Constructability review, design coordination and other confusing terms defined

Constructibility review, design coordination, interdisciplinary coordination...there are many terms...likely you have come across a few...but what do they mean?

When we started doing a bit of research to try to help our potential clients understand what we do (construction document coordination reviews), we found many similiar terms on the web, each with several common usages.

We would love to save you the hassle of trying to decipher these terms on your own. So, on our corporate website we have posted the definitions, alternate terms, references and relate whether we perform those types of reviews or not. Currently, when it comes to these terms, we are the most comprehensive resource you will find on the web.

Please, if you have ever been confused by these terms, check out these pages.

Construction Document Coordination Review

Constructibility Review

Design Coordination Review

Interdisciplinary Coordination Review

RediCheck Review

Construction Document Review

Construction Document Cross Check

Partner Relations: We are all in this together

Often we work with other companies who do the same type of work we do (i.e., our “partners”). In our business, the work can come in waves. Some waves are small and fast... several small projects all at once. Other times, waves are huge, or one very large project. Working as a subcontractor is no stranger to us.

Some of the companies are pretty small, even a one man business. From time to time, stuff happens and a little help is needed. We were privileged to help out one of our partners recently when a medical issue occurred. A seemingly small issue like this, is a huge issue for a one man operation. We have worked with this particular office on many projects and had established a wonderful win-win working relationship. We have trust, respect, and admiration for one another.

Things were pretty hectic, it was over the Christmas/New Year’s holiday, and we had 4 or 5 jobs in house and one was a biggie. One of the projects we were sharing with our partner and we had five parts of the project and he had three. Unfortunately, he had to have an emergency surgery and was laid up when he was supposed to be working on his three parts of the project. Needless to say, he couldn't work. It looked highly likely that the project would be in jeopardy of being finished late if some relief was not found.

One of our worst nightmares is having a project going past a due date… and we knew our partner felt the same. Our team huddled around, we checked out our present work schedule and it looked bleak, we were committed to the max. After much soul-searching, problem-solving, and much checking and rearranging of our personal commitments during the holidays, we found time to help. So, we called him up and offered our assistance... and he happily accepted.

The added work really taxed our team, but it was sooo worth it. The sense of accomplishment and “feel goods” we got for helping a fellow partner were just wonderful. After all, isn't that what partners are for?

What did we learn from this experience?

That you have to be proactive. Some people will not ask for help or do not like to ask for help, so it may be up to you to offer your help when you see they have a need. And likely your offer of help will be extremely welcome.

You need to be aware of what is going on with your partners. If you stay in good communication and listen to your partners, you are more able to access their needs.

You need to consult with your team. If you are thinking about taking on more work, when your team is already taxed, you should consult with your team to see if they have time to help and are willing to help, because ultimately the burden will be theirs. In addition, your team will be more likely to support a decision they helped make.

Author: Shirley Nigro and Pamela S. Stevens

Business Networking: Wonderful things can come in unusual ways

Wonderful things sometimes come in unusual ways. Last week Natalie and I had lunch with a good friend of ours, Angelina Feichko, a real estate agent who heads a fantastic team. In fact, the name of her group is called Sold by an Angel, and that is what they all are - angels. While shooting the breeze, we realized it had been 2 1/2 years since our last time together. We were in disbelief at how long it had been. To us it was just like a couple of months. We decided the time flew by because we were all so engrossed in our business. Consumed would be more like the word, working on new ideas, growth, marketing, and the daily requirements of running a company.

While eating, talking, laughing and catching up, Angelina mentioned that she knew someone we should meet. This person was involved with a business consulting company. Being open to new ideas and with Angelina's enthusiasm about the folks who owned it, we said she could have them give us a call.

Sure enough we received a call from a very upbeat, pleasant gentleman. This was the beginning of the "wonderful thing" I mentioned earlier. Their approach to introducing their business and what they do was wonderful. Simply put, they let you experience and learn about the process of doing business with them while they learn how to help you - with no financial obligation. The skeptic in me wondered - how do they make money? The answer was something like...by letting us know who they are and how they can help, and letting us see and use the benefits may result in several things. Essentially, either A) We like their services and use them or B) We don't use their services, but by understanding what they do, we may refer a friend, who could benefit from their services.

We were impressed with their ideas because we believe our company may benefit from a similar approach, since our services are unique and not very well known in the construction industry. We have worked hard to present materials on our web sites to introduce what we do, how we do it, and who we are. Our next step will be to develop a program to allow potential clients to experience us and our work first hand with little risk. Then if they like what we do and who we are, we can move forward and provide them our full services, or if they find that they may not benefit from our work, they likely know someone who can and may send us a referral.

We are currently working on our new "get to know us" program, as soon as we have it fully developed, we will let you know by posting on this blog and through some of our direct mail programs. If you would like to be added to our direct mail list or to our email list, send us an email at subscribe@nigrofirm.com.

Thanks, we look forward to hearing from you.

Author: Shirley Nigro