Project Management

Change Orders: Getting the Coding Right with Trevor Robertson – [The Tim Faller Show] S5 E7

November 20, 2023 0:31:17

On today’s episode of the Tim Faller Show, we welcome Trevor Robertson from Innovative Design Build, who will talk about how he uses change orders and how they are coded for cost accounting. Trevor is the Project Manager who oversees the process and communicates the changes with the accounting team. He will also discuss how he handles errors in the change orders.

Trevor Robertson is the Project Manager at Innovative Design Build located in Atlanta, Georgia. From a young age, Trevor enjoyed building, fixing, and creating. As he grew up, he realized just how powerful being able to turn a concept or idea into something tangible is. With years of experience under his belt, he joined Innovative Design Build in 2018, where he is still working today. His professional superpower is planning, then replanning when the plan changes!

Trevor, Tim, and Steve talk more about:

How do you code materials, labor, etc.
How are change orders created and entered into the system?
What are the results of this process?
And more…

The Value of Purchase Orders with Ian Schwandt – [The Tim Faller Show] S5 E6

November 13, 2023 0:35:07

On today’s episode of the Tim Faller Show, Tim and Steve are joined by Ian Schwandt to discuss the importance of purchase orders. Although purchase orders have been in use for a long time and are widely used in commercial construction, they are now being increasingly utilized in residential construction as well. Ian sheds light on how TDS Custom Construction implements their purchase orders and how they have helped improve the financials of TDS Custom Construction as well as the production staff.

Ian is the Production Manager for TDS Custom Construction in Madison, WI. After starting at TDS as a part-time Estimator in 2020, he moved to full-time in 2021 after getting his new home built to the “done for now” stage. Ian moved to the Production Manager role in 2022 with the focus on developing department-wide financial literacy. Ian is also a Contributing Editor and podcast host for Fine Homebuilding Magazine and a frequent contributor to JLC Magazine.

Ian, Tim, and Steve talk more about:

Obstacles and challenges of using purchase orders.
Why did TDS start using purchase orders?
And more…

Rebuilding the Pre-Construction Process with Dan Zimmerman and Dan Purnell – [The Tim Faller Show] S5 E5

November 6, 2023 0:46:15

One of the most challenging parts of construction is getting the preconstruction part of the job right. Today, on the Tim Faller Show, Dan Purnell and Dan Zimmerman join the show to talk about how they rebuilt this process at Alloy Workshop. Dan and Dan go through some of the red flags they saw before redoing the preconstruction process and how the change has helped the company.

Dan Zimmerman co-founded Alloy Architecture & Construction, located in Charlottesville, Virginia. Along with his business partner, Zach Snider, he has been at Alloy throughout all the growing (and shrinking) pains. At Alloy, they’re 100% committed to completing 90% of selections before a signed contract.

Dan Purnell is the Director of Production at Alloy Workshop. As Director of Production, the company has seen a turnaround. They had previously seen project duration slippage and GM slippage on all of our projects. They’ve focused on creating a comprehensive pre-production process so all selections, purchasing, etc., are complete before mobilization. This has shown much better performance regarding schedule and GM% slippage.

Tim, Dan, Dan, and Steve talk more about:

Step by Step on how Alloy rebuilt the preconstruction process
Results from the change
And more…

Scheduling to Overhead with Billy Dodd – [The Tim Faller Show] S5 E4

October 30, 2023 0:35:30

Today, on the Tim Faller Show, Billy Dodd shares his insights on accounting for overhead costs in projects based on the expected time of completion for each project. Billy explains how his team uses this approach to manage overhead and execute projects efficiently. He also highlights how he applies the same principles to multiple projects simultaneously.

Billy Dodd is the Project Director/Sales and Design Consultant at Blue Ribbon Residential Construction. He has been with Blue Ribbon for about a year. Billy comes from a long line of carpenters and entrepreneurs and ran his own construction business for about 8 years prior to coming to Blue Ribbon. Having worked in his own company as boss, crew lead, designer, sales rep., estimator, scheduler, project manager, etc., Billy had the opportunity to evaluate projects from numerous angles. Now, at Blue Ribbon, Billy has a more localized role, but his former experiences help him to corroborate realistic schedules with well-researched overhead figures.

Billy, Tim, and Steve talk more about:

How different job sizes affect the overhead.
Importance of good data and analysis of that data
And more…

Gross Profit per Day with Dan Purnell – [The Tim Faller Show] S5 E1

October 9, 2023 0:34:37

Today, the Tim Faller Show welcomes Dan Purnell as a guest. Dan will be discussing how his team at Alloy Workshop utilizes GP/Day. He explains what GP is and how Alloy Workshop uses it as a measuring tool. Moreover, Dan differentiates GP/Day from other metrics and its impact on the department.

Dan Purnell is a Project Developer at Alloy Workshop located in Charlottesville, VA, and is a member of the Production Manager’s Roundtables. It was established in 2011 when Dan Zimmerman (AR) and Zach Snider (GC) decided to form Alloy Workshop as a design/build company in Charlottesville. Since taking the project manager role, the company has seen a turnaround. Alloy was previously seeing project duration slippage and GM slippage on all of our projects. Dan and the Alloy team really focused on creating a very comprehensive pre-production process, so all selections, purchasing, etc., are complete prior to mobilization. This has slowed much better performance as it relates to schedule and GM% slippage. Dan and his team also reduced to an average of 2% GM slippage and getting grippage on our project duration now. This shift leads them to look at different metrics to track profitability and how that can help us make business decisions.

Dan, Tim, and Steve talk more about:

What difference does GP/Day make?
Any dangers with GP/Day?
And more…

The Art of Estimating with Geno Arroyo – [Best of The Tim Faller Show]

September 25, 2023 0:43:02

Today on the Tim Faller Show, Geno Arroyo joins the show to discuss successful estimating. Geno goes through his process as an estimator for each project from start to finish. Suppose you want a more in-depth breakdown of his methods, including getting labor costs right, then you must attend Remodelers Advantage’s Art of Estimating masterclass.

Geno Arroyo is the Estimator for Fox Home Innovations, LLC, in Manhattan, KS. Geno has had the privilege of being a part of the Fox Home family for over three years. When he started with the company, he was a Lead Carpenter, then transitioned from the field to the estimator role. The most significant accomplishment Geno can think of during his time is developing and implementing an actual estimator role within the company and having a role to play in getting our overall company slip and grip to 0.87%.

Geno, Tim, and Steve talk more about…

The creation of the estimator position and the results
Phases of work for an estimator
Budget meetings with the estimator
And more…

When Construction Meets Technology with Eric Fortenberry – [The Tim Faller Show] S4 E21

September 11, 2023 0:44:07

Today on the Tim Faller Show, Tim and Steve talk to Eric Fortenberry, the Founder, and CEO of JobTread Software. While working as a CEO for a General Contracting company, Eric built the first version of JobTread due to the broken processes at the company. Eric gives insights on how he turned the company around using data from the first version of JobTread. Eric also discusses how JobTread differs from other software applications on the market.

Eric Fortenberry is a passionate entrepreneur who founded JobTread, a construction estimating and project management software company, in 2019 after serving as CEO for a General Contracting company where he built the first version of JobTread to help streamline and remedy their broken processes. JobTread has grown to help thousands of builders and contractors sell and manage over $1 billion in construction jobs and has been recognized as a Top 100 Product by ProRemodeler for the past two years.

Eric has been named to Inc. Magazine’s 30 Under 30 List of the World’s Coolest Young Entrepreneurs under the age of 30 and received awards at the White House and United Nations after being named to the Empact 100 List, showcasing the Best Companies Started and Run by Young Entrepreneurs. JobTread is located in Dallas, TX, and has been recognized as a Best Place to Work by the Dallas Business Journal.

Tim, Steve, and Eric talk more about:

Job costing and estimating
The creation of JobTread
JobTread’s long-term plan
And more…

The Client Experience Part 2 with Camille Jenkins – [Best of The Tim Faller Show]

August 28, 2023 0:40:19

Today on the Tim Faller Show, Camille Jenkins joins the show to discuss the importance of the client experience and how it differs from satisfaction. Simply put, customer satisfaction is how happy your customers are while using your company’s products and services and how well you are fulfilled their expectations. Customer experience refers to customers’ interactions with a brand’s products and services during all stages of their purchasing process.

Camille Jenkins is a results-oriented, customer experience consultant, keynote speaker, and realtor. With a decade’s worth of real estate industry experience and operational knowledge, Camille brings a real-world approach to setting and delivering on expectations. Camille served as the Vice President of National Customer Relations at Meritage Homes Corporation. During her tenure, the organization annually delivered upwards of nine thousand new homes, and customer satisfaction improved from 70% to 90%. Currently, Camille Jenkins is the owner of Camille’s Keys located in Goodyear, Arizona.

Camille, Tim, and Steve talk more about…

Surveys for clients post-project and how to use them to impact change
How communication and education work together in the client experience
And more…

Using QR Codes for Field Communication with Nick Sandifer – [Best of The Tim Faller Show]

August 22, 2023 0:28:55

Today on the Tim Faller Show, Nick Sandifer details a new way to communicate in the field to help his team navigate the small details in elaborate projects. Nick and the Sandifer team use QR codes to help communicate better on the job site. The QR codes allow the project manager to view the electrical fixtures, architectural plans, and other information about the project. Nick discusses the effectiveness of the QR codes that lead to fewer phone calls from the team because all the data is in the QR code.

Nick Sandifer is the owner of Sandifer Design Build in Jacksonville, Florida. Nick is a graduate of Florida State University with a degree in Real Estate Finance, Appraisal and Feasibility. He started his building career with a large national builder, Centex Homes. Later he worked as a project manager for local custom home builder Benchmark Luxury Homes. His experience working for both national and local custom builders has allowed him to focus on the schedule and the details.

Nick, Tim, and Steve talk more about…

Benefits of using QR codes
Changing plans while using the QR code
The work that goes into making the QR codes for all the projects
And more…

Contracts for Contractors with Nisreen Hasib – [Best of The Tim Faller Show]

August 14, 2023 0:44:22

Today on the Tim Faller Show, Nisreen Hasib joins the show to discuss contracts for contractors. Nisreen discusses the importance of having contracts and some of the important items to put into those contracts. She also gives examples of bad and good contracts she has seen over the years and how they impacted the project. Nisreen also talks about revisiting contracts to stay up to date with state and national regulations.

Nisreen Hasib is the founder and CEO of Basil. Basil makes it easy for builders, remodelers, and general contractors to generate the documents they need at the click of a button. She is based out of New York. Prior to starting Basil, Nisreen was a labor and employment attorney and an executive at different venture-backed companies based in New York. Nisreen started Basil in 2022 after finishing her first remodeling project in the Catskills. She saw that a lot of contractors were using out-of-date contracts or contracts that had not been appropriately drafted, leaving them vulnerable to legal liability.

Nisreen, Tim, and Steve talk more about…

Do the contracts get more complex the more expensive the project is?
Reframing contracts
And more…