encourage… no require… specific behaviors that lead to better project outcomes
          • Contractors must be allowed to earn a reasonable profit
          • From concept through completion and beyond, collaborative, transparent must rule the day

          Uncategorized

          Job Order Contract Toolkit

          4BT OpenJOC(TM) Job Order Contracting Solution assures a Compliant, Best Value Job Order Contract

          The following are noted by a recent independent audit of a public sector Job Order Contract. Virtually all of the found issues can could easily have been mitigated with the use of an integrated Job Order Contracting Solution combined with appropriate training and management.

          (Source: Annual Audit Report – https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/Assets/ScottsdaleAZ/Auditor/Audit-Reports/2018+Reports/Selected+JOC+Construction+Contracts+-+HIGHLIGHTS+1804.pdf)

          ” WHAT WE FOUND JOC proposal evaluation phase cost controls should be improved.

          Negotiating the cost for individual projects is critical to ensuring the City receives quality work at a fair and reasonable price.

          We found:

          • Guidelines have not been established for evaluating and negotiating job order cost proposals, and subcontractor selection requirements were not enforced in the reviewed job order proposals.

          • Required approvals were not always obtained, and one reviewed project appeared to have been split to bypass the individual job order limit. Effective cost controls are needed during the project delivery phase. We found:

          • CPM staff did not compare subcontractors used to those submitted in the proposal. Also, required reviews and approvals were sometimes not obtained prior to submitting contractor pay requests for payment.

          • CPM was not effectively ensuring contractors provided required performance and payment bonds. Improved records retention practices and contract documentation can improve efficiency and consistency of contract administration. Creating documentation standards can ensure appropriate records retention and improve efficiency in locating documents. Some significant documents were not retained in the reviewed project files.

          WHAT WE RECOMMEND We recommend the CPM department:

          • Develop and enforce guidance or procedures for job order proposal evaluation, review and approval.

          • Ensure that all job order contract, adjustment and pay request reviews and approvals are obtained and documented. • Ensure the contractors maintain sufficient bond coverage.

          • Establish policies and procedures for the maintenance and retention of contract-related documents.

          Learn more…

          Additional Info:

          Best Management Practice JOC Workflow (Sample Only)

          Uncategorized

          Arizona continues to struggle with proper use of Job Order Contracting?

          Despite the ready availability of all the required tools, training, and information sets to set up and manage efficient and compliant Job Order Contracts for facilities repair, renovation, and minor new construction, some entities and even one State (Arizona) appear to still struggle.

          Selected JOC Construction Contracts, Audit No. 1804

          By Sharron Walker, city auditor, 480-312-7867

          June 27, 2018

          View Highlights (pdf)

          View Report (pdf)

          The audit of Selected Job Order Contract Construction Contracts was performed to review compliance with contract terms and evaluate the effectiveness of contract administration. Job order contracting (JOC), which uses individual job orders written against a “master” contract, is one method the City’s Capital Project Management (CPM) staff uses to procure construction services. 

          Auditors selected three JOC contracts and reviewed one construction project for each contract. Payments for these three JOC contracts totaled about $9.5 million in FY2016/17 and are estimated to total about $9.1 million in FY2017/18.

          Negotiating the cost for individual projects is critical to ensuring the City receives quality work at a fair and reasonable price. The audit found that cost controls should be improved in the proposal evaluation phase. Guidelines have not been established for evaluating and negotiating JOC proposals, and subcontractor selection requirements were not enforced. Further, some required project approvals were not obtained, and one reviewed project appeared to have been split to bypass the individual job order limit. 

          More effective cost controls are also needed during the project delivery phase. CPM staff did not compare the subcontractors used to those submitted in the proposal, and did not always ensure required reviews and approvals were obtained for contractor pay requests. Further, CPM did not effectively ensure the required performance and payment bonds were provided.

          As well, improved records retention practices and contract documentation can improve efficiency and consistency of contract administration. 

          The OpenJOC(TM) Job Order Contracting Framework adheres to Best Value, Best Management Practices

          Learn more…

          Uncategorized

          Job Order Contracting and Spreadsheets

          What every public sector real property owner, facilities manager, procurement professional, and construction contractor should know about Job Order Contracting and Spreadsheets,

          The Power of Collaboration, Partnership, and Current Actionable Information

          Simple fact list…

          1. Spreadsheets have serious limitations

          Few people truly understand spreadsheet function or their limitations. For example, spreadsheets lack basic database integrity and functionality.  They are chaotic, costly, and virtually impossible to interpret and manage real time.     Spreadsheets are also not designed to store files, annotations, conversations, documents, and related information, all of which are essential parts of repair, renovation, maintenance, or new construction project communication and collaboration.

          To be truly effective and productive, project schedules and information needs to be available to a wide range of users with varying technical skills.
          Using spreadsheets limits project access and insight to a small user community (or even a couple of people), with appropriate technical skills.

          2. Forget about collaborating!

          Relying on spreadsheets for project estimating and management eliminates any chances to effectively collaborate on project information. We’ve all experienced what happens when project information is emailed around and team members update different versions of the same document… confusion, waste, frustration, and project delays.   In short, using a spreadsheet for JOC is far more difficult for users than spreadsheets.

          3.  Lack of Compliance, Audit Capability, or Access/Change Management

          Spreadsheets don’t give teams commenting features and audit trails that are essential to tracking how information and processes change over time. This can become a big problem, especially when public funds are used and compliance is a necessity. Sure… Office 365 and Google Doc have some limited capabilities in these areas, however, they simply can’t handle LEAN workflow management and associated financial transparency and cost validation/verification.

          You can easily assure compliance on a purpose-built cloud platform, but not using a spreadsheet.

          4. It’s impossible to access updated project information.

          Management by spreadsheet is extremely disjointed. As spreadsheets are sent around to team members, users can’t control views, changes, etc. And who really knows how updated the schedule and plan truly is? Today, cloud applications let project managers and teams view their project data, issues, and tasks, via a range of views that suits their information and consumption needs. The better planning and workflow tools automatically enable changes in workflows and monitor updates and changes in information plans as they occur… in real time.

          5. There’s no spreadsheet model for program or project management.

          Job Order Contracting is a LEAN construction procurement and collaborative construction delivery framework that is program-based.  Workflows and participant interactions, combined with current, verifiable information are critical to quality, cost control, and project timelines.  Purpose-build cloud technology embeds LEAN construction processes and workflows, as well as locally researched dynamic detailed construction cost data. There have been no similar investments to improve spreadsheet information management or modeling. Are spreadsheet really a tool in which you want to invest your JOC Program’s or your organization’s success?

          6. Custom-made spreadsheet-based project management solutions are a costly time sink.

          When custom-made spreadsheet tools and processes are used, it’s human nature to invent workarounds or have individual user function creep.  The results are so-called “project management spreadsheets” that are part of a team’s home-grown project management process. There are generally multiple versions that perform differently and control over content is lost. These spreadsheet-based customized project management solutions are rarely worth their continued investment.

          Learn more?

          Uncategorized

          TASBO 2019 – School Construction Services

          The Power of Partnership

          School Construction Services

          Quality, On-Demand, On-Time, and On-Budget Repair, Renovation, & Minor New Construction

          Booth #414

          Visit Allied States Cooperative & 4BT at TASBO 2019, Booth #414, to learn about the innovative OpenJOC(TM) LEAN Job Order Contracting Construction Services available to schools and other ASC member organizations.

          Contact Us…

          Job Order Contracting Resources

          Job Order Contracting Resources

          A wide range of Job Order Contracting Resources are now available to enable any public sector facilities owners to consistently procure and deliver quality renovation, repair, and construction services on-demand, on-time, and on-budget.

          LEAN Job Order Contracting Resources

          LEARN MORE…

          Construction Services Procurement

          Shorten Repair, Renovation, and Minor New Construction Services Procurement Time by Two (2) to Six (6) Months or More!

          Shorten Repair, Renovation, and Minor New Construction Services Procurement Time by Two (2) to Six (6) Months or More!

          Learn more….

          Uncategorized

          History of Job Order Contracting

          The History of Job Order Contracting

          While early attempts to improve public procurement processes are noted to have begun in 1982 at the NATO Operations in Europe, it wasn’t until the U.S. Air Force refined the process (and called is SABER) that Job Order Contracting began to resemble the LEAN construction services procurement and delivery method it has become today.

          Job Order Contracting has evolved even further with the availability of LEAN Job Order Contracting Solutions such as the OpenJOC(TM), Job Order Contracting Toolkit.

          Public sector real property owners, with sufficient leadership and capability, can now easily deploy financially transparent, efficient, long-term facilities repair, renovation, and minor new construction programs in concert with their fiduciary responsibility.

          The follow list of core practices, tools, workflows, and data environments are all components of a LEAN Job Order Contracting approach, capable of enabling consistent delivery of numerous ongoing repair, renovation, and minor new construction projects, on-demand, on-time, and on-budget.

          • Required Collaboration
          • Shared Risk/Reward
          • Long-term, Mutually Beneficial Relationships between Owners and Construction Services Providers
          • Locally researched, detailed unit price cost data inclusive of line item modifiers
          • A written JOC Operations Manual / Execution Guide
          • Require Initial and Ongoing Training for ALL Participants and Stakeholders
          • Independent Compliance Audits of ALL JOC Projects
          • Monitoring of Key Performance Indicators
          • Continuous Improvement
          • Global Oversight, with reliance upon Local Expertise and Local Management
          • Full Financial and Technical Transparency
          • Supporting Collaborative Technology (Program, Project, Estimate, Document, Issue/Task Management, inclusive of Version Control, Dashboards, and appropriate Security Access)

          Learn more?

          Contact us?

          history of job order contracting
          OpenJOC(TM) LEAN Job Order Contracting Toolkit
          Facilities Management Silos

          Silos and Productivity Don’t Mix in the Construction Sector

          Silos aren’t for Facilities Management or Efficient Construction Services Procurement or Project Delivery

          There is a path to on-demand, quality, on-time, and on-budget facilities repair, renovation, and construction procurement and project delivery…. LEAN.

          While the AECOO Community (Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Operations, and Owner) has traditionally been mired in low productivity and waste,  the solution, LEAN Construction Procurement and Delivery, has been available for over thirty years.

          Today,… integrated tools, information sets, and services enable any real property owner and their AEC service providers to consistently deliver quality repair, renovation, maintenance, sustainability, and new construction projects on-time and on-budget and to everyone’s satisfaction.  All that is needed is for any real property owner to start the process… today!

          Contact us?

          Learn more first?

          Uncategorized

          Why Continue to Use Traditional Construction Services Procurement & Project Delivery

          Quality, On-Demand, On-Time, On-Budget Renovation, Repair, and Construction Services – First Time, Every Time!
          1. Collaboration
          2. Embedded, Locally Research Line Item Cost Data
          3. Document and Version Control
          4. Issue & Task Management
          5. Link to BIM data… and more!

          Tools for Better Outcomes
          www.4bt.us

          Uncategorized

          Spreadsheets and Efficient Facilities Repair, Renovation, and Construction Don’t Mix



          …. Why?
          If you want to work harder and be inefficient…stick with spreadsheets and traditional construction procurement and delivery methods.
          … If not, keep reading.

          Isn’t is time to virtually eliminate the errors associated spreadsheets and lack of collaboration?

          What if you could centralize your procurement and project cost data, collaborate, and make certain everyone was working on the correct version?

          Wouldn’t your organization benefit from embedded, detailed, verifiable, and LOCALLY RESEARCHED line item cost data?

          How great would it be to actually measure project delivery performance and continuously improve?

          Contact us to learn about the OpenJOC(TM) LEAN Job Order Contracting Solution.

          Consistently procure and delivery repair, renovation, and minor new construction projects on-time and on-budget!

          JOC Construction Services

          School Board Business Officers Better Serve Facilities Requirements with Innovative Tool Kit

          School Boards
          Save money & time on your Facilities Repair, Renovation, and Minor New Construction Projects…
          & better serve your mission.

          Posted on February 21, 2019peter.cholakis@verizon.netLeave a commentPosted in Uncategorized

          It is the responsibility of every public sector procurement and facilities management professional to optimally allocate limited repair, renovation, maintenance, sustainability, and new construction funds.

          To accomplish the above requires the implementation and consistent application of LEAN construction procurement and delivery methods in full compliance with applicable requirements.

          The 4BT OpenJOC(TM) Toolkit integrates robust, proven LEAN processes with locally researched cost data, support services, and fully secure and technology to enable public sector professionals to significantly improve construction services procurement and delivery outcomes.

          Here are just a few of the innovative and exclusive features of the 4BT OpenJOC Solution (TM).

          1. Instant access to data. The latest (and correct version) construction cost estimates, drawings, issues, or reports are instantly available. No searching through emails, files, or notes. Overall project delivery times reduced including critical path activities such as: •Requests for Proposals • Joint Site Visits • Contractor Detailed Estimate Creations • Estimate Reviews & Negotiations • Issuance of Notices to Proceed • Job Site Mobilization & Demobilization • Quality Control & Daily Inspections • Substantial Completion & Punch Lists • Warranties & Close out packages
          2. Standardize processes and reports across the agency/organization and among service providers. Owners, contractors, and oversite groups all use the same common data environment, forms, procedures, timelines, and technology: • Appropriate views and privileges assure everyone is speaking the same language. • Data is no longer being located in silos in individual apps.
          3. Locally researched detailed unit price cost data assures full financial transparency. Its important to understand that not all construction cost data is created equal. While “national average” cost books and associated “localization factors” have their role in conceptual estimating, there is little room for error in creating budget for and estimating actual renovation, repair, or construction projects. Having access into current and actionable cost data across projects, rather than just a single project, means owners and contractors can truly… • Prioritize projects and resources. • Monitor performance. • Schedule projects in stages for more efficient, value-added construction. • Valid subcontractor & contractor proposals. • Meet compliance regulations for financial transparency.
          4. Leverage key performance indicators to pinpoint issues and leverage successes. Having access and insight to detailed line item costs, project timelines, and spend rates allows public sector owner to gain full project visibility: • See which suppliers have had problems with either delivery or quality requirements. • Perform trend analysis to see which suppliers are top performers. • Avoid small mistakes turning into massive costs.
          5. Archive information and distribute required historical or current data, documents, or images to project stakeholders. All participants can access virtually any format of data and take a more proactive approach, based upon there assigned privileges: • Information and reports are available to anyone with access to the cloud and appropriate credentials. • The reports can be run enterprise-wide to give stakeholders greater visibility and insight rather than project-by-project. • All forms of documents, Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word/Excel, etc., and drawings, DWG, JPG, TIFF, PNG, RVT, etc., can be viewed. (…)
          6. User tasks and incident reporting. Appropriate forms can be accessed via computer, smart phone, and tablet to post tasks and incidents. Internal system notifications eliminate problems associated with email: • Appropriate workflows and sign offs can be incorporated. • Documents the incident reports with photos that can be immediately posted and time stamped. • Automatically updates any changes to forms enterprise wide.

            Additional White Papers / References: ASSET LIFE-CYCLE MODEL – Total Cost of Ownership Management – A framework for facilities life-cycle management. Building Information Modelling BIM in the Construction Industry – Technical Report TR-1405 BIM, LEAN Construction, and a Common Data Environment (CDE) – A strategic tool for sharing information and managing a team within a BIM / LEAN Construction Delivery environment. BIM, PROJECT DELIVERY METHODS, WASTE, & LACK OF LEADERSHIP – Traditional design-bid- build (DBB) contracting techniques, and even more recent attempts to improve DBB such as design-build (DB), CM@R, etc. should not be considered LEAN efficient construction delivery methods. COAA – Owners Perspective – BIM for FIM, BIFM – BIM for FM and a “Building Information Management Framework” – BIMF includes a laser sharp focus on integrated functional planning and cost metrics. The framework’s value for stakeholders includes: a) transformational change effected by a capital planning philosophy that emphasizes integration of professional practice; b) delivery models that emphasize lean construction practices; and, c) transparent standardized construction and facility operations data and taxonomies that contain cost by providing access to building information whether stored or linked to a building model. How to Select a JOC Unit Price Book – White Paper – Download – Select a JOC UPB – A JOC Unit Price Book, UPB is very important to the quality, integrity, productivity, and transparency of any Job Order Contract. JOB ORDER CONTRACTING – Overview & Best Management Practices – Job Order Contracting White Paper 2016801 – Job Order Contracting (JOC) is a competitively bid, firm-fixed price, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) LEAN construction delivery method.

            FOUR BT, LLC WWW.4BT.US INFO@4BT.US


            Innovative, Proven, Best Value Construction Services Procurement & Project Delivery

            Uncategorized

            Public Sector Facilities Stewardship & Fiduciary Responsibility

            We know you can’t currently fully accomplish the above. Isn’t it time you did?

            It is the responsibility of every public sector procurement and facilities management professional to optimally allocate limited repair, renovation, maintenance, sustainability, and new construction funds.

            To accomplish the above requires the implementation and consistent application of LEAN construction procurement and delivery methods in full compliance with applicable requirements.

            The 4BT OpenJOC(TM) Toolkit integrates robust, proven LEAN processes with locally researched cost data, support services, and fully secure and technology to enable public sector professionals to significantly improve construction services procurement and delivery outcomes.

            Here are just a few of the innovative and exclusive features of the 4BT OpenJOC Solution (TM).

            1. Instant access to data. The latest (and correct version) construction cost estimates, drawings, issues, or reports are instantly available. No searching through emails, files, or notes. Overall project delivery times reduced including critical path activities such as: •Requests for Proposals • Joint Site Visits • Contractor Detailed Estimate Creations • Estimate Reviews & Negotiations • Issuance of Notices to Proceed • Job Site Mobilization & Demobilization • Quality Control & Daily Inspections • Substantial Completion & Punch Lists • Warranties & Close out packages
            2. Standardize processes and reports across the agency/organization and among service providers. Owners, contractors, and oversite groups all use the same common data environment, forms, procedures, timelines, and technology: • Appropriate views and privileges assure everyone is speaking the same language. • Data is no longer being located in silos in individual apps.
            3. Locally researched detailed unit price cost data assures full financial transparency. Its important to understand that not all construction cost data is created equal. While “national average” cost books and associated “localization factors” have their role in conceptual estimating, there is little room for error in creating budget for and estimating actual renovation, repair, or construction projects. Having access into current and actionable cost data across projects, rather than just a single project, means owners and contractors can truly… • Prioritize projects and resources. • Monitor performance. • Schedule projects in stages for more efficient, value-added construction. • Valid subcontractor & contractor proposals. • Meet compliance regulations for financial transparency.
            4. Leverage key performance indicators to pinpoint issues and leverage successes. Having access and insight to detailed line item costs, project timelines, and spend rates allows public sector owner to gain full project visibility: • See which suppliers have had problems with either delivery or quality requirements. • Perform trend analysis to see which suppliers are top performers. • Avoid small mistakes turning into massive costs.
            5. Archive information and distribute required historical or current data, documents, or images to project stakeholders. All participants can access virtually any format of data and take a more proactive approach, based upon there assigned privileges: • Information and reports are available to anyone with access to the cloud and appropriate credentials. • The reports can be run enterprise-wide to give stakeholders greater visibility and insight rather than project-by-project. • All forms of documents, Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word/Excel, etc., and drawings, DWG, JPG, TIFF, PNG, RVT, etc., can be viewed. (…)
            6. User tasks and incident reporting. Appropriate forms can be accessed via computer, smart phone, and tablet to post tasks and incidents. Internal system notifications eliminate problems associated with email: • Appropriate workflows and sign offs can be incorporated. • Documents the incident reports with photos that can be immediately posted and time stamped. • Automatically updates any changes to forms enterprise wide.

            Additional White Papers / References: ASSET LIFE-CYCLE MODEL – Total Cost of Ownership Management – A framework for facilities life-cycle management. Building Information Modelling BIM in the Construction Industry – Technical Report TR-1405 BIM, LEAN Construction, and a Common Data Environment (CDE) – A strategic tool for sharing information and managing a team within a BIM / LEAN Construction Delivery environment. BIM, PROJECT DELIVERY METHODS, WASTE, & LACK OF LEADERSHIP – Traditional design-bid- build (DBB) contracting techniques, and even more recent attempts to improve DBB such as design-build (DB), CM@R, etc. should not be considered LEAN efficient construction delivery methods. COAA – Owners Perspective – BIM for FIM, BIFM – BIM for FM and a “Building Information Management Framework” – BIMF includes a laser sharp focus on integrated functional planning and cost metrics. The framework’s value for stakeholders includes: a) transformational change effected by a capital planning philosophy that emphasizes integration of professional practice; b) delivery models that emphasize lean construction practices; and, c) transparent standardized construction and facility operations data and taxonomies that contain cost by providing access to building information whether stored or linked to a building model. How to Select a JOC Unit Price Book – White Paper – Download – Select a JOC UPB – A JOC Unit Price Book, UPB is very important to the quality, integrity, productivity, and transparency of any Job Order Contract. JOB ORDER CONTRACTING – Overview & Best Management Practices – Job Order Contracting White Paper 2016801 – Job Order Contracting (JOC) is a competitively bid, firm-fixed price, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) LEAN construction delivery method.

            FOUR BT, LLC WWW.4BT.US INFO@4BT.US

            LEAN Construction Toolkit

            LEAN Construction Project Delivery Toolkit

            LEAN Construction Project Delivery


            Any real public sector real property owner can efficiently and consistently procure and execute quality repair, renovation, and construction projects using the appropriate processes and tools. It’s not hard….really!


            Leveraging robust LEAN collaborative project delivery methods…with a proven track records spanning decades… allows schools, government agencies, and other not-for-profit institutions to achieve BEST VALUE, COMPLIANT, FULLY FINANCIAL TRANSPARENT construction outcomes as well as….

            Better plan and allocate resources for the numbers and ongoing facilities repair, renovation, maintenance, sustainability, and construction projects,

            Prepare detailed task-based construction cost estimate costs and thus maximize the use of scare resources,

            Monitor resources, schedule, and costs,

            Identify and measure cost variances and earned value management,

            Monitor and control projects globally, while fully leveraging local expertise, and

            Control project performance factors .

              Uncategorized

              TASBO Best Value Construction Services Procurement and Delivery

              TASBO Best Value Construction Service Procurement and Delivery
              Learn @ Booth #414

              School business officials, visit us at Booth # 414 to learn about our BEST VALUE Construction Services Procurement and Project Delivery solution. Consistently achieve quality on-demand, on-time, and on-budget construction services from local construction professionals in full compliance with local and EDGAR requirements….. without any excessive fees or delays.

              Enjoy working with Allied States Cooperative, a national governmental purchasing cooperative which competitively bids and awards contracts to local, regional, and national vendors in compliance with local, state, and federal procurement laws and regulations. Contracts are available to public schools, charter schools, private schools, community colleges, universities, cities, counties, other governmental agencies, and non-profits. No fees are charged to the – Allied States Cooperative members.

              Enter 2019 with the security and support of a proven source for efficient construction service. Learn more…. About JOC… About ASC, Allied States Construction Services.

              BEST VALUE Innovative LEAN JOC Construction Services Procurement and Project Delivery


              2019 TASBO Annual Conference | March 4 – 8, 2019 | San Antonio

              Construction Teamwork

              Consistently procure & deliver BEST VALUE, financial transparent, and compliant facilities repair, renovation, and construction services.


              Teamwork is the ultimate tool for success. Owners and Contractors work together seamlessly for maximum results.

              Gain a greater understanding of your facilities project requirements and costs.

              Create a rich environment that benefits your team, your organization, clients, and external construction services organizations.

              Perform at the highest possible level.

              OpenJOC(TM)
              LEAN Job Order Contracting
              Framework

                Guide your organization to help achieve measurable productivity gains with respect to facilities repair, renovation, and construction.

                Implement proven solutions that consistently deliver BEST VALUE, financial visibility/transparency, and compliance.

                Uncategorized

                Lean Construction Delivery

                Does Your Organization have what it takes to adopt LEAN Construction Delivery?

                Any organization can implement LEAN Job Order Contracting via the OpenJOC(TM) Framework if it’s ready. Consistent procurement and delivery of quality, on-demand, on-time, and on-budget facilities repair, renovation, and minor new construction is ready and waiting.

                Are you ready?

                  Uncategorized

                  Tradition project delivery suffers from communication inefficiencies and poor performance due to adversarial relationships.

                  LEAN OpenJOC(TM) Project Devliver changes the conventional relationships of contracting parties through integration and collaboration

                  On-Demand, Quality, On-Budget & On-Time Construction Services

                  www.4bt.us

                  Move from contractually siloed construction procurement and delivery methods to multi-party agreements and commitments that support a culture of continuous collaboration with aligned goals and joint project management, form concept through completion and beyond!

                  Uncategorized

                  Job Order Contracting Done Right!

                  • Improved access to quality, dependable and professional construction contractors.

                  • Construction cost consistency, & transparency.

                  • Validate contractor and subcontractor quotes.

                  • Achieve outcomes aligned with the fiduciary responsibility of public servants.

                  www.4bt.us

                  Uncategorized






                  Teamwork Drives Construction Productivity

                  The full engagement of everyone on a repair, renovation, or new construction activity dramatically improves quality, satisfaction, and productivity.

                  Leveraging robust LEAN construction delivery methods, such as the 4BT OpenJOC(TM) Job Order Contracting Framework, is a proven way to assure mutually beneficial behaviors and outcomes.

                  Lean construction, the most well known implementations being Integrated Project Delivery, and Job Order Contracting, leverage a set of management principles, operations strategies, work methodologies, and workflows.

                  LEAN combines an understanding of human behaviors with a fundamental requirement for early and ongoing collaboration and mutual respect, trust, and mutual risk/reward for all participants and stakeholders.

                  Sustained focus and enthusiasm for both continuously improved outcomes an associated innovations is achieved through quality leadership in lieu of traditional command and control management practices.

                  The application and nuturing of team building skills, fundamentally rooted in human nature, can be consistently created and deployed across construction project teams. This is accomplished through phases and the leveraging of training, tools, and services that are designed to support LEAN construction (see figure below).

                  If it’s time your organization consistently achieved on-demand, quality, and on-budget, on-time construction delivery, contact us.

                  Job Order Contracting Solution

                  The Innovative OpenJOC(TM) Job Order Contracting Solution
                  •  Accountability •  Ethics •  Impartiality •  Professionalism •  Service •  Transparency

                  Finally, a Job Order Contracting Solution focused upon serving YOUR needs.

                  • Reduce the impact of agency staff and budget cuts.
                  •  Save time and money
                  • Develop long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with service-oriented, collaborative construction contractors
                  • Avoid excessive JOC administrative costs
                  • Improve building user satisfaction
                  • Efficiently address deferred maintenance
                  • Consistently implement LEAN procurement & construction delivery processes

                  Everything your organization needs to consistently achieve quality, on-demand, on-time, and on-budget repair, renovation, maintenance, sustainability, and minor new construction services.

                  Learn more….

                  Uncategorized

                  Considering a JOC Program?
                  Do your homework!
                  Or….

                  Job Order Contracting is a LEAN procurement and project delivery method for facilities repair, renovation, and minor new construction. It can deliver major benefits, but only if fundamental LEAN processes are adhered to and the real property owner actively participates and provides leadership.

                  The OpenJOC(TM) Job Order Contracting System embeds LEAN processes and can consistently deliver quality facilities repair, renovation, and minor new construction On-demand, On-Time, and On-Budget, with the lowest administrative costs available.

                  Benefits to Facilities Managers
                  Maximize use of limited funds and efficiency of current staffing
                  Effectively reduce deferred maintenance
                  Access construction services without traditional procurement delays
                  Develop collaborative relationships with procurement team and contractors
                  Leverage defensible cost information
                  Eliminate inadequate/inaccurate project scoping
                  Access domain-specific, locally-based expertise
                  Benefits to Procurement Professionals
                  EDGAR Compliant* *ASC, Allied States Cooperative
                  Full financial transparency and visibility
                  Program Compliance
                  Collaborative relationship with facilities management and contractors
                  Full audit trail
                  General Benefits
                  Consistently procure and deliver quality construction services… on-demand, on-time, on-budget, and in full compliance.
                  Improved satisfaction of building users
                  Regulatory compliance
                  Best value procurement
                  Faster project procurement and delivery times
                  Virtual elimination of legal disputes and change orders
                  Adherence to LEAN construction delivery methods and processes
                  Continuous improvement
                  Key performance indicators / metrics
                  Full audit trail
                  Selection of vetted quality and service oriented construction contractor
                  Lowest administrative time/overhead & implementation costs
                  Only unit price book that is locally researched and updated quarterly
                  Mutually beneficial relationships for ALL parties involved
                  Common set of industry standard terms, definitions, and data architectures
                  Focus upon outcomes
                  Clear roles, responsibilities, and expectations
                  No “red-tape” and complexity commonly associated with facilities construction and repair/renovation services
                  Mitigated risk and variance
                  Cloud-based Technology that fully supports – Program, Project, Estimate, Document, Contractor, Subcontractor, Work Flow Management and BIM.
                  Selecting a Job Order Contracting Cooperative

                  Selecting a Job Order Contracting Cooperative

                  Best Value JOC Cooperatives MATTER

                  On-demand, On-Time, On-Budget, Repair-Renovation & Minor New Construction

                  The innovative Allied States Cooperative  (ASC) exclusively provides job-order-on-call-contracting support services via a nationwide cooperative to Educational Institutions, Municipalities, State and Federal Governments, and not-for-profit organizations using BEST VALUE, LEAN Job Order Contracting via the 4BT OpenJOC(TM) Solution.

                  Public Sector Facilities Management Practices require the following in order to meet fiduciary responsibility… and procure and deliver best value facilities repair, renovation, and construction projects.

                  • Full financial transparency including EDGAR compliance.
                  • Cooperative ownership and management by a Government Agency versus a for-profit, or other form of private entity.
                  • Lowest possible implementation costs while maintaining value
                  • Faster completion times & flexible project scheduling
                  • Comprehensive LOCALLY RESEARCHED  unit price books (UPB) including labor, material, equipment, and crew details, separate demolition line items, and individual line item modifiers.
                  • Approved, vetted, local, fully-trained, responsive service-oriented JOC construction contractors
                  • Collaborative, non-adversarial approach
                  • Efficient way to reduced deferred maintenance backlog
                  • Each project audited for JOC Program compliance

                  Learn more….

                  Who is using Job Order On Call Contracting Today?

                  • Colleges & Universities
                  • K-12 Public Schools
                  • Multi-Facility Organizations
                  • Municipalities
                  • County Governments
                  • Charter Schools
                  • State Agencies
                  • Airports
                  • Mass Transit
                  • Federal Agencies
                  • National Laboratories
                  • DOD
                  • Federal Government
                  • Healthcare Facilities
                  • Not-for-profit Organizations

                  Uncategorized

                  Architects are the barrier to LEAN Construction Delivery &
                  Improving Productivity?

                  Robust LEAN construction delivery methods, tools, and services have existed for decades. For example, Integrated Project Delivery and Job Order Contracting can both consistently delivery quality projects on-time and on-budget 90% of the time… versus the current industry average of 20%.

                  So are architects to blame for the lack of adoption of these proven methods? I don’t think so. I personally believe owners pay the bills, thus the buck stops there. We need improved owner leadership and competency.

                  Regards, take a look at the below chart from a published paper (Abdirad, H., & Monson, C. (2016). Investigating Perceptions of The Architects’ Role in Integrated Practices. Paper presented at the 104th Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) Annual Meeting, Seattle.).

                  If accurate, the attitude of at least the architects surveyed certainly presented issues worthy of further investigation.

                  Architects Views of Integrated Project Delivery?
                  Performance-based Procurement & Project Delivery for Facilities Repair

                  Performance-based Procurement & Project Delivery for Facilities Repair, Renovation, and More!

                  Or work smarter.
                  Your choice.

                  Performance-based Procurement & Project Delivery requires changing how owner, architecture, engineer, and builder relationships are structured.

                  Sharing risks and rewards through integration and collaboration throughout the project life-cycle, from concept through completion and beyond delivers major gains in quality, productivity, and overall satisfaction.

                  Proven implementation methods and tools have existed for decades, and most recently have evolved to now provide low cost and consistent implementation.

                  Integrated project delivery, IPD, for major new construction, and Job Order Contracting, JOC, for repair, renovation,, and minor new construction are two of the most widely known and used collaborative, LEAN implementation methods.

                  That said, not all implementations or tools for IPD and JOC are the same. Owners should thoroughly evaluate their requirements and assure a match with products and services available.

                  Owner value can only be increased if financial and technical knowledge and risks are shared with the parties doing the work. This is a fundamental component of any LEAN process and deployments of IPD and JOC that maintain LEAN’s core requirements.

                  The innovative 4BT OpenJOC(TM) Job Order Contracting Solution, introduced in 2017, is an example of a suite of tools and services that enables owners to cost-effectively and consistently deploy LEAN procurement and construction delivery and achieve resultant benefits.

                  Means and methods of team communications, owner leadership and requisite level of direct involvement, roles and responsibilities, workflows, documentation… are all provided within the 4BT OpenJOC Solution.

                  Improving project cost, schedule, and quality, through integration of people, systems, and business practices, leveraging enabling technology which embeds and reinforces work methods, and eliminating adversarial relationships via collaborative engagement of all project participants are all aspects of LEAN construction.

                  A common data environment, in terms of a shared set of terms, definitions, and locally researched detailed line item construction cost data are also key elements of any robust LEAN construction delivery approach.

                  performance-based procurement of construction services
                  LEARN MORE>>>>

                  www.4bt.us

                   

                   

                   

                  Uncategorized

                  LEAN Performance-based Construction Services Procurement and Project Delivery

                  LEAN Performance-based Construction Services Procurement and Project Delivery

                  Consistently Deliver Quality Repair, Renovation, and Minor New Construction Projects On-Time & On-Budget!

                  NOVEMBER 27, 2018

                  Traditional procurement and construction delivery methods commonly produce poor outcomes.

                  The integration of best value procurement with collaborative LEAN construction delivery, as in the case of the 4BT OpenJOC Job Order Contracting Solution(TM), consistently provides significantly improve outcomes for owners, builders, and facilities users.

                  Performance-based procurement and construction delivery mitigate the factors below, which are ever-present with design-bid-build:

                  1. Potential for Error: Using spreadsheets (9 in 10 spreadsheets contain errors), lump sump estimates, ad hoc and/or late information sharing, and failure to use standardized current and detailed information all contribute to error.
                  2. ‘Ad hoc’ Methods Assuring that all roles, responsibilities, and processes are understood and consistently implemented drives efficiency. Lack of repeatable processes and standardized, centralized, information increased variation and introduces multiple time-consuming consequences
                  3. Inflexibility: LEAN processes assure a “Pull Strategy”. Simply put, the focus is upon the customer and the desired outcome, with input required of people actually doing the work throughout the process…from concept through completion and beyond! Rigid political hierarchy is put aside.
                  4. Improper Technology Focus: Technology is an enabler and not a driver. Far too often, technology is “force-fit” into a process and actually creates problems. Technology should be purpose-built. For example, a Job Order Contracting cloud-based system that embeds the accepted workflows, locally researched construction cost data, and assures everyone access of current actionable information contributes to project quality and efficiency. Appropriate Program, Project, Estimate, Document, and Workflow Management are equally important technology attributes.
                  5. Inadequate Training & Leadership: While LEAN processes are far from complex, they do require significant change management. Most real property owners are not familiar with how to work with service providers in an open, collaborative, and transparent manner. Many services providers are equally unfamiliar with working together in a mutually beneficial manner. Initial and ongoing training must be mandatory for all participants.
                  6. Lack of Oversight: “Trust but measure” is directly associated with LEAN processes, as it “you can’t manage what you don’t measure”. Simply put, processes and technology must assure a clear audit trail. Improvement in any process is impossible without have a baseline and associated metrics.

                  Learn how every public sector real property owner can improve construction services procurement and project delivery!

                  Uncategorized

                  Best Value Job Order Contracting Construction Services Come to Southern California


                  Congratulations to the following contractors for their recent award of CONTRACT #19-7320 – Job Order Contracting & Facilities Construction Services-Southern California by the Allied States Cooperative!

                  AWARDED JOC CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS

                  ACCO Engineered Systems 
                  Attn: Jacob Guy
                  6265 San Fernando Road Glendale, CA 91201      
                  P:(310) 341-8233 
                  jguy@accoservice.com  / www.accoes.com

                  Angeles Contractor, Inc
                  Attn: Young Kang
                  783 Phillips Drive Glendale, City of Industry, CA 91748   
                  P:(626) 923-3800 
                  ywkang@angelescontractor.com / www.angelescontractor.com

                  Harry H Joh Construction Inc 
                  Attn: Jason Yi
                  7303 Somerset Blvd Paramount, CA 90723       
                  P:(562) 630-3348
                  harry@hjconst.com / 

                  MIK Construction Inc
                  Attn: Billy Kim 
                  8022 Westman Avenue Whittier, CA 90606 
                  P:(562) 630-3348
                  billykim@mikinc.us / www.mikinc.us  

                  MTM Construction, Inc 
                  Attn: Howard Lee or John Moon
                  16035 Phoenix Dr. City of Industry, CA 91745 
                  P:(626) 934-1112
                  howardlee@mtminc.us / www.mtmconstruction.com

                  Vincor Construction, Inc.
                  Attn: John Kang 
                  2651 Saturn Street Brea, CA 92821 
                  P:(714) 528-2900 
                  john@vincorinc.com / www.vincorinc.com

                  INNOVATIVE LEAN 4BT OpenJOC™ Tools & Services

                  The 4BT OpenJOC™ UPB shall be used for the area in which work is being performed.   There are twelve (12) designated zones for Southern California and the same number of UPBs. Members and Vendors shall use the appropriate  Zone UPB in which the work is being performed.  A corresponding Regular Working Hours and Non-Regular Working Hours coefficient is provided by the Vendor (JOC Contractor).   

                  Associated classroom-based training is also provided and required of all awarded JOC contractors.  Training, 4BT UPB, and associated cloud-software must be purchased by all vendors upon contract award and appropriately updated.

                  info@4bt.us – www.4bt.us
                  Uncategorized

                  Optimize Your Facilities Construction Project Procurement & Delivery Process

                  It’s now possible for any public sector real property owner to measurably improve construction project efficiency and satisfaction using 4BT’s innovative OpenJOC(TM) LEAN Job Order Contracting Solution

                  Assuring productive, timely, and quality delivery of your facilities portfolio’s numerous repair, renovation, maintenance, and minor new construction needs a disciplined process that helps your organization optimize investments. This requires some major process changes and an associated set of new capabilities and tools…

                  • Current and actionable, locally researched , and transparent detailed line item construction data (National average commercial cost data, with or without localization factors is great for general reference, not appropriate for developing actual cost requirements.)
                  • An organizational view and method of addressing needs rather than independent and unrelated projects. (4BT’s OpenJOC Job Order Contracting Solution is a program, not a project.) Move from a lack of sustained construction services procurement and project management leadership and policy, and a lack of decision-making authority delegated to those doing the work.
                  • Observance of LEAN best management practices: Best value procurement, Collaboration, Mutually beneficial long-term relationships with contractors, AEs, etc., Share risk/reward, financial and technical transparency, Common terms, definitions, and data structures, Required initial and ongoing multi-format, multi-level training, Continuous improvement, Mutual trust and respect.
                  • Establish a facilities and physical infrastructure sustainment program baseline, implement key enablers of sustainment, elevate sustainment to equal standing with new construction procurement, and improve the focus upon maximizing safety, function, and operational efficiency of existing structures.

                  Step One: Acknowledge the problem. Understand that traditional construction procurement and delivery methods (design-bid-build, design-build, CM@R, …) suffers from processes and procedures that are obsolete, redundant, or unnecessary and can’t efficiently deliver your ongoing numerous repair, renovation, or sustainability requirements.

                  Learn more…. www.4bt.us

                  Uncategorized

                  America’s Federal Buildings and Physical Infrastructure

                  Key FY 2017 Statistics

                  • Total buildings: 127,416
                  • Total square footage of buildings: 1.2 billion square feet
                  • Total structures: 191,883
                  • Total land acreage: 9.3 million acres
                  • $16.5 Billion – Annual Operation Costs
                  • $7.92 – Average O&M Costs per Square Foot
                  • $27.49 – Average Lease Costs per Square Foot

                  I first started working with public facilities and physical infrastructure capital planning and management decades ago. At the time, the federal sector portfolio (as well as education, state/county/local government), etc. was crumbling under the weight of deferred maintenance and poor management. Little has changed over the subsequent decades.

                  Reports, such as ASCE’s Failure to Act: Closing the Infrastructure Investment Gap for America’s Economic Future, give the Federal Sector a D+ average grade for managing structures associated with surface transportation, water and wastewater, electricity, airports, inland waterways and marine ports infrastructure.

                  Some “experts” point to lack of funding, while other highlight the waste caused by bureaucratic ineptness. The truth is likely that both are to blame.

                  Managing the numerous repair, renovation, maintenance, sustainability, and construction projects required for any building or asset portfolio is a daunting task. It requires leadership as well as technical and business process competency. 

                  While LEAN construction procurement and delivery methods (such as job order contracting and integrated project level) have existed for decades than can consistently assure on-demand, on-time, and on-budget quality outcomes, many if not most federal departments and agencies have yet to require proper implementation at an organizational and/or enterprise level.

                  As an individual, you might say…so what… this doesn’t affect me. On the contrary, it costs the average American household $3,400 each year. The cost comes in the form of auto repairs, lost productivity, and other factors caused by poor physical infrastructure.

                  The General Services Administration (GSA) maintains the Federal Government’s database of all real property under the custody or control of executive branch agencies, except for property excluded for reasons of national security. This database is known as the Federal Real Property Profile Management System (FRPP MS).

                  Note: Owned and otherwise managed annual operating and maintenance costs consist of the following: recurring maintenance and repair costs; utilities (includes plant operation and purchase of energy); cleaning and/or janitorial costs (includes pest control, refuse collection, and disposal including recycling operations); and roads/grounds expenses (includes grounds maintenance, landscaping, and snow and ice removal from roads, piers, and airfields). Lease costs for leased assets are comprised of two sub elements:  lease annual rent to lessor and lease annual operating and maintenance costs.  Agencies provide full year costs.

                  According to the Government Accountability Office, the GSA owns and leases over 376.9 million square feet of space in 9,600 buildings in more than 2,200 communities nationwide. In addition to office buildings, GSA properties including land ports of entry, courthouses,laboratories,, post offices, and, data processing centers. As a result, the impact of lack of proper funding and management at the GSA presents staggering liabilities.

                  Then there is the matter of security. Here also, the GSA and other Federal real property owners are behind. A GAO report highlighted several small steps OMB and GSA has taken to promote compliance across the agencies.

                  Since 2003, federal real property was noted as “high risk” by the GAO. Since that time, “federal agencies continue to face long-standing challenges in several areas of real property management, including: (1) disposing of excess and underutilized property effectively, (2) relying too heavily on leasing, (3) collecting reliable real property data to support decision making, and (4) protecting federal facilities.” (GAO High Risk Report – Managing Federal Real Property)

                  federal real property statistics
                  LEAN Construction Services Procurement and Delivery

                  LEAN Construction Services Procurement and Delivery

                  Efficient & Quality Construction Services Procurement and Delivery should not be this hard!

                  We all know what can go terribly wrong with traditional construction procurement and delivery processes… lack of financial visibility, poor work scope definition, quality issues, legal disputes… in short, poor outcomes tend to be the norm.

                  Proven methods have existed for decades to assure measurably improved construction outcomes, yet have not always been implemented properly (see audits). 

                  4BT’s exclusive, innovative LEAN OpenJOC Job Order Contracting process in now available to enable any real property owner to adopt and deploy efficient construction procurement and construction delivery, simply, consistently, and cost-effectively.

                  Our approach is to treat all participants and stakeholders (owners, procurement, operations, contractors, subcontractors) with respect, provide a easy platform for the development of long-term mutually beneficial outcomes.

                  Best value procurement, Focus upon outcomes, Full financial and technical transparency (locally researched unit price book), Mutual trust/respect, Metrics/key performance indicators, Continuous improvement, Shared risk/reward, Written process-based Operations Manual/Execution Guide as part of contract, Long term relationships with local service providers, Enabling collaborative technology (full program, contract, project, estimate, document, and issues management), Mandatory initial and ongoing training for all participants and stakeholders, Organizational commitment to change management

                  Learn… Share… Excel…have FUN!

                  Uncategorized

                  BEST VALUE Construction Procurement and Project Delivery

                  Easy, Efficient Procurement Process
                  Faster Project Delivery
                  Fixed Price
                  Full Cost Transparency
                  On-Demand
                  Superior Quality
                  Proven

                  The exclusive Four BT OpenJOC(TM) LEAN Job Order Contracting Framework of training, locally researched construction cost data, professional support, proven and robust process/workflow, and enabling collaborative technology can support any owner’s facilities repair, renovation, and minor new construction requirements.

                  Isn’t it time you made the change?

                  Begin you journey toward measurably improve construction outcomes.

                  Learn more….

                  Uncategorized

                  Construction Services Procurement Best Management Practices

                  Construction services procurement best management practices focus upon collaboration and change management. LEAN alliance contracts such as Integrated Project Delivery, IPD (for major new construction), and Job Order Contracting, JOC (for repair, renovation, maintenance, sustainability, and minor new construction) has a proven track record demonstrating the positive impact of mutually beneficial procurement and contracting practices.

                  While we all know what can go terribly wrong if there is lack of financial and technical visibility, quality issues, and/or lack of a mutually understood defined project scope early in the process, many are unaware that solutions have existed for over thirty (30) years.

                  Solution – The owner is central and leads the facilities/built-environment stewardship process by defining long-term value and developing process-based, well-defined collaborative long-term relationships with service providers (architects, engineers, contractors) and “building” users. These relationship are DIRECTLY between service providers and owners, without intermediate “consultants”. (Consultant or integrators do have a role in terms of training, auditing, supplying tools, structured data, etc.)

                  The following are all resident within a LEAN construction alliance contract and/or integrated LEAN collaborative construction procurement and project delivery method.

                  Learn…. Do Your Homework… Share…. Excel!

                  • Best value procurement
                  • Focus upon outcomes
                  • Full financial and technical transparency (locally researched unit price book)
                  • Mutual trust/respect
                  • Metrics/key performance indicators
                  • Continuous improvement
                  • Shared risk/reward
                  • Written process-based Operations Manual/Execution Guide as part of contract
                  • Long term relationships with local service providers
                  • Enabling collaborative technology (full program, contract, project, estimate, document, and issues management)
                  • Mandatory initial and ongoing training for all participants and stakeholders
                  • Organizational commitment to change management

                  Do your homework and learn more… Share… Excel!

                  WWW.4BT.US – Four BT, LLC enables organizations to drive measurably improved facilities repair, renovation, and construction outcomes.

                  Construction Services Procurement Best Management Practices

                  LEAN Construction, LEAN Construction Managment


                  LEAN Construction

                  Creating a Culture of Collaboration
                  & Maximizing Value



                  Creating a Culture of Collaboration is the Key to Better Outcomes
                  When a real property owner displays leadership and adopts a more open, collaborative model by assuring early information sharing among all participants and stakeholders, incentivizing via shared risk/reward, and providing technical and cost transparency via a locally researched unit price book, they are creating a culture change. A culture change capable of leveraging robust LEAN collaborative construction services procurement and delivery methods.

                  Two such LEAN methods, with proven track records of over thirty (30) years are Integrated Project Delivery, for major new construction, and Job Order Contracting, JOC, for repair, renovation, maintenance, sustainability, and minor new construction. Both consistently deliver quality, on-time, and on-budget projects in lieu of the industry status quo of waste and discord.

                  It’s important to understand that culture change is a journey. One with multiple waypoints. In the case of Job Order Contracting, for example, a real property owners might first begin to leverage the process via a Cooperative Services Organization that provides access to LEAN construction services. For owners that what to set up their own internal Job Order Contracting Program, the use of a facilitator, such a a JOC Consultant to help the understand and develop requirements may be appropriate. In the latter case, however, it is critical the the JOC Consultant not “manage” the JOC Program. The role of a JOC Consultant should remain that of mentor/coach. The direct interaction between owner and contractors can not be “filtered” when LEAN is involved.

                  For owners that what to set up their own internal Job Order Contracting Program, the use of a facilitator, such a a JOC Consultant to help the understand and develop requirements may be appropriate. In the latter case, however, it is critical the the JOC Consultant not “manage” the JOC Program. The role of a JOC Consultant should remain that of mentor/coach. The direct interaction between owner and contractors can not be “filtered” when LEAN is involved.

                  LEAN procurement and construction delivery methods significantly change behaviors and continuous improvement is a hallmark. JOC, for example, take more than simply implementing a few best management practices. JOC is fundamental change in how people treat each other. Mutual trust and respect is a given. Seeking information from all parties, especially those that actually do the work is a daily activity. Results gradually improve as teams relearn how to work together on subsequent projects and continue to improve. 

                  Once internal and external teams adopt the behaviors associated with LEAN procurement and construction delivery methods, the result is lower costs, higher efficiency, and smoother workflows.

                  Organizations that are willing to make the commitment to try new things and follow through succeed in the evolution to LEAN.

                  LEAN Construction

                  Learn more…

                  collaborative project delivery

                  Collaborative Project Delivery Increases Efficiency and Cuts Design/Construction Costs

                  Any real property owner and their service providers can leverage collaborative project delivery to increase efficiency and reduce design, construction, and life-cycle costs.

                  collaborative construction project delivery

                  collaborative construction project delivery

                  Learn more…

                  collaborative construction delivery, Uncategorized

                  Collaborative Construction Delivery

                  FUN Partnering

                  Collaborative construction delivery… 1.) assures that you consistently define project requirements with detailed, flexible and up to date construction task information (inclusive of locally researched cost line time unit price data with labor, material, and equipment details), and 2.) provides support for both owner and service provider  project teams.

                  The OpenJOC(TM) LEAN Job Order Contracting Solution enhances owner and contractor ability to collaborate, assures a common and detailed scope of work, delivers complete financial transparency and both compliance and accountability.

                  See how to maximize use of your limited financial resources for facilities repair, renovation, and construction, finish quality  project on-time and on-budget… each and every time, with less stress and fewer surprises.

                  LEANJobOrderContracting

                  agile construction, agile construction delivery, LEAN Construction

                  Agile Facilities Construction Services Procurement and Project Delivery

                   

                  deferred maintenanceAgility is critical in uncertain markets.  There is no question that we all are at the mercy of an uncertain construction market.   Cost continue to escalate, material and labor shortages are on the horizon…if not already an issue, and the need for great cost visibility and efficient construction services procurement and project delivery has never been greater,

                  Do you have an agile construction services procurement and delivery process that enable you to consistently deliver quality repair, renovation, and new construction projects on-time, on-budget, will full cost visibility and in full compliance?

                  The odds are you don’t as only 5% of the market is currently using LEAN construction delivery methods, and even fewer are maximizing their use.

                  Learn more today…

                  LEAN-Construction-Delivery-Simplecropped-4BTlogoOpenJOC-1.png

                  construction cost control

                  Facilities Repair, Renovation, and Construction Cost Control

                  Construction Cost Control

                  Speed Procurement, Limit Waste, Mitigate Risk

                  Capital costs associated with repairing, renovating, and constructing buildings and other forms of physical infrastructure are out of control for many, if not most real property owners.

                  Costs vary widely by location and remain hard to predict. The lack of robust procurement and construction delivery methods and to the lack of true financial visibility and control. These factors add unacceptable levels of risk to investment decision making and management associated with project planning, procurement and delivery.

                  The good news, however, is that solutions in the form of robust LEAN construction procurement and delivery methods have evolved over the past thirty (30) years to virtually assure that the vast majority (90%+) of all repair, renovation, sustainability, maintenance, and construction projects can be consistently delivered on-time, on-budget, and to the satisfaction of all participants and stakeholders.

                  The two most widely known and mature of these LEAN construction procurement and delivery methods are Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), for major new construction, and Job Order Contracting (JOC) for repair, renovation, and minor new construction.

                  Beware, however, that all implementation, tools, and support services for both IPD and JOC are not the same. Also, for JOC, not all cooperatives purchasing organizations and tools are not the same. (JOC Programs can be owner-implemented, or JOC services can be procured via JOC cooperative procurement groups.

                  While you may have heard many things about LEAN construction, include a wide array of acronyms and tools … senseis, black-belts, last planners, etc. …, the bottom line is that all the fundamentals, processes, work flows, information sets, training, and support services are readily available to any real property owner that wishes to measurably improve financial visibility and maximize productivity.

                  Do your homework, and assure that any LEAN construction procurement and project delivery method you select included the following….

                  1. Focus upon outcomes.
                  2. Mutual respect and trust for all participants and stakeholders.
                  3. Shared risk/reward.
                  4. Defined, written, roles, responsibilities, processes, required documentation, information/data sets (common terms/definitions, data formats), enabling technologies, and locally researched detailed unit price book cost data.
                  5. Financial transparency
                  6. Continuous improvement
                  7. Collaboration among all participants and stakeholders
                  8. Metrics – key performance indicators

                  Learn more…

                  construction cost control
                  best value idiq, Uncategorized

                  Public Agencies Need to Learn More About IDIQ Procurement and Construction Delivery Methods

                   

                  IDIQ

                  Rapid growth of IDIQ contracting techniques by Federal, State, County, and Local Government Agencies brings both significant potential BENEFITS and major PROBLEMS.

                  There are multiple forms of IDIQs, with the most efficient, collaborative, and financially transparent being Job Order Contracting. This issue, however, is there is little awareness and limited competency in how to apply LEAN collaborative construction delivery methods like Job Order Contracting. A typical result, for example, is that either Governments apply Job Order Contracting inappropriately, or Governments elect less efficient forms of IDIQ, such as MACCs/MACs, MATOCs, SATOCs, etc.

                  IDIQs should NEVER be used to simply speed procurement. The counterproductive impact of doing so is that the ‘status quo’ of inefficient, wasteful, projects is simply enabled in greater numbers.

                  Public sector agencies would benefit significantly by better understanding of the best management practices, benefits, disadvantages, and implications of using various IDIQ contracts.

                  Learn more at https://lnkd.in/di83fXR

                   

                  LEANJobOrderContracting

                  How we can help…

                   


                  Analysis of the applicability IDIQ project procurement and delivery for facilities repair, renovation, and minor new construction.

                  Selection framework for single and multiple award IDIQ contracts

                  Implementation

                  Comprehensive data-driven IDIQ contracting and construction delivery tools

                  Operations manuals and execution guides

                  Enabling tools, technology, locally researched detailed unit price construction cost data, training, and support services.

                  Contact us…

                   

                  Integrated Project Delivery, Job Order Contracting, last planner system, LEAN Construction Delivery, lps, Uncategorized

                  Do you really need Last Planner(R), Black Belts, and Senseis to Consistently deliver Quality facilities repair, renovation, and construction projects, On-time, and On-Budget ?

                  LEAN, Quality, On-Time, On-Budget Construction Delivery
                  Shouldn’t be this hard!

                   

                  Last Planner(Registered Trademark of the Lean Construction Institute), Black Belts, Senseis, Six-sigma….   the list of acronyms, philosophies, consultants, books, goes on and on.

                  At the end of the day however, any real property owner with requisite levels of leadership and competency can consistently deliver quality facilities repair, renovation, and construction projects, on-time, and on-budget.   All of the tools, training, technology, information, and support are readily available to support robust LEAN construction processes.

                  Sure, there is a lot of confusion about both LEAN and LEAN construction.  Many “experts”, for example, attribute the origin of LEAN with the Japanese…whether the Toyota Production System (TPS) or similar implementation.   In reality, the origins of LEAN date back to Henry Ford.   It was here that the basic concepts of putting the client first, focusing upon outcomes, and  LISTENING to employees (people who actually do the work!), and benefiting from resultant collaboration came to light.

                  Any LEAN process, but especially LEAN Construction Delivery Process has the following attributes.  Note that there are not acronyms, buzzwords, or remotely complex concepts.

                  1. Focus upon outcomes.
                  2. Mutual respect and trust for all participants and stakeholders.
                  3. Shared risk/reward.
                  4. Defined, written, roles, responsibilities, processes, required documentation, information/data sets (common terms/definitions, data formats), enabling technologies….
                  5. Financial transparency
                  6. Continuous improvement
                  7. Collaboration among all participants and stakeholders
                  8. Metrics – key performance indicators

                  There are currently two forms of LEAN construction procurement and delivery methods that embed all of the above and share decades of proven success;   Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) for major new construction, and Job Order Contracting (JOC) for repair, renovation, maintenance, sustainability, and “minor” new construction.    Caveat emptor, however…. all implementations of these, must abide by the above shared attributes.

                  So back to the original question…Do you really need Last Planner(R), Black Belts, and Senseis to consistently deliver quality facilities repair, renovation, and construction projects, on-time, and on-budget?    Well, some of the information can certainly help with respect to the fundamental barrier to measurable productivity improvement across the AECOO sector – CHANGE MANAGEMENT.    The Architectural, Engineering, Construction, Operations, and Owner sectors are mired in traditional, antagonistic, and inefficient process.   These various “teachings” can help shed light on the need to fundamentally change how day-to-day activities occur for all.     Owner leadership and competency definitely can be improved by further awareness building and education, regardless of the source.    Nonetheless, focus upon what works and is available today…. proven LEAN construction and delivery methods, would enable the consistent delivery of quality projects on-demand, on-time, and on-budget.

                  job order contracting solution

                   

                  Last Planner is a registered trademark of the Lean Construction Institute

                  IDIQ Construction Contract Guide, Uncategorized

                  IDIQ Construction Contract Guide

                  City-State

                  Definition:  IDIQ construction contracts are Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity construction agreements that may or may not have associated detailed construction delivery processes and workflows.  

                  • Multi-year contract where both the specific delivery times and value of individual renovation, repair, or new construction projects are not fully defined.
                  • Focused upon construction projects of varying sizes
                  • May or may not be based upon LEAN construction practices and thus may or may not save the contracting entity money or provided higher levels of quality, etc.
                  • Initial basic intent was  to speed procurement via the pre-selection of a pool of pre-qualified contractors, however, in may cases has evolved into an elimination of checks and bases associated with traditional procurement methods.

                  Multiple types of construction IDIQs

                  • Time and Materials – for simpler/smaller tasks
                  • MATOC (Multiple Award Task Order Contract) or MACC (Multiple Award Construction Contract) – for larger construction projects
                  • Job Order Contracting (JOC) – for the numerous renovation, repair, sustainability, and minor new construction projects, averaging $50,000-$100,000+ up several million dollars bases upon project complexity  and associated design requirements.

                  Review of various IDIQ Construction Contracts 

                  T and M Basics
                  • Pre-established labor rates and/or materials markup
                  • Suitable for the smallest and least complex projects
                  • Extension of and/or option to in-house crews

                  T and M Advantages
                  • Response time
                  • Ideal for simple emergency repairs
                  • Flexible for projects with unknown scope
                  • Extension of in-house staff

                  T and M Disadvantages
                  • Little price control or up-front commitment
                  • No ability to subcontract—limited to trade specified in the contract
                  • Pricing structure incompatible with optimizing efficiency and eliminating waste

                  MATOC/MACC Basics
                  • Prequalified shortlist of contractors that bid on multiple projects
                  • Phase 1 selection is always qualifications-based (can have price component in the form of a seed project)
                  • Per-project competition is usually price-based

                  MATOC/MACC Advantages
                  • Simple to implement versus more efficient LEAN delivery methods
                  • Similar to traditional design-bid-build thus no additional training or enhanced skills required
                  • Better assurance of quality contractors if best value selection process is executed properly
                  • Can be used for larger projects
                  • Streamlines post-bidding award, security clearances, etc.

                  MATOC/MACC Disadvantages
                  • Same inefficiencies, waste, and lack of financial visibility and control as that of design-bid-build(DBB).  Little room for innovation or collaborative relationships
                  • Little time savings provided.   Full bid documents are required for each project to ensure prequalified contractors are bidding appropriately.
                  • Spreads volume among many contractors, reducing operational efficiency and providing less incentive for quality construction contractors
                  • Government can favor one contractor , enabling them to dominate, precluding  competitive pricing
                  • Contractors are higher quality, but DBB process and mentality remains.  Thus, little or no improvement relative to quality, cost, or time.

                  Job Order Contracting Basics
                  • Unit-price based – Full, verifiable, and actionable cost data for every project, provided a locally researched detailed unit price book, UPB, is used and LEAN JOC Program is established and implemented properly
                  • Contractors compete for initial contract award via an “adjustment factor(s)”/
                  co-efficient”, and past performance track record.
                  • Post selection as an awarded JOC Contractor, there is NO priced competition among contractors.  Contractors are awarded work strictly based upon performance.
                  • Individual projects are scoped and proposed based on unit prices, which converts to a lump- sum delivery order before proceeding.  Changes orders, legal disputes, and cost/time overruns are virtually elimated.
                  • Performance-based

                  Job Order Contracting Advantages
                  • Operational efficiencies from having one or a pool of “go-to” contractors
                  • Extension of owner staff
                  • Collaborative, transparent, and compliant process
                  • Early contractor involvement on all projects
                  • Standardized pricing based on competitive process
                  • Savings on “soft costs”
                  • Expedited quality and delivery of projects
                  • Maximizes opportunity for M/DBE subcontracting

                  JOC Disadvantages
                  • Very different approach/process versus traditional design-bid-build, MATOC, MACC, design-build, etc. — requires partnering mindset on the part of the owner and the  contractor(s).
                  • Requires staff can contractor acumen with respect to detailed line item estimating / unit price book estimating and associated evaluation of line item estimates
                  • No multiple quotes for comparison

                  Government-Owned Facilities, Uncategorized

                  Government-Owned Facilities and The Continued Lack of Stewardship

                  Government owners are the stewards of the federal/state/county/local built environment, yet many, if not most, have generally not taken responsibility for their respective roles.  This includes the largest Government facilities owner/manager, the GSA, as well as other State and County Governments, etc.

                  Federal agencies generally do not employ a best practice of “structuring budgets to identify the funding allotted (1) for maintenance and repairs and (2) to address existing backlogs.” – GAO Report – GAO-14-188

                  To this day, many if not most most, Owners do not have a standardized method of deploying LEAN construction management practices across their organization.  For example, the GSA doesn’t require the use of locally researched unit price detailed line item construction cost data, or the standardized used of LEAN construction delivery methods such as Job Order Contracting for all repair, renovation, and minor new construction. Common terms, definitions, and data architectures are not required, nor is BEST VALUE procurement the norm.  Despite the fact that all of these core elements have proven to be needed in order to improve financial visibility and reduce rampant waste,  the majority of the public sector remains mired in a profound lack of leadership.

                  It’sbeyond time for global oversight and taking full advantage of local support and knowledge, as all well as the implementation of collaborative LEAN construction delivery methods such as Integrated Project Delivery – IPD, and Job Order Contracting – JOC.

                  Federal real property porfolio

                  All federal departments and agencies must have full transparency and insight regarding “annual funding of maintenance and repairs–and the corresponding effects on their maintenance and repair backlogs.” This would “promote improved effectiveness of federal real property spending.” – GAO-14-188

                  Government-Owned Facilities

                  Collaborative LEAN construction delivery methods drive increased productivity by enabling better decision-making, greater transparency, and ultimately optimal deployment of limited economic and environment resources.

                  The federal government’s real property holdings are vast and diverse—comprising hundreds of thousands of buildings and permanent structures across the country, and costing billions of dollars annually to operate and maintain. Since federal real property management was placed on the High Risk List in 2003, the government has given high-level attention to this issue and has made strides in real property management, but continues to face long-standing challenges in managing its real property. For example, the federal government continues to maintain too much excess and underutilized property. It also relies too heavily on leasing in situations where ownership would be more cost efficient in the long run. In addition, the federal government faces ongoing challenges in protecting its facilities. Finally, effective real property management and reform are undermined by unreliable real property data. Specifically, despite a high level of leadership commitment to improve real property data, the federal government continues to face challenges with the accuracy and consistency of the Federal Real Property Profile (FRPP), causing the federal government to report inaccurate inventory and outcome information.

                  • FRPP data related to the federal government’s 480,000 structures are not reliable on a government-wide basis, due to the different approaches agencies take in defining and inventorying structures. For example, agencies use different approaches to counting structures—undermining any cross-agency comparisons.
                  •  We found that the $3.8 billion which agencies reported in 2012 as cost savings from real property disposal, space management, sustainability, and innovation activities were not reliable
                  • GSA has identified $4.6 billion in maintenance and repairs expected from 2012 to 2021 and anticipates that nearly a quarter of this amount is needed immediately. However, funding for maintenance and repairs has declined since 2006. GSA officials noted that reduced funding for capital reinvestments could result in deferred maintenance and repairs, and increase the cost and extent of such work in the future. These concerns are consistent with the National Research Council’s findings that each $1 in deferred maintenance and repair work results in a long-term capital liability of $4 to $5. – GAO-12-646
                  • Both OMB and GAO guidance emphasize the importance of developing a long-term capital plan to guide the implementation of organizational goals. Having such a plan would enable GSA and Congress to better evaluate a range of priorities over the next 5 years. In short, more transparency through a comprehensive long-term capital plan would allow for more informed decision making by GSA and Congress among competing priorities.

                  – GAO 2015 Report

                  job order contracting

                  Government-Owned Facilities

                  Uncategorized

                  MACC/MATOC versus JOC/SABER

                  Is there a role for both MACCs and MATOCs as well as JOCs and SABERs for achieving efficient public sector construction?

                  Maybe.

                  MACCs and MATOCs are for larger, more complex projects and should NOT be used for the numerous and ongoing repair, renovation, maintenance, and minor new construction projects facing public sector real property owners.

                  Nonetheless some Government agencies use MACCs and MATOCs because they don’t know how to use JOCs and SABERs appropriately.   Or… unfortunately, simply because MACCs and MATOCs are easily to set up.

                  JOCs and SABERs provide better Government/Contractor relationships, and significantly higher levels of efficiency.

                  Unfortunately, on the other hand, MACCs and MATOCs generate the same environment and mentality as Design-Bid-Build, and thus the same levels of inefficiency and waste.   Currently though, for larger, complex construction projects, MACCs and MATOCs and other similar, traditional mechanisms are all that is available.

                  At some point the Government will adopt Integrated Project Delivery for major construction projects, however, in the interim, the waste will continue. (Note: Design-Build has some advantages versus Design-Bid-Build, however, still has many of the same issues as well.)

                  As noted above, MATOCs and MACCs are simpler to set up and implement versus JOCs and SABERs.   They don’t require collaborative atmospheres and “new” ways  of thinking, nor do they require the level of financial transparency and work scope detail provided by a locally researched unit price book.   Are these “advantages worth it?    I don’t think so… do you?

                  MATOC/MACC Advantages
                  •Simple to implement
                  •Similar to DBB
                  •No special skill set required
                  •Assurance of quality contractors
                  •Easy to ensure competitive pricing
                  •Can be used for larger projects
                  •Streamlines post-bidding award, security clearances, etc.

                  MATOC/MACC Disadvantages
                  •Little room for innovation or collaborative process
                  •Must have full bid documents to ensure prequalified contractors are bidding “apples to apples”
                  •Spreads volume among many contractors, reducing operational efficiency
                  •One contractor can dominate, leaving lack of competitive pricing
                  •Contractors are higher quality, but DBB process and mentality remains

                  It’s your choice, but shouldn’t you at least learn more?

                  BestValueConstructionService-OpenJOC

                  LEAN Construction and Communication, Uncategorized

                  LEAN Construction and Communication

                  LEAN Construction Delivery requires advanced communication skills.  Below are just a few considerations,  when optimizing implementations of Job Order Contracting and Integrated Project Delivery and their positive outcomes.
                  Direct, Clear Communication: Articulate problems, proposals, procedures, and policies using concrete, unambiguous language.
                  Leverage Defensible Information: Maintain and comprehensively recall, recite, and apply documents, records, notes, data, and independent research in support of critical thinking.
                  Acknowledge and Define Stakeholder Concerns/Issues/Problems: Objectively analyze, recite, assess, evaluate, interpret, and communicate issues, problems, conflicts and their solutions.  Use language, tone, authentic voice, and technical detail appropriate to the stakeholder perspective and ability to comprehend.
                  Use Industry-standard Documents and Data Architectures: Read, create, modify, and interpret drawings, forms, and other industry-standard documents.  Use standard classification systems such as CSI MasterFormat(TM), Uniformat, etc.  Leverage locally researched detailed line item unit price books (UPBs).
                  Build Technical Skills: Continuously improve your application of technical terminology, tools, information, processes, and technology.
                   

                  Uncategorized

                  Why Use a Locally Researched Unit Price Book for your Job Order Contract?

                  Simple.   A locally researched unit price book provides greater visibility into actual construction costs likely to be encounter.

                  Sure, you might consider using a national average reference cost book for a Job Order Contract (if allowed) and attempt to make it relevant to your location by using a localization factor.   However, logic, experience, and research would quickly cause you to rethink that approach.

                  “A previous study of CCIs conducted …. uncovered a major issue in the use of
                  these indexes at the project level. That study found that it was unreasonable to believe that a single index number can be used to adjust all types of projects due to the nearly unpredictable impact that dynamic changes in the construction material commodities market have on different types of projects; for example, concrete bridge projects versus asphalt paving projects” (Rueda and Gransberg 2015) – (quotation from 2016, Jorge Andres Rueda Benavides, Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity project selection framework using stochastic techniques)….

                  “…the analysis determined that the general principles and assumptions associated with the development, maintenance, and use of these indexes make traditional CCIs unsuitable to be used at the project level in IDIQ contracts.

                  PARTNERING in Construction, Uncategorized

                  PARTNERING in Construction Drives BEST VALUE

                  FUN Partnering

                  Partnering via 4BT OpenJOC(TM) Job Order Contracting enables quality repair, renovation, and minor new construction projects to be consistently delivered on-demand, on-time, and on-budget.   

                  Also, financial transparency, regulatory compliance, cost savings, and satisfaction among all participants and stakeholders is the norm versus the exception.   Beat that with any other construction procurement and delivery process…. you can’t.

                  Even the Army Corps of Engineers understands and promotes the value of partnering relative to facilities sustainment (ACOE Partnering ).   Unfortunately, very few public sector owners have the leadership, competency,or ability to deploy and manage collaborative construction delivery methods.

                  Projects that fully engage in partnering, result in successfully completed projects for USACE, along with fewer claims, better financial results, and performance evaluations for contractors.
                  USACE has been asked by contractor’s organizations to have formal partnering. Stakeholders should appropriately be invited to participate in partnering.

                  Partnering is a way to reduce the confrontations on a contract and build a collaborative project focused team. It is an organized process by which multiple stakeholders with shared interests perform as a team to achieve project success with benefits accrued to all. It requires empowering team members to solve problems at the lowest organizational level possible. A successful partnering arrangement: removes organizational impediments to communication; results in acceptance by all parties to maintain and improve the partnering process; requires open
                  communication and active listening, especially on challenges to progress and demonstrates a personal commitment by every member of the team. It is not a waiver of a party’s contractual rights and responsibilities – it is a recognition and respect of those rights and responsibilities and a willingness to work together to help all stakeholders fulfill them.

                  It is in the Government’s best interests and it is consistent with the Government’s implicit duty to act in a fair and reasonable manner.

                  Army Corps of Engineers – No. 2017-14 – ENGINEERING AND
                  CONSTRUCTION BULLETIN 

                  All the tools, locally researched construction cost data, and support services are ready and waiting to achieve improved renovation, repair, and construction outcomes…  Are you ready to have fun again?

                  texas job order contracting, Uncategorized

                  BEST VALUE Job Order Contracting Construction Services in Texas

                  Efficient, On-Demand Construction Services Procurement & Project Delivery

                  • Local, Pre-selected Quality Construction Contractors

                  • Fully Compliant – State of Texas and EDGAR

                  • Required Compliance Audits with Each Project

                  • Supported by Locally Researched Construction Cost Data

                  ASC Coop2

                  LEARN MORE…

                   

                   

                   

                   

                   

                   

                   

                   

                   

                   

                   

                  LEAN Job order contacting, Uncategorized

                  4BT LEAN OpenJOC JOB ORDER CONTRACTING(TM) SOLUTION

                  The innovative 4BT LEAN OpenJOC Job Order Contracting Solution consistently delivers BEST VALUE where others fall short.   Please all the tools, training, data sets, support, and technology are readily available within our OpenJOC JOC-in-a-Box Tookit(TM).

                  • All Participants and Stakeholders are Bound Together as Equals
                  • Contractually Defined and Fully Detailed Roles, Responsibilities, Documentation, and Workflows
                  • Mandatory Collaboration – Early and Ongoing Information Sharing
                  • Reward for Consensus-based, Outcome-focused Decisions and Actions
                  • Shared Financial Risk and Reward Based on Project Outcome
                  • Virtual Elimination of Legal Disputes, Change Orders, and Potential for Fraud
                  • Full Financial Transparency – Locally Researched (not simply “localized”), Accurate, Verifiable, Detailed, Objective, Credible, and Comprehensive Unit Price Line Item Cost Data
                  • Compliant – Federal (including EDGAR), State, County, Local Requirements
                  • Mutually Developed and Approved Detailed Scope of Work
                  • Continuous Improvement and Monitoring, including Key  Performance Indicators
                  • Co-location of Teams
                  • Environment of Mutual Trust and Respect
                  • Focus upon outcomes – maximizing value, minimizing waste

                    job order contracting solution

                    Job Order Contracting Solution

                  Job Order Contracting Management Software, Uncategorized

                  4BT LEAN OpenJOC Solution

                   

                   


                  Does your Job Order Contracting Management Software work like this?

                  It may be time to upgrade to a BEST Value solution.

                  1. Transparently control your JOC Program.
                  2. Automate repetitive tasks to save time.
                  3. Robust locally researched unit price book.
                  4. Independent audit of every project…. fully compliant.
                  5. Fully customizable workflows (task, sequences, timing, sign offs).
                  6. Secure access, anytime, anywhere on any device.

                  We are Four BT, LLC (4BT). 

                  We saw the need for open, customer-focused, cost-effective, JOC solutions based upon LEAN best management practices. 

                  Sure, we are a young company, but our founders have decades of experience with organizations including R.S. Means Company, LLC, US Cost, VFA, Inc., and The JOC Group, serving over $4.5B in JOC construction annually.  Some of the largest County, State, and educational institutions are already converting to our 4BT OpenJOC Job Order Contracting Solution.

                  We help guide organizations to achieve accelerated improvement of their facilities repair, renovation, and construction outcomes and focus upon customer value.   Let us help your team deploy proven LEAN processes, actionable and robust data, enabling cloud technology.   Consistently deploy quality repair, renovation, maintenance, sustainability, and new construction projects on-time, on-budget, and to everyone’s satisfaction.

                  Contact us directly at info@4bt.us, or visit 4BT.US!

                  Job Order Contracting Solution
                  Uncategorized

                  Federal Government Procurement Fraud

                  Federal Government procurement fraud remains at best a severe risk, and at worst, rampant.

                  FRAUD RISK MANAGEMENT:

                  OMB Should Improve Guidelines and Working-Group Efforts to Support Agencies’ Implementation of the Fraud Reduction and Data Analytics Act

                  GAO-19-34: Published: Dec 4, 2018. Publicly Released: Dec 4, 2018.

                   

                  COMMITMENT-BASED LEAN CONSTRUCTION DELIVERY, Uncategorized

                  COMMITMENT-BASED LEAN CONSTRUCTION DELIVERY for Public Sector Facilities Owners

                  Commitment-based LEAN Construction Delivery enables consistent, on-demand delivery of quality repair, renovation, and new construction projects on-time and on-budget.   All the tools, training, support, workflows, and standardized data environments are available within the innovative, powerful OpenJOC(TM) LEAN Job Order Contracting Framework.

                  Any public sector facilities portfolio owner or facilities management team with requisite leadership and competency can assure full financial transparency and drive significant measurable improvement.

                  Job Order Contracting Training

                  The Commitment-based OpenJOC(TM) LEAN Construction Delivery Framework exclusively provides….

                  1. Definable workflows complete with assigned individuals, required timelines, associated documents… with full event tracking.
                  2. Locally researched detailed line item cost data (no use of national average and/or reference cost data or localization factors).
                  3. Full compliance
                  4. Initial on-going multi-level and multi-format training.

                  Request a white paper, or on-line demonstration…

                  What is LEAN

                  Job Order Contracting, Uncategorized

                  Collaborative Job Order Contracting

                  Collaborative Job Order Contracting via the innovative OpenJOC Solution (TM) drives improved renovation, repair, and minor new construction outcomes.

                  Any owner can access this reliable suite of project delivery and partnering tools based upon…

                  • Real Project Collaboration: Focus upon outcomes and project enhancement…Client and Project first mindset.

                  • Mutual Trust & Respect:   Atmosphere of trust, openness, and financial transparency.

                  • Continuous Improvement: Team-focused shared learning and required ongoing training accelerate competence and improvement.

                  What is LEAN

                  Job Order Contracting Training, Uncategorized

                  Job Order Contracting Training – Collaborative Lean Construction

                  Collaborative LEAN Job Order Contacting (TM) requires significant change management, learning, and leadership.   The results, consistent on-demand, on-time, on-budget, quality construction are well worth the effort.

                  Job Order Contracting Training

                  4BT training comes in all forms and levels, introductory to advanced, on-site to virtual.

                  Our trainers are skilled JOC professionals with decades of successful experience delivering and supporting LEAN best management practices.

                  Consistent with any well managed JOC Program, our  training is done in a supportive.  Mutual respect, information sharing, and continuous improvement are all foundational to LEAN structures and central to optimal outcomes.

                  We integrate lectures with visual aids and hands-on exercises.   Coaching and peer mentoring are also key to becoming proficient with LEAN processes.

                  Whether you are new to JOC or simply looking to hone your skills, we can design the right training program you and your team.

                  • Introduction to Job Order Contracting
                  • Introductory Job Order Contracting
                  • Advanced Job Order Contracting
                  • Partnering and Collaboration
                  • Line Item Estimating

                  simple job order contracting, Uncategorized

                  The Simple Framework for Efficient and Open Job Order Contracting

                  What is LEAN

                  The OpenJOC Framework(TM) embeds core LEAN integrated project delivery and superior procurement practices to provide real property owners with optimal strategies strategy for consistently delivering on-demand, quality repair, renovation, and minor new construction projects on-time and on-budget.

                  Four BT, LLC (4BT) was created to met a clear needs for a superior mousetrap with respect to facilities stewardship.   Virtually any real property owner with requisite levels of leadership, competency, and support can virtually assure optimal project performance.  And accomplish this within an industry were less than 20% of ALL projects are delivered on-time, on-budget, and/or satisfactorily.

                  “4BT guides organizations to help achieve accelerated improvement of their facilities repair, renovation, and construction outcomes through the development  of a culture focused upon customer value,  supported by proven LEAN processes, actionable and robust data, enabling cloud technology, and ongoing training.” 

                  1. Learn more about LEAN integrated project delivery.
                  2. Better leverage the many stakeholders and disparate service providers that are involved in facilities repair, renovation, maintenance, sustainability, and minor new construction.
                  3. Clearly define roles, expectations, and manage inter-dependencies.
                  4. Understand the value and role of a common data environment.
                  5. Recognize the role of technology as an enabler, but not a end in itself.
                  6. Benefit from local, long-term mutually beneficial relationships.