Construction is Hard: Presented by RIVET

Send us Fan MailThis special episode features the construction Workforce Management Champions group, an incredible group of electrical and mechanical contractors partnering with RIVET. The group discusses project managers and their role in labor management, succession, what keeps them up at night and how to make a case for Workforce Management for other contractors to consider.Hosts Brian Witt and Gary Fuchs from RIVET are joined by: Workforce Manager Andrew Aker from Interstates, Director of Construction Kyle Sutter from Westphal & Co., Vice President Technology Steven Drouin from Interstate Electrical Services, President Kevin Michel from Xcel Mechanical Systems, and CEO Ryan Meitl from RIVET.Learn more at our website or on our social channels: WebsiteLinkedinFacebookYouTube

Send us Fan MailBrian and Gary discuss adopting Workforce Management transformation among construction contractors and the importance of team buy-in, with new co-host Dustin Acker, RIVET Implementation Manager.Learn more at our website or on our social channels: WebsiteLinkedinFacebookYouTube

Send us Fan MailThe Hot Seat is a burden disguised as a promotion. Some shops call it Director of Field Force. Others, Superintendent. Regardless of the name, it’s a tough job. How long can you ride the lightning before burning out?It doesn’t have to be this way. Becoming the company firefighter isn't something you'll just have to accept because, well, construction is hard. Hopping from job site to job site to job site fixing labor problems doesn't have to be the norm."A little fire prevention helps. The fires aren't roaring up everywhere you look because you're doing a better job managing. That alleviates the burden on that individual quite a bit." – Gary FuchsA Workforce Management platform can help prevent losing your most experienced employees to extreme stress. This week, Brian Witt and Gary Fuchs offer their insights on one of the most exhausting jobs for a contractor.Learn more at our website or on our social channels: WebsiteLinkedinFacebookYouTube

Send us Fan MailBuilding your own Workforce Management platform is expensive. On top of that, makeshift scheduling tools can’t withstand the test of time and will leave you in a lurch when they inevitably fail. Your people will find the limitations of your software far faster than you expect.  It’s a lot harder than it might seem too, because writing spreadsheet macros doesn't necessarily translate to building and maintaining a piece of software. This week's episode takes a deep dive on the hidden hardships of building your own WFM tool.Learn more at our website or on our social channels: WebsiteLinkedinFacebookYouTube

Send us Fan MailLet’s talk about Superintendents. Who are they, and what do they do? This episode is dedicated to the hardworking people in this mission-critical role that are notoriously burdened by administrative tasks and outdated tools to do their job. Learn more at our website or on our social channels: WebsiteLinkedinFacebookYouTube

Send us Fan MailThe devil is in the details. This episode of Construction is Hard takes a look at the perils of runaway detailing budgets.You probably know a Two Week Thomas. Ask him how much longer he’s on a project, and he’ll always give the same answer: Two weeks.“He becomes the guy in the trailer and he's doing all kinds of things. He's emptying the garbage, you know, he's keeping the copier full of paper. He's sweeping the floors.He's doing everything, right? He’s running out in the field to answer field questions. He has no real incentive to come off the job. They need him there. He knows he's needed there.”He’s sinking your detailing budget.This season is all about "lumps of coal," AKA actionable insights that can lead to better business outcomes. For more about Two Week Thomas and life before AutoCAD, listen to the latest episode of Construction is Hard.Learn more at our website or on our social channels: WebsiteLinkedinFacebookYouTube

Send us Fan MailWe continue our chat with Toby Mitchell from Classic Electric & Consulting about tech adoption for contractors. They dive into how software companies are perceived and how important it is to ensure contractors are the right fit for adopting a tool — or it results in a “failed marriage.” Learn more at our website or on our social channels: WebsiteLinkedinFacebookYouTube

Send us Fan MailSeason 2 is here, and this time we brought a friend! Hosts Brian Witt and Gary Fuchs are joined by Toby Mitchell, president of Classic Electric & Consulting. Toby shares insights from his paper, providing a simplified guideline and a starting point for contractors who need a roadmap to make confident decisions when adopting new technology. Visit www.constructionishard.com to read the full article or to listen to more episodes.Learn more at our website or on our social channels: WebsiteLinkedinFacebookYouTube

Send us Fan MailIn the season one finale, Brian & Gary go deep on R.O.I. — return on investment. When you marry Workforce Management principles with a tool fit to the task, you open doors to achieving profits and efficiencies that couldn’t have possibly existed before. Learn the differences between Hard R.O.I. and Soft R.O.I., and how changing up your reporting style can make everyone’s life easier.Learn more at our website or on our social channels: WebsiteLinkedinFacebookYouTube

Send us Fan MailYou’ve implemented the six pillars of Workforce Management. Now what? Sticking to it with a Workforce Management platform, ensuring strict processes and guardrails are in place across the organization to keep things running smoothly. Join Brian & Gary for a conversation all about Discipline. Learn more at our website or on our social channels: WebsiteLinkedinFacebookYouTube

Send us Fan MailJoin Brian and Gary on the sixth pillar in the WFM Business Practice: Productivity. We define Productivity as “units of work placed or produced per man hour.” And it’s not to be confused with Earned Value Analysis, that’s a management and planning technique that measures productivity. Measuring it against your Labor Plan can alert you to profit fade before it’s too late.Learn more at our website or on our social channels: WebsiteLinkedinFacebookYouTube

Send us Fan MailWhy are we talking about Information? Imagine printing out a colored CAD drawing. All the systems are different colors - the power is blue, the fire alarm is red, etc. But then you send the black and white version of the drawing out to the field to save money. The fifth pillar of Workforce Management is Information because prioritizing it can transform your organization from controlled chaos to controlled transparency. Join Brian, Gary & special guest Toby Mitchell from Classic Electric & Consulting breaking down field information, a source of truth and controlled transparency.Learn more at our website or on our social channels: WebsiteLinkedinFacebookYouTube

Send us Fan MailJoin Brian, Gary & special guest Toby Mitchell from Classic Electric & Consulting on the fourth pillar in the WFM Business Practice: Communications. We define Communications as the active push of information to pertinent parties. Why hasn’t construction adopted better forms of communication? It’s perplexing. The reason: there haven’t been platforms to create the right foundation, creating a “central nervous system” so information can be sent the way it should be. Learn more at our website or on our social channels: WebsiteLinkedinFacebookYouTube

Send us Fan MailThe third pillar in the Workforce Management business practice: Scheduling.What is Scheduling? A simple concept, but harder when you really break it down. Brian and Gary define Scheduling as “the process of allocating current employees across multiple projects with consideration to the individual attributes (the Roster), and current or future availability, all done while balancing project needs. Learn about the differences between project and workforce scheduling, and why Scheduling can’t be done with out a platform fit to the task.Learn more at our website or on our social channels: WebsiteLinkedinFacebookYouTube

Send us Fan MailWe’re on Pillar 2 of the Workforce Management Business Practice. If you’re short on labor, but also behind on maintaining your workforce Roster in a software platform, you’re not set up for success in your field operations. Brian and Gary guide MEP and Self Perform contractors on a successful foundation for Rostering.Learn more at our website or on our social channels: WebsiteLinkedinFacebookYouTube

Send us Fan MailA deep dive into the first pillar of Workforce Management pillars: Forecast. Forecasting is a hot topic — it seems like everyone is chasing it. Brian & Gary break down forecasting and discuss misconceptions related to mixing up project planning with long-term forecasting. Learn more at our website or on our social channels: WebsiteLinkedinFacebookYouTube

Send us Fan MailIt’s common in construction to find labor coordinators in a stressed position, and that’s usually because they don’t have the right platform. Without technology in place, the people and processes take on the weight. Learn how Gary searched for a Workforce Management platform for years, until he came across Brian at LaborChart. From there, the duo joined RIVET to specifically focus on serving MEP and self-perform contractors today. Because the RIVET platform is fit to the task, contractors are able to adopt the right technology so much faster.Learn more at our website or on our social channels: WebsiteLinkedinFacebookYouTube

Send us Fan MailBrian & Gary crack open the basics of the Workforce Management business practice uniquely tailored to self-perform and MEP contractors. With technology evolving in construction, the business practice is evolving too.Ask yourself: are you weak in any of these areas, and do you have a software platform to manage each of these with?Forecast: What should our labor plan / resource load be?Roster: Who is in my workforce and what experience do they have?Schedule: Who is available and who will need a home?Communications: Who is gaining or losing crews today?Information: Do the appropriate people have access to the appropriate information?Productivity: What is actually happening and how does it compare to plan?Learn more at our website or on our social channels: WebsiteLinkedinFacebookYouTube

Send us Fan MailInconsistent Workforce Management is the norm across construction. It’s not standard to do labor planning for all projects, but it should be. Tune in to the inaugural episode where Brian & Gary finally unleash a Workforce Management Program that uniquely supports specialty contractors.Learn more at our website or on our social channels: WebsiteLinkedinFacebookYouTube