Project Execution

Resources

White Paper | Lean & Quality | Published 09.01.2023

A Comparative Analysis of Continuous Improvement Approaches Among Trade-Contractors

Lean processes enable continuous improvement. This collaborative study focused on trade contractors’ adoption of continuous improvement principles, methods, and practices. The procedures used to analyze the trade contractor capture a snapshot of the successful adopters’ methods and practices throughout their operations. Conducting case studies of successful adoption helps us to profile the processes and business …

White Paper | Procurement & Materials Management | Published 07.17.2023

Managing Supply Chain Disruption

Between 2020 and 2022, your business likely received phone calls from vendors to notify you that key equipment or material deliveries were delayed – and that instead of being readily available in inventory, it would be months before they arrived. Perhaps you even had a vendor that told you they were unable to confirm a …

Report | Procurement & Materials Management | Published 12.08.2022

The Contractor’s Practical Guide on Tool Management

Tools are critical to the everyday tasks of any sheet metal and HVAC contracting firm. They are responsible for significant direct project costs in the order of tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. Such costs are exacerbated when tools are poorly managed, which, for example, can lead to inadequate use of tools, safety …

White Paper | Project Management | Published 01.07.2022

Effective Project Close-Out For HVAC/Sheet Metal Contractors: Sucessful Practices Guide

Construction project close-out has long been a challenge within the industry – especially for HVAC, sheet metal and mechanical contractors – leading to the closeout process lingering way past the project completion.  Two core players within the construction industry are the Mechanical Contractors, responsible for heating, cooling & plumbing, and HVAC/Sheet Metal Contractors, responsible for …

Report | Productivity, Project Management | Published 12.10.2021

The Executive Order Impact on COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors

On December 7th a federal district court in Georgia issued a nationwide injunction blocking the federal government from enforcing its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors (and subcontractors) as set forth in Executive Order 14042 and the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force’s Guidance for Federal Contractors and Subcontractors (“Task Force Guidance”). Under the Task Force …

New Horizons Foundation Pandemics and Productivity Report on COVID-19

Report | Productivity | Published 07.13.2020

Recovering Loss Project Dollars from a Pandemic Event: A Comprehensive GuidE

Register to view the Webcast on Demand. Businesses face extraordinary financial challenges when  unanticipated events, like pandemics, occur. Our in-depth report, “Pandemics and Productivity: Quantifying the Impact,” offers valuable insights and practical strategies to help CEOs, project managers, financial executives, shop and field superintendents, and change order process stakeholders recover unexpected costs and navigate the …

Productivity Tracking in the HVAC & Sheet Metal Industry for Design, Manufacturing and Installation

Report | Productivity | Published 05.30.2019

Tracking Construction Workforce Productivity Improves Operations and Profitability

Tracking productivity in specialty construction is key to project profitability. Yet it has been an ongoing challenge for HVAC/sheet metal contractors who manage a high degree of off-site work. To complicate matters, few industry standards exist for tracking construction labor productivity, leading to a lack of clear best practices for contractors in improving construction productivity …

Cover Sheet - Impact of Prefabrication on Productivity

White Paper | Modularization & Prefabrication | Published 01.01.2017

White Paper: The Impact of Prefabrication on Productivity

This white paper offers a set of best practices to optimize the use of prefabrication to obtain peak productivity for HVAC and sheet metal contractors. The study was informed by 1) an industry survey, 2) a series of case studies, and 3) detailed productivity and prefabrication analyses. This publication: Adds to the understanding of how …

Cover Sheet of Off-Site Construction, Modularization, and Sheet Metal Prefeb Report

White Paper | Modularization & Prefabrication | Published 04.01.2015

White Paper: Off-Site Construction, Modularization, and Sheet Metal Prefabrication: Trends, Current Practice, and Recommendations

This paper focuses on off-site construction from the perspective of prefabrication, and installation of preassembled building components within “traditional” site-built construction project delivery methods or systems. The paper validates the savings identified in earlier reports and adds definition and dimension to the advantages associated with prefabrication and modularization in the MEP and HVAC and sheet …

Cover Sheet - Building a Culture of Continuous Improvement

White Paper | Lean & Quality | Published 07.01.2013

Building a Culture of Continuous Improvement

Continuous improvement, as used in this paper and in the industry, is the name of an approach to improvement known and used around the world for decades. It applies to processes in the office, project or anywhere within the organization. The major components of continuous improvement are often referred to as an acronym, DMAIC: Define …