Webinars

Adjust, Adapt, Act: Winning Case Studies from the Post 2007 Construction World
presented by Ken Roper, Principal, FMI

 

The current construction crunch is now in its fourth year, and the economy remains in limbo, with the looming potential for a double dip in 2012. Numerous contractors, ranging from small to large, are struggling to keep existing clients and grab a foothold in this new environment. In addition to the forced layoffs, many are losing key staff members in the process. In contrast, other construction companies are gaining traction, building a backlog, running very profitably and penetrating new areas of specialization. So what is their secret? Why are some companies doing really well while others are just barely surviving? FMI will present several case studies and distill the relevant factors that make these companies unique and successful. The session will also provide insight from senior FMI experts on proven strategies that have become crucial in running a profitable construction business, as well as common mistakes, which can lead to failure in today's cutthroat environment.

 

Understanding Unabsorbed Home Office Overhead
presented by Rocco Vespe, Vice President & Robert Dieterle, Vice President, Hill International 

 

This Webinar will focus on issues surrounding the conditions for recovery of claims for home office overhead.  For many years, contractors’ have attempted to recover its home office costs when a contract is delayed.  Recent court rulings have set forth guidelines that have established parameters for recovery of home office overhead in delay situations.

Construction Management Tools for LEED Projects
presented by 

 

Specifically developed for Construction Managers, this course will teach you the skills needed to successfully manage a LEED project such as understanding the LEED documentation process and learning how to develop and integrate a successful materials procurement strategy.

 

 

 

Electronic Project Information Tracking
presented by Eric Law, EADOC and David Sisson, HDR Engineering, Inc.

Learn how project photos, RFIs, submittals, drawings, emails, special inspections, contractor claims, change proposal requests, meeting minutes, and test results can be electronically tracked, shared, and exchanged. Review file linking, file types, and project participant responsibilities in a collaborative project and management application. Learn how critical it is to have the vendor provide a knowledgeable individual to assist with implementation, training, and customization, and how the ability to customize is crucial to success.

Special Presentation: The DNA of Leadership, Session One
The Principles & Drivers for The DNA of Leadership

 

Owners are demanding more effective leadership for their projects and programs, and CMs are ideally positioned to deliver it. But are we really prepared, with the skills we need?

Professors Bill Badger and Avi Wiezel of Arizona State University have gathered extensive data on the traits that make a “good boss” or a “bad boss.” Among their findings: Of all the dozens of traits people identify as qualities of a good boss, more than 90 percent reflect leadership rather than technical or management skills. Learn more by attending the first two FREE webinars on this topic.

By the end of Session One, participants will understand:

An Owner's Guide to Program / Construction Management on Large Programs
presented by Thomas Jacobs, SAIC

 

Water and wastewater agencies have been engaging program managers for many years to assist in implementing large infrastructure projects, those larger than $1.0 billion. With the reduction in public utility staffs in recent years, more public utilities are looking to the outside program and construction manager approach to implement smaller infrastructure projects of less than $500 million in size. Many times the public utility does not spend enough time thinking about the role that their program and construction manager will play and how the program manager will relate to the agency’s current staff and policies. Hear about three program management delivery methods for programs from around the country. Presentation will provide lessons learned and decision processes for determining the right P/CM delivery method. This presentation will provide some insight into the issues and decisions that a public utility owner should consider, and decisions they must make, before engaging a program / construction manager.  An owner must be able to clearly define the owner’s and program/ construction manager’s role in accomplishing all necessary project activities.  Gain strategies on addressing workforce concerns for programs spread out over large distances and durations. Learn if and when to alter your CM structure when portions of a program are implemented using alternative delivery methods.

Construction Manager QA/QC Delivery Using a Continuous-Improvement Model

This presentation examines the role of the construction manager in quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC). How the typical CM-agent may succeed or fail is seen by means of a case study expert analysis of a large design-bid-build project. The paper explains how the construction manager’s QA/QC obligations are derived from both contractual requirements as well as from industry standards of performance. The evaluation of a CM’s QA/QC performance based on the concept of “PDCA” (plan, do, check, and assess) is demonstrated. The case study reveals that the role of the CM in construction quality does not end with simply defining an effective QA/QC strategy in the project management plan. The CM must complete additional planning activities, fully implement that plan, evaluate the plan’s effectiveness and adjust that plan on a continual basis to assure project quality. 

Construction Indoor Air Quality for LEED Projects
presented by 

 

Special Presentation: The DNA of Leadership, Session Two
WOYM Exercises 

 

Owners are demanding more effective leadership for their projects and programs, and CMs are ideally positioned to deliver it. But are we really prepared, with the skills we need?

Professors Bill Badger and Avi Wiezel of Arizona State University have gathered extensive data on the traits that make a “good boss” or a “bad boss.” Among their findings: Of all the dozens of traits people identify as qualities of a good boss, more than 90 percent reflect leadership rather than technical or management skills. Learn more by attending the first two FREE webinars on this topic.

By the end of Session Two, participants will:

Organizing Growth: How to Build a Sustainable Organization for Good Times and Bad
presented by James Schug, FMI 

 

Leveraging for Realignment: Best Practices for Troubled Projects

presented by Shawn Paroline, Jacobs

 

Is the contractor experiencing a high volume of change, lost profitability, or both? Are parties over-exaggerating or understating the impacts of those changes? How did we get here? Was it partnering that disguised potential issues? Was it a weak Construction Manager (CM) team? Was it a cantankerous contractor? It is likely that you can identify one or more fundamental causes, but what can be done now? In these situations, it is often in both parties’ best interests to immediately return to formalized contractual interaction in order for each party to state its official position for the consideration of the other, without emotion or contention. This webinar will teach members to identify indicators of a troubled project, cite common lapses in formal written record, and describe a why courteous, assertive, formal written process for key areas is necessary.

Concurrent Delay - The Owner's Newest Defense

When owners impose liquidated damages at the end of a delayed project, contractors typically respond with allegations of concurrent delay. That is, they argue, some or all of the project delay was actually caused either by the owner or an outside force which forgives liquidated damages until the end of the project, the contractor's claim of concurrent delay frequently is not submitted until the project is complete. This webinar explores the newest defense mechanism available to the owner to defeat the concurrent delay defense.