Construction Field Mobility Blog

Today, I’m blogging about an exciting new course being offered by FMI, the Construction Supervisors Academy or “CSA”. Why is this of interest? After all, in construction, the rubber meets the road with construction supervisors in the field.

“Money can be made or lost based on the success of execution in the field.”

“The efficiency and effectiveness of the front-line field supervisor optimizes the job site, motivates the field forces and facilitates collaboration with projects.” - FMI

Or, the battle is won or lost on the battlefield, on the front line, by construction supervisors, field supervisors and field forces.

In the world of construction and capital projects, “won” translates to successful completion on time, in budget or cost, and to the contracted and specified level of quality, with the goal of zero rework. “Won” translates to client satisfaction and client retainage – the client is satisfied or perhaps delighted with the end result and ready to do business with the contractor or construction manager on future projects. “Won” translates to job site health, safety, welfare and well-being, with the goal of zero injuries and zero accidents. And, “won” translates to profitability, to sustain and grow the contractor’s business – accepting projects below cost, with the aim of potentially breaking even or making profit through change orders, is not a sustainable business model over the long term.

FMI’s CSA is designed to optimize operations out in the field or on the jobsite and increase profitability and competitive advantage, by empowering field personnel such as supervisors or superintendents, commonly called “supers” in construction lingo, at the point of construction.

The importance of FMI’s CSA seminar centers around two key areas of focus:

1. Supervisors;
2. Profitability;

First is the focus on supervisors. Generally, construction industry seminars center on continuous learning for managers, executives or others rooted in the home office in areas such as finance, procurement and technology, for example. Some seminars address operations out in the field, such as  safety programs for example, but again generally attract managers, executives and directors -- the suits not the boots. Supers and other field personnel hold the first-hand responsibility for the successful and profitable execution of the project, at the point of construction. After all, the core business of construction takes place out in the field, and not back in the home office. Work is put in place out in the field, on the job.

Second is the focus on profitability. Project profitability rolls up to corporate profitability, in construction. With thin profit margins generally hovering between 3% and 5% in commercial construction, and sometimes less in a more competitive market economy, projects may swiftly and easily slide from “black” to “red” from quality reworks and related time delays and cost overruns – and in some cases, without the direct and immediate knowledge of the field supers, responsible for managing, tracking and tasking the work. In the past, construction industry organizations focused on optimizing home office or back office processes to drive profitability, such as estimating, bidding, planning, scheduling and procuring. Now, the field is being recognized as a vital factor, if not THE vital factor, in the formula for successful and profitable project delivery. Timely and accurate communication, collaboration and coordination between field supervisors and field forces, such as subcontractors, work crews, trade crafts and general laborers, help optimize  project delivery.

As part of the FMI CSA program, FMI states that three critical elements for success in the field include:

1. Optimizing the jobsite logistics of any construction job;
2. Effectively managing and motivating all field forces;
3. Communicating, collaborating and coordinating plans and schedules with everyone on the job.

In a video about the FMI CSA program, FMI Representative Mike Putzer highlights how the academy was created in response to the market demands on the construction industry. At the start of the short video, Putzer states that construction executives and managers understand that “…money can be made or lost based on the success of execution in the field.” This is a mission critical statement! The program addresses both technical and interpersonal skills, including setting goals, managing and measuring performance of field crews and trade crafts in the field, in a constructive (pun not intended) and productive way, challenging the level of the overall performance.

Here is a list and related bar chart from FMI, graphing the five largest internal challenges to improving field productivity.

1. Lack of planning skills at the field management level
2. Lack of communication skills at the field management level
3. Cultural resistance to change
4. Poor communication between PMs and field managers
5. Lack of technical training at our craft level

In the session about “Job Profitability,” FMI notes four key objectives, three of which align with an Enterprise Field Management initiative and with a Quality Program, relative to project profitability, competitive advantage and quality delivery:

1. Manage your impact on profitability;
2. Enhance the field force competitive edge;
3. Improve the quality of your jobs and reduce rework.

Here are the Top Ten reasons to attend FMI’s Construction Supervisors Academy (CSA):

1. To better manage project expectations.
2. To improve at all levels of planning – including both short-interval and pre-planning.
3. To build teams that work well together.
4. To better establish goals and provide feedback in a timely manner in the field.
5. To provide workers with daily goals.
6. To improve staff communication to better manage, track production and reduce risk.
7. To better implement weekly job performance re-views and weekly progress meetings.
8. To improve pre-job preparation and job closeout management.
9. To better manage production Key Performance Indicators.
10. To increase training at the field management level.

Ask yourself, how are you and your company:

1. Optimizing the jobsite logistics of any construction job?
2. Effectively managing and motivating all field forces?
3. Communicating, collaborating and coordinating plans and schedules with everyone on the job?

Are you continuing to perform work in the field the same way that you and your company performed it 30, 40, 50 years ago?

Or, are you implementing an Enterprise Field Management program and a Quality Program with Vela Systems field software, for example?

Are you actively optimizing your job sites and mobile enabling your front-line field supervisor with software and technology, or are you stagnating and lagging behind your peers and competitors?

 

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