10 Pre-Planning Ideas For Electrical Contractors

Project Pre-Planning

The First Step To Increasing Productivity

www.dbrownmanagement.com© 2004 by D. Brown Management

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http://www.dbrownmanagement.com/


www.dbrownmanagement.com© 2004 by D. Brown Management www.dbrownmanagement.com© 2004 by D. Brown Management

What You Will Learn – Project Pre-Planning

The cost of problems

Understanding a typical construction day

Impacting change in an organization

The outline of a project plan

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Productivity | Quality | Safety


• Change Orders

• “People Processes”

• Profit Dynamics

• Cash Flow

• Priorities / Time Mgmt.

• Const. Financial Basics

• Construction Docs

• Schedule Management

• Pre-Planning

• Impacted Productivity

• Production Tracking

• Customer Service


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About David

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Field | Management | Consulting

In industry since 1988

Apprentice, electrician, superintendent, project management, executive

Stints with GC and CPA

Projects from service calls through $20M design & build

I love construction!


Group Exercise: 30 Days Of Problems

Re-Work

Drawing Revisions

RFI’s

Expedited Delivery Charges

Re-Inspection Fees

Additional Days On Job

Injuries

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How Many Can You Name???


FEEDBACK

“The Best Thing About Class Was

Dinner”8/56




DO SOMETHING

S.M.A.R.T9/56




The Big Picture – The $1 Trillion Opportunity

US construction market is over $12 Trillion per year

10% of construction costs are for “Non-Installation” labor

Saving even 1% amounts to annual saving over $10 Billion

Labor shortages for all skilled trades will be several million people by 2010

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Cost | Productivity | Manpower


What Are You Currently Doing / Not Doing?

The Project Lifecycle“In The Perfect World”


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Construction & Problems

FACTS

Nothing will ever go perfectly!

Problems are simply part of the construction process.

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Get Use To Them!

“If a problem has no solution, it may not be a problem, but a fact, not to be solved, but to be coped with over time.” – Shimon Peres (Rumsfeld’s Rules)

HOW problems are overcome determines success.


The Cost Of Problems

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Early Detection Is Best


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PLANNING

STORIES


…and you don’t have a workable plan then shut it down until you do. - Advice From Kiewit Superintendent Training


If A Project Is In Trouble…

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Great Advice | Great Company


Planning Before The Project Starts

Fixture install details

Details on submittals

Power install details

Consolidated homerun planning

Under slab detailing

Procurement / delivery plan

Value engineering

Room-by-room, circuit-by-circuit, fixture-by-fixture verification

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Overcoming Estimate Problems


Planning Making A Bad Situation Good

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Customer Service


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PROJECTPRE-PLANNING


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How Time in Construction is SpentOpportunities For Improvement

Planning makes actual installation more efficient

Other activities such as planning and layout shifted to beginning of the project

Other activities such as site movement, material logistics, general non-productive time and re-work are minimized


Understanding The Average Construction Day

Source

RS Means Electrical Estimating Cost Data

NECA has similar breakdown

Labor units are based on these standards – watch over time and you’ll see they are very close

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Where Can We Improve On This?

DESCRIPTION % HOURS

Study Plans 3% 0.24

Material Procurement 3% 0.24

Receiving & Storage 3% 0.24

Mobilization 5% 0.40

Site Movement 5% 0.40

Layout & Marking 8% 0.64

Actual Installation 64% 5.12

Cleanup 3% 0.24

Breaks - Non-Productive 6% 0.48

TOTAL DAY 100% 8.00


Running 100’ of ½” EMT (3.5 Hours Time)

6 minutes spent with plans

6 minutes gathering materials

10 minutes getting mobilized to work area

15 minutes laying out area

10 minutes moving around in work area, bathroom, etc.

6 minutes cleaning up

12 minutes breaks & general non-productive time

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How The Work Typically Happens

Just over 2 hours is spent on actual installation


A Typical 5,000 Man Hour Project

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How Many Hours Can Planning Save?

DESCRIPTION % HOURS

Study Plans 3% 150

Material Procurement 3% 150

Receiving & Storage 3% 150

Mobilization 5% 250

Site Movement 5% 250

Layout & Marking 8% 400

Actual Installation 64% 3,200

Cleanup 3% 150

Breaks - Non-Productive 6% 300

TOTAL DAY 100% 5,000

Over a 1 year long project there are 6-7 hours per day spent on activities other than the actual installation.

1,800 man hours are spent on non-installation activities.

This is what we will focus on with the planning process.


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$75,00015 Person Company

(Saving A Few Minutes Per Day)


Four Areas of Focus – What Can You Save?

11% Plans & Layout

6% Material Procurement & Logistics

13% Mobilization, Site Movement & Cleanup

6% Breaks & Non-Productive Time

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36% Of Your Labor Budget!


1. Plans & Layout

11% of your time is spent on these activities

550 man hours for a 5,000 man hour project!

That’s 1 person for 3 months!

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Shifting The Process To The Front End

Dimensioning off of plans

Laying out walls for UG

Cross-referencing with architectural, mechanical and structural plans

Figuring out light fixture and equipment mounting

Tracking down details on specialty fixtures / equipment

What to do – daily work tasks

Resolving problems via RFI

Incorporating addendums, SK drawings and RFI answers

Circuiting


2. Material Procurement & Logistics




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Getting What You Need To Build With

Making material lists

Keeping the commodities stocked in storage container

Moving materials from container or shop to gang boxes

From gang box to work area

Receiving fixtures and equipment

Figuring out where fixtures and equipment go

Staging fixtures and equipment around project

Dealing with missing parts


3. Mobilization, Site Movement, Cleanup




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Losing Money By Walking Around

Time from pay-start time until actual installation starts

Time before the end of the pay period that people start cleaning up

Amount of time spent walking around site looking for material or information

How you stage materials, gang boxes and storage containers

Staggering of start times so apprentices start earlier and finish later handling logistics

Project action item list / good layout


4. Breaks & Non-Productive Time




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Breaks OK | Non-Productive Time Bad

Only half of that time is actual break time

The rest is time getting to and from break area combined with other non-productive time.

Taking break by work area

Bring your own lunch

Using Project Action Item (PIA) list to make sure everyone has more than enough work laid-out in front

Lead by example


Planning

Field or Office?

Which is more efficient?


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Planning Means Nothing Without Execution

“Execution is a systematic process of rigorously discussing hows and whats, tenaciously following through, and ensuring accountability.” — Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan / Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done

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Planning To Get Things Done

How will you discuss your project plan with your team?

How will you follow-up to make sure your plan is being followed?

What processes will you put in place to monitor progress?


Building & Communicating The Plan

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Cascading Communications


Group Exercise – Identifying Time Wasters

For the project you are about to start brainstorm all of the time wasters you can think of

Vote on the top 4 time wasters on the current project

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Starting A Plan


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ORGANIZATIONAL

CHANGE


Change Happening In DesignBuilding Information Modeling


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Adaptation vs. Extinction

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change” – Charles Darwin

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It’s Your Choice!


Managing Organizational Change

“If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance even less.”

— General Eric Shinseki, Chief of Staff. U. S. Army

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Time Consuming, Frustrating & Worth It


Battlespace Awareness

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Better Planning = Better Execution


The Change Process – Crossing The Chasm

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Start Small | Win Big | Brag!!

One win = a small step forward | Multiple wins = momentum

Small loss = a huge step backwards | Big loss = idea death!


Implementing Change From Below

1. Pick 1 SMALL thing you have control over

2. Work UNDER the radar – less people = more results

3. Work like CRAZY to change that one thing

4. Document RESULTS thoroughly

5. BRAG loudly about the results

6. Give other people CREDIT as necessary

7. If no one responds – WAIT and try again later (go back to #1)

8. If people respond positively try something BIGGER

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8 Steps To Success

Remember that people are watching what you do – both inside and outside your company.


Change In The Real Business World

Change RARELY originates at the top

Change NEVER “happens” at the top

Change, like evolution, happens SLOWLY

Change usually starts as a GRASSROOTS effort and bubbles up

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Understanding The Process

Start your “Change” library today!


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“I love using CAD software for layout. Installation is going much faster and everyone is doing it the

way I want the first time.”

- Rob McCaskill, Foreman

16 Years!




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IDEAS


Under Slab Detailing

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What Goes Where?


Submittal / Installation Details

Get detailed installation instructions for ALL custom equipment

Contact info for technical engineer if not clear

Get photos if possible – worth 1,000 words!

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Standard Practice For More Info


Mounting Details

Ring type, depth & orientation

Layout for mounting

Mounting height / location

Power feed layout & connection?

Wall covering?

Hardware included?

Other misc. parts required?

Structural support details

Earthquake details

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Lighting | Power | Low-Voltage


Light Fixtures

Room-by-room count and verification of type

Verify mounting orientation in counts

Shipping details – what gets shipped / when

Create list of lamps

Create tracking sheets for receiving fixtures / lamps

Label all fixtures when receiving with room number

Plan delivery schedule with slack in it!

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Quantities | Mounting | Logistics


Room Detailing Packages

Use CAD software to make changes easily

Create objects to match ACTUAL submittals

Detail floor plan & wall elevations

Detail under slab stub-up locations

Check for clearances, fit and conflicts

Verify EVERY circuit with the plans

RFI conflicts, missing circuits, etc.

Create panel schedules ahead of time – correcting conflicts found

Plan homerun and feeder layout

Complete bill of materials (BOM) – factor into budget!

Assemble details, BOM, panel schedules and submittals into binder

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Power | Data | Mechanical


Circuiting, Homeruns & Feeders

Verify circuiting against panel schedules

If circuiting isn’t shown – draw it in during the planning phase

Consolidate as many homeruns as possible

Detail out EVERY conduit run 1-1/4” and larger checking routing against structural, HVAC and architectural plans

Put as much work in under the slabs, in the decks or above the HVAC as possible – wide open = FAST!

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Consolidation | Routing


Storage Containers & Gang Boxes

Don’t save on storage and waste manpower

Organized job storage means efficiency on the jobsite

Standardize your storage setup

Own your storage containers and customize them

Locate gang boxes very close to work areas

Have suppliers keep the storage container stocked

Have a first year apprentice keep the gang boxes stocked

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Location, Location, Location

Every time someone can’t find a bolt it costs BIG $$

Every trip to the storage container costs BIG $$


Pre-Fabrication Opportunities

Fixtures & whips

Fixture mounting framing

Large cable runs

Box assemblies

Support assemblies

Forms for site / slab

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Build It In The Shop | Control Costs


Value Engineering

Substitute raceway types / fittings

Dig into light fixture and gear package

Copper vs. aluminum feeders – do the math

Trading schedule time for money

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Saving Money While Making Money


Foreman Files

Contract summary & scope

Subcontractor scopes

Project budget

Major PO’s including terms

Major material receiving forms

Test forms

Project forms – RFI’s, DEWR’s, Memo’s, Transmittals, Material Requisitions, Timecards

Submittals – including additional install details

Standardized file structure for storing information

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Project Organization


Safety Planning (By Phase)

Underground

Work on floor decks / roof

Branch installation 0-9’

Branch installation 10’+

Power distribution / large equipment

Power turn-on

Fixtures, devices & trim

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PPE | Meetings | Special Info


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Group Exercise

Using the prior list of biggest time wasters on the project brainstorm everything you can do to minimize the impacts

Assign responsibilities and times to get these things done

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Starting A Plan


Infrastructure Enables You To Focus…

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Urgent Versus Important Activities


Another Resource – Kerry O’Brien

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www.jobsiteproductivity.com


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EXECUTIONDO SOMETHING IN THE NEXT

WEEK!

Date post:	11-Nov-2014
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