by tradespeopleinsights | Jan 26, 2011 | Uncategorized
From time to time I have guest posts and today, since many of my readers are contractors, we’re going to hear from Emma Martin who writes for CB Structures, a family owned construction and engineering company. She is going to share her insights on ways to improve productivity. Enjoy.
5 Ways to Improve Construction Productivity
One of the major setbacks for any construction project is a loss of productivity that results in delays and loss of funds. And yet, this type of occurrence is largely considered par for the course on most build sites. While many would be quick to attribute holdups to lazy workers or inadequate supervision, it is far more common for bad planning or outright ignorance to muck up the works.
Here are five ways you can avoid delays, deal with problem areas, and get your construction project on track for timely completion.
- A dependable foreman. You can’t just leave a construction crew to police their own activities. Like any job, you need a manager on site to ensure that work is progressing on schedule, jump in if help is needed, report to higher-ups, and basically do whatever is necessary to promote an efficient work environment. You’ll need someone with experience (a background in skilled labor is just as useful as previous management) who is reliable and trustworthy. This is absolutely essential to the success of any construction project.
- Incentives. Employees who are paid well and have a stake in the completion of the structure may be more likely to give it their all. In short, you need to offer competitive wages for your crew (you could even consider benefits in addition to your site insurance since the risks of accident and injury in this profession are high). You may also want to consider giving a bonus upon completion or sale of the property as a way to get your workers in gear. Just be sure to keep an eye on quality.
- Training. In some cases, both quality of work and productivity can be gained by putting up the money to ensure that your crew (and supervisors) are properly trained. Let’s face it, construction is often a profession that is entered into without much formal education (anyone can swing a hammer, right?). By requiring your crew to sign up for instruction in carpentry, electrical, and plumbing (for example), you can ensure that they do the job right the first time, effectively cutting back on construction time and saving money down the road.
- Planning. The most common cause of stoppage in construction is waiting, and it is often due to improper planning. While there will be days when weather and other factors beyond your control compromise your crew’s ability to continue work. However, there is also a portion of waiting time that is directly associated with poor planning. Whether necessary equipment is unavailable, materials are in transit, or there simply aren’t enough people working to ensure that a project is completed on schedule, poor planning is likely the root of the problem.
- Security. Theft at construction sites is fairly common, especially when materials are left unguarded and out in the open. Instead of setting up a fence that anyone with four usable limbs can bypass, hire a security firm to provide a night-guard so that expensive copper pipes and lumber don’t simply get up and walk off the site, costing you both materials and labor.
Emma Martin writes for CB Structures, a family owned construction and engineering company that specializes in garage buildings and pole building design.
by tradespeopleinsights | Jan 25, 2011 | Marketing Tools, Marketing Trends, Social Marketing, Traditional Marketing
Sonnhalter is deeply involved with the professional tradesmen. We recently completed a market overview on the construction industry. The purpose of this document is to give the reader a quick snapshot of the industry, its players and trends. Markets covered are residential, commercial (light commercial), highway/heavy, institutional and industrial/manufacturing.
Highlights include interviews with editors of top trade publications. Also included are associations, buying groups, trade shows/meetings, industry trends and media publications.
To sign up to receive a copy of the Construction Market Overview, click here.
by tradespeopleinsights | Jan 20, 2011 | Marketing Trends, Social Marketing
Businesses are getting more comfortable with social media and are continuing to integrate it into their overall marketing programs.
I recently read an article in Social Media Examiner, 8 Social Media Trends Impacting Businesses that I thought made some good points. The article highlighted a recent study done by SmartBrief and Summus Limited to over 6,000 readers across a variety of industries. Here are some brief highlights:
- Companies are still new to social media – Most companies (66%) have adopted social media within the last 18 months.
- Businesses focus on the BIG 5 – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and blogs are where people spend most of their efforts.
- 2-year confidence mark – How long it takes most companies to gain confidence in their social media activity.
- Companies are broadcasting vs. connecting – Brand building is their primary purpose. Many companies are missing opportunities to build stronger relationships by listening instead of talking.
- Businesses turn internally for sources for social media support – Not surprising. They know the company, its products/services better than anyone.
- Social media obstacles – Lack of management support and confidentiality are the two biggest stumbling blocks.
- Lack of measurement – Less than 15% are measuring ROI. They are struggling with what to measure, how to measure it and how to interpret the data.
- Companies lack confidence in their social media strategy – Less than 15% of companies surveyed describe their strategies as “very effective.”
The good news is businesses are moving forward. What are some challenges your company is facing regarding implementation of a social media program?
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by tradespeopleinsights | Jan 19, 2011 | Marketing Tips, Social Marketing
Social media is the “new thing,” everybody is doing it, maybe I should too! Sound familiar?
Don’t do it because everyone else is doing it; do it because it makes sense as part of your overall marketing plan. If I said it once, I said it a million times, social media isn’t a silver bullet! Social media should have a plan just like any other program.
I recently read an article by Clement Yeung in Social Media Examiner, How to Get the M.O.S.T. From Your Social Media Marketing that highlights steps we all can take to get the M.O.S.T. out of social media. Here are some highlights:
M. Marketing Intelligence. Do your research. Who do you want to reach? Use tools like forums, key word searches and Google trends to see what’s out there.
O. Set your objectives. Sowhat do you want to accomplish? Become a thought leader? Improve SEO?
S. Strategy. Create a social media strategy with a plan of action.
T. Tactics. Do you want to build a branded blog site or just create an online presence?
Once you establish a plan, then identify the social tools you should use to reach your audience. Go where they are whether that will be Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook or YouTube. Interact with them and start building relationships. If you have a blog, start driving them there versus your website.
If you apply the same disciplines to social as you do to other programs, you will be successful.
If you like this post, you may want to read:
Are you Using a Blog to Reach the Professional Tradesmen?
Have you Started a Company Blog? Maybe you Should.
If you like this post, please pass it on to your friends.
by tradespeopleinsights | Jan 18, 2011 | Events/Trade Shows
For those of you that are going to Vegas at the end of the month for the AHR Show, we put together an Insider’s Guide to Vegas by asking friends and business associates about gems in the city that you might not be aware of. It includes Restaurants, Nightlife, Events and more. Click here for a copy.
Have a good show and we hope to see you there.
by tradespeopleinsights | Jan 13, 2011 | Marketing Tips, Social Marketing, Traditional Marketing
Synergy-the combined effect that exceeds their individual effects.
This certainly applies with marketing. But it takes more than just playing lip service to social media by adding a Twitter or Facebook bug to your ads, PR and direct marketing plans.
You need to define a process that works for you. There is no cookie cutter approach that will work for everyone. Granted there are best practices to follow, but it begins with the question of “how do I think” about blending the old with the new. The key is that there is value in integrated thinking.
Tom Martin, founder of Converse Digital, outlines 6 steps in establishing a social media framework:
- What’s the goal? It’s simple but important. Start with what your business goal is.
- Who’s your audience? Go beyond demographics. What do they look like, where would they hang out?
- Where’s the audience? Go beyond the obvious like where are they in their lives?
- How can I connect? What’s the best way? It may not be traditional.
- How do you keep the conversation going? Once you open the dialog, what’s next?
- How can the conversation get going; can I get my audience to introduce me to others? People are afraid to ask people to pass info on. You’d be surprised that people if they know, like and trust you will be your biggest ambassadors.
So when you’re putting together a plan, make sure you think – Integrate!
5 Ways to Improve Construction Productivity