Construction Informer

Harmon Inc. glaziers prepare to install another pane on a high rise project. (Courtesy Harmon Inc.)

You never really know how things are going to connect in the world of relationships. That’s probably why social networking is finding its place in the day-to-day operations of AEC firms.

In one of his posts at the Upworld blog Collier Ward recounts how connections in the virtual world bled through to the real world and created a web of connections that advanced at least a few efforts of those who got connected. Since then, at least one other connection has set in motion an opportunity for two other people to advance their strategies. Who knows, that’s the only one I know of, but there could already be many more opportunities falling into place for many more people.

Last week I wrote here about a survey that recently came out showing the types of information construction buyers use when they are considering a purchase. One popular source of referrals is of course those people who sell other related items to them.

In this case Harmon Inc., a glass and glazing service contractor went looking for something to tame the paper tiger they were holding by the tail. Low and behold the people who do their CAD reselling for them suggested they try Bluebeam, and according to recent reports there has been no turning back. That was a real world event, but here I am telling you about it in the virtual world.

The line between the virtual world and the real world is blurring to the point where actions in either are having an impact on the other. While I don’t think this iteration of social networking on the Web is anywhere nearing the end of its evolution, I do think the connections that are happening today in the virtual world are going to inform and impact our real world lives more heavily and more radically then perhaps any other previous form of social communication. The question for the wise construction business owner is, “What’s the best way for me to blend my real world and my virtual world?”

Image via Wikipedia

I was thinking about “ideas” today and how they seem to arrive on a slipstream of vapor, float across our consciousness and then leave through our ears, since those are the closest exits to our brains. They are often processed in quick order, freeing our minds up for the next task or the next random thought that seems interesting.

It doesn’t seem that most ideas are acted upon. In fact, it seems that most ideas get pushed through a standardized filter and are quickly discarded when they:

1. Don’t solve an immediate problem;
2. Can’t possibly make us rich or famous;
3. Require too much work; and/or
4. Are something nobody else can see the value of.

In construction companies, ideas offer the chance to look exceedingly brilliant, or amazingly stupid. So many people just let the ideas flow right out their ears because the risk is just too great.

Over at The Heart of Innovation the writer offers the idea that innovation is often radically helped out by accident. Penicillin, vulcanized rubber and Post-It notes all came about quite by accident. But then, someone recognized the value in the accidents and had ideas about uses for them. They followed through.

Lisa Barone at the Business Insider laments the follow-the-leader syndrome in today’s business culture where everybody is trying to build something on everyone else’s original ideas. She says:

You’re noting what’s working from your competitor and you’re finding ways to integrate the same thing into your business. The problem is you’re not bettering what they’re doing. You’re just adding it on like an also-ran. That’s not innovation. That’s reactive catch up. It’s not how you stand out, it’s not how you steal market, it’s not how you create a point of difference for your company.

Barone goes on to offer an eight-step program for developing an innovative culture in your business and many of them are surprisingly simple, like getting rid of the hierarchy and focusing on the big picture. You can see them all at the link above.

When I look at the world through my own distorted and filter-ridden lenses, ideas appear to be the things that bring freshness to the view. They are kind of like how the air feels right after the storm has passed – all fresh and cool. Maybe we need to start capturing a few of them before they slip out our ears.

You can always tell when the computer software industry starts casting about for the next big thing that will ramp up some profits. Just look at the press release drum beat recently:

• Carnegie Mellon Silicon Valley Researchers Collaborate With Industry to Develop Measures of Quality and Performance for Cloud-Computing Services
• UBM Studios Delivers Rich Virtual Experience for UBM Everything Channel’s ‘Cloud Computing Is All the Rage: How Solution Providers Can Get Into the Game and Grow Their Business’ Event
• Capgemini and Microsoft to Help Businesses Make the Journey to the Cloud
• SAP, Cisco, EMC and VMware Team to Speed the Journey to Cloud Computing

Now, they would have us believe it’s all about the “cloud.” It’s no wonder, since the software model is not really working all that well anymore. This is, and always has been especially true for construction. Computing in a cloud though, almost has the sound of virtual reality.

Stanford University researchers propose a cloud computing model for construction.

Just the name should send shivers down the spine of anyone concerned about information security. It wasn’t enough that for years users have been hobbled with inefficiencies complicated by battles between proprietary rivals, but now the same players will ask us to forget all that and just start doing everything online. Upload our project plans and budgets and contracts and trust that not only will they be there when we need them, but that they will also remain confidential. But of course you see where all of this is going, right? Once the systems are in place and software as we know it goes away, bandwidth becomes the new commodity. Cell phones are already stretching the bandwidth infrastructure, so just wait until the entire world’s business paperwork is online.

I don’t want to sound too negative about this because I can see some relief for companies that don’t have IT departments, and, those that do too. Software just costs too much to buy and manage. So maybe paying for bandwidth would be better.

If construction can get over the information security hurdles then cloud computing could offer the solution so many companies are looking for – namely getting things automated from end to end without having to cobble together disparate software solutions and then pay the cost of maintaining them.

The security issue according to a couple of researchers at Stanford can be handled by having a private cloud along with the public cloud (see the graphic above). Of course this could also reduce efficiency by providing ready excuses for those who couldn’t get the job done.

Project manager, “How come I don’t have those change order estimates I asked for?”

Subcontractor, “It’s all in the cloud, baby.”

Image by The U.S. National Archives via Flickr

So, how would you feel if your local building inspector started to note safety issues on your jobs and reported them to OSHA? Well, OSHA is testing the waters with a pilot program in 11 cities that would do just that.

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis sent letters to the mayors of Austin, Boise, Cincinnati, Concord NH, Greenwood Village CO, Atlanta, Newark, Oakland, Washington D.C., Madison MS and Wichita KN proposing that OSHA work with and train local building inspectors on hazards associated with the four leading causes of death at construction sites. Those are falls, electrocution, being crushed or caught between objects, or being struck by moving machinery or objects.

Under this program, building inspectors would notify OSHA when they observe, during the course of their work, unsafe work conditions. OSHA, in turn, would send a federal agency compliance officer to that workplace for a safety inspection.

“This initiative allows us to expand our eyes and ears,” said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for OSHA. “Although we are adding 110 new inspectors this year, OSHA simply cannot inspect every construction site in the country.”

On the one hand it seems like a good idea. The inspectors are already on the sites and let’s face it, as representatives of the state governments that control the workman’s compensation programs maybe they should be more involved in safety. That could be one thing that would recommend the idea to the states and municipalities. Having some local oversight could also be beneficial to contractors who run safe sites by putting the pressure on the competing “safety laggards” to catch up, or face fines. That could increase their costs to match those of the ones who are paying attention to safety.

But then there is the whole tattle-tale thing. Some overly zealous inspectors might abuse their power even more than they do already. When there are inspectors on the take then I wonder if they would turn their heads on reporting some jobs while turning in those who do not play their game. I’m sure the idea assumes that everybody is playing fairly and being nice. But, that is not always so in any regulatory environment where you have entrenched employees.

The biggest potential is that job sites might become safer and help construction get out of first place in job site fatalities.

The Bagster dumpster is now more widely available.

The Bagster® has finally grown up. Back in November of 2007 you read about it here. In those days the company marketing it was Bagster, LLC. Today, it’s Waste Management. A smart move on that company’s part but I often wondered what took it so long to see this was such a natural natural fit.

Well, it turns out maybe Waste Management was always into the Bagster. Scott Rhodes, a founder of the Bagster® bag is now director at Waste Management.

What this does for Bagster® is vastly expands its reach. Before you had to call Bagster® to get the bag picked up, and it was in limited locations. Now, with Waste Management’s reach this handy dumpster might be coming to your town.

Back in 2007 I checked on the pickup fee for a 3 cubic yard Bagster® in Denver and it cost $89, the same as today. Now there’s some value. You can’t get them everywhere though. There are still 7 states that are “Bagster-less.”