Persinger Can a bid require that materials be made in America? Do public works agencies have to accept materials that don't meet bid specifications? Can an agency adopt safety specifications, even if they limit potential project bids? As attorneys involved in public works, we have some of the answers and they might surprise you. We decided to write partly because some suppliers choose not to meet quality, performance and safety standards and then threaten a lawsuit or otherwise attempt to level the playing field. What can public works officials do to prevent this from happening in their next competitive bid?
BURNS It took the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and a 300% increase in construction to support the war on terrorism for me to look at the project delivery process in a new way. That increase was on a $500-million existing construction program I inherited that was over budget and over schedule. So I seriously needed to improve our process and better partner with architectural, engineering and construction firms to face those challenges. The key was looking at project delivery as interlinked steps, realizing each step influences the success or failure of the next. At an airport last year, I
GENBERG You, the companys regional director of sales, are sitting at your desk when your good friend and colleague Joe, visibly upset, tells you the "operations guys" are complaining that "sales" underbid the project, "as usual," and operations wont "take the hit for it this time." You, of course, find these remarks not only inaccurate but defamatory. With poor Joe shaking in front of you, and your own career suddenly shaky, you spot justice two feet away: your computer. All you need do to keep this outrage from gathering steam is to blast the historic incompetence of the operations team.
MAYER My recently completed doctoral research project, entitled Sources of Competitive Advantage in U.S. Engineering Firms, sought to uncover important factors affecting performance in design firms. Drawing upon a survey of the largest 300 firms from ENRs Top 500 Design Firms, in-depth interviews of senior executives and CEOs of firms, and a detailed postal survey, I evaluated a series of strategic factors that included: The importance of geography, such as proximity to the client. Innovation. Diversification of markets, services and geography as a growth strategy. The role of partnering. Utilization and investment in technology. Key sources of market and technical
HANSPAL You can never be too rich or too thin, so the saying goes. But some parts of the building market may now be feeling too rich. The continued record-low mortgage rates of the past two years proved a boon to construction in 2004. In February 2005, the U.S. Commerce Dept. and the National Association of Home Builders reported that housing starts jumped 4.7% in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2.159 million units, the highest pace in 21 years. But nothing lasts forever, especially low interest rates. Builders need to think lean for the future or they
Irwin In the wake of President Bushs re-election, the war on terrorism and the reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan continues unabated. Contractors working in Iraq and Afghanistan face tough challenges, including an increasingly perilous security environment, coupled with much public scrutiny worldwide. But on top of that, working in the region often involves dealing with a difficult overlay of U.S. sanctions, laws and regulations. Few people are aware of the complexity and broad scope of such sanctions and many do not appreciate the fine efforts by many companies to adhere to these rules in a most challenging environment. Economic sanctions
Educators, government and media are growing more concerned about the erosion of the long-standing U.S. edge in science and engineering. Undergraduate university engineering education, in particular, is in trouble, threatening our nations wealth and prosperity. NIKIAS In 1985, more than 76,000 engineering degrees were awarded in the U.S. Since then, the number of graduating engineers in America has declined by 20%. China, Japan, India, Russia and Europe now graduate substantially more engineers than we do. China and India produce almost 320,000 engineers annually. This year, U.S. universities will graduate less than 60,000. Losing Product Many observers propose relaxing visa
LAIBSON There is a pervasive and malignant myth in the construction industry that companies should not hire older employees simply because they are older. Life in the 21st Century has changed and firms cost themselves money and valuable resources by dismissing out-of-hand a pool of smart and dedicated older workers. Resumes that show that a job applicant has 30 years of experience obviously indicate that the candidate is at least 50 years old, maybe 55, maybe even 60. Some companies make assumptions about such people that are stereotypical and usually wrong: the candidate is over the hill and lacks energy
Recently, while visiting the ENR Website, I was intrigued by a request to take part in an instant poll addressing jobsite theft. The poll listed specific tangible items such as tools, materials, equipment and the like. As a staff archi- tect for an architectural firm, these items are not in our realm of everyday objects that we encounter in the storage cabinet or workplace. Sure, many of our colleagues make off with pencils, whiteout, paper clips and such, though their disappearance hardly affects the profitability of the firm. But one area of jobsite theft that unfortunately often is tolerated and
TRIPATHI In an election year, Republicans and Democrats can agree on at least one thingthat highway spending is essential to win re-election. They also know that in order to maintain our national economic health, we must fix our aging and distressed transportation system. Yet after prolonged squabbling between Congress and the White House, the Senate only recently passed a $318-billion transportation bill with a seemingly veto-proof margin of 76-21. The Presidents proposal, in comparison, is a modest $256 billion. Some in the House last year proposed a Cadillac version worth $375 billion, but lawmakers there now are considering a $275-billion