CONFERENCE DAY ONE

Thursday, May 2

7:00 am Conference Breakfast & Networking

7:50 am Chair’s Opening Remarks

Combatting Supply Chain Issues

8:00 am Sharing an Overview of Inflation, New Starts, Jobs & Construction Spending During Times of Increased Uncertainty

Synopsis

• Factoring new construction starts, cashflow and volatility into account to better forecast the expected volume of work over the next 12 months

• Understanding construction spending forecast over the next 2-3 years: How should you plan your business growth? • Determining which indices track inflation: How do you calculate and track inflation, and which indices should be used to accurately report costs?

• Tracking job growth vs. spending growth vs. volume of business growth to improve your understanding of the health of your firm

9:35 am Morning Refreshments & Networking

10:20 am Collaborating With Manufacturing & Vendor Partners to Overcome Supply Chain Disruption

Synopsis

  • Engaging earlier with suppliers to ensure you can secure critical materials in advance and reduce project delays
  • Assessing supply chain vendors with innovative approaches to streamline your procurement strategy
  • Navigating the complexities of second-tier supply chain issues to circumvent potential bottlenecks and allow for a smooth flow of materials

11:00 am Panel Discussion: Investigating Alternative Methods of Procurement to Ensure the Completion of Projects on Time & on Budget

Synopsis

• Addressing all procurement strategies and vendor options to maintain project progress despite specialized equipment delays

• Strategically sequencing to take long-lead items into account and reduce the impact of delays on the overall project timeline

• Working closely with clients and trade contractors to encourage collective problem-solving and mitigate the impact of extended lead times

Track 1: Conceptual Estimating

Chaired By: Mel Barrett Varley, Chief of Conceptual Estimating, Helix Electric

1:10-2:55pm Calculating Contingency


1:10pm: Panel Discussion: Establishing Transparency in Early Estimating to Determine an Appropriate Cost of Contingency

• Actively updating historical project data to improve cost projections and mitigate
uncertainties surrounding contingency in early estimation
• Sharing your own contingency costs with trades so that you are able to form a collaborative cost of contingency that protects both organizations
• Discussing with trades where contingency funds are most likely to be needed to enable better allocation and reduce the overall cost of contingency

Charles Esteves, Preconstruction Director, Consigli Construction

Sue Bhattacharjee, Director of Preconstruction, Herrero Builders 

John Shampton, Chief Estimator, Utah State DFCM


1:50pm: Letting Go of the Status Quo – The Case for Migrating Preconstruction to the Cloud

• Learn why introducing change to your preconstruction process or workflow is hard but necessary for growth
• See how identifying the cloud-based solution & partner is imperative to protecting business efficiency
• Gain insights on effective implementation strategies and overcoming adoption hurdles

Aaron Henderson, Director of Channel
Management & Product Marketing, STACK Construction Technologies


2:25pm: Panel Discussion: Establishing Transparency in Early Estimating to Determine an Appropriate Cost of Contingency

• Delving into the power of innovative tech tools in the preconstruction process

• Understand why navigating the complex landscape of preconstruction requires more than just managing a list of priorities

• learn how to deploy technology strategically to unlock new levels of efficiency and insight demands

• Explore firsthand experiences from industry leaders, to explore how technology is not just a facilitator but a catalyst for continuous improvement and breakthrough achievements

Grant Stucker, Strategic Account Executive, Beck Technology


2:55pm Afternoon Refreshments


3:50-5:10pm Mitigating Challenges in Early Estimating


3:50pm: Uncovering How General Contractors Can Work Better With Trades to Create More Aligned & Accurate Project Estimates


• Understanding and analyzing how trades develop their estimates at a granular level to mitigate contingency costs that you have already factored into your own contingency plan
• Identifying potential budget shortfalls with trade contractors for early impact analysis and resolution
• Conducting pre-qualification discussions with trade contractors to minimize the likelihood of trade contractors budget shortfalls and reduce the risk of lien

Dave Loether, Senior MEP Estimator, Mortenson 

Jeff Kuhnke, Project Executive, Grunau


4:30pm: You Can't use BIM for Conceptual Estimating, Can You?


• Is AI take-off any good?
• What can you use from a BIM file at concept stage?
• What happens when the model is updated?

Tony Shaw, Product Solutions Director, RIB Software


5:00pm: Streamlining Your Conceptual Estimating Process to Consistently Meet Tight Client Deadlines


• Developing rapid response capabilities to maintain quality of your estimate, despite limited time and resources
• Creating standardized estimating templates and procedures tailored to your specific project types to expedite estimate creation
• Building client confidence in your organization to enable the negotiation of deadlines

Edward Hiney, Chief Estimator, Nasco Construction Services 

 

Track 2: Estimating Best Practice
Track 3: Design Phase Coordination
Track 4: Preconstruction Departmental Management
Track 5: Client Leadership
Track 6: Integrated Preconstruction

12:10 pm Lunch Break

5:40 pm Preconstruction Happy Hour