Once a contract is received, a contractor must properly prepare the project for his project manager. It is very costly for the contractor if the project manager is handed a project in disarray.
No one knows more about the project than the estimator of record. Therefore, the estimator should care for all details to prepare a project for turnover to others.
Depending on the project size, the average length of time for an estimator to properly do this work is three to five days, larger project may require more time. It will be well worth the time spent for your project manager, project foreman, material expediter, and most of all, your bottom line.
Once you have a signed contract, the estimator of record should finish estimating his current projects. Then, he should be allowed to spend the necessary time to properly prepare the project.
The benefits of a proper project turnover:
It lets your foreman know that the project is important to the company.
Equipment packages can be ordered early with verified quantities.
It allows you to prepare a list of RFI’s for the pre-construction meeting. The sooner mistakes are found and corrected, the better.
The foreman can immediately begin to organize and plan the work instead of counting and verifying material quantities.
The Project Manager can immediately begin purchasing equipment and materials and start the submittal process.
It provides your purchaser a complete bill of materials. It provides feedback on material pricing. It also provides a check to prevent materials being order not related to the project.
Contractors make money for installing electrical equipment. The faster the equipment is installed, the more the labor savings and the more profit. A project foreman should be organizing tools, materials, and information so electricians can install the project efficient as possible.
Remember, the project manager must be efficient and when handed a detailed organized project, this will allow for the greatest efficiency of installation.
This process is taught in detail through onsite training with sample estimates, reports, bill of materials, and books given to each person in the process. Please contact me for more information.
Remember, estimating is expensive, poor estimating is costly, but quality estimating is profitable.
Don Kiper – 905-941-1611