Improving Business Practices During the Pandemic

Improving Business Practices During the Pandemic

With the recent sudden effects of the Coronavirus pandemic, many General Contractors and other businesses like ours have found themselves faced with unexpected downtime.  The ability for the resorts, builders and our other local industries to weather the storm and resume normal operations is of utmost importance.  

However troublesome this downturn is, the lull provides opportunity for a business to evaluate its own systems and procedures in an effort to improve operations ahead of an eventual return to “business as usual.”

This self-evaluation can come in many forms:

  • Upgrading software to streamline your technical or clerical capabilities
  • Organizing operating procedures for staff and subcontractors to maximize efficiency
  • Revisiting and refreshing job policies, resources and documents

A simple brainstorming session with your team can quickly unearth dozens of areas to evaluate.  After identifying areas of improvement, what are some useful steps one can use to put a shiny new look to those in need of a face-lift?

A recent Mind Tools article (linked here) offers one approach to tackling operation upgrades.  Following a step-by-step guideline like this may not be required each time, but it’s important to take a critical look at problem areas to understand their current downfalls in relation to your company goals.  For most, this will include increasing efficiency and effectiveness, which ultimately boosts profit and customer satisfaction. 

You may consider this if you find yourself with free time and are looking to stay productive.  We hope you all stay healthy as we continue to navigate this pandemic, and we look forward to getting back to some form of normal in the coming months! 

Regards,

RMR Group

 
 
 
 
 
 
View our project photos in our website’s photo gallery.
 
Look us up on Facebook for more photos, content and RMR updates!

How Technology is Transforming the Construction Industry

How Technology is Transforming the Construction Industry

Working in the Mobile Era

Digitalization and Cloud technology are helping to make our building process more accessible, efficient and transparent.  Through the use of many online and mobile tools, we are able to cover more ground as construction managers, while improving the quality of product that we deliver.  We are proud to say that we’ve been implementing many of these strategies for years to help improve our business and customer satisfaction.

The following article expands on how technology and mobilization are used to help construction managers deliver a better, more cost efficient product.

More on how technology is shaping the construction industry

Back to basics

Back to basics

In tough economic times – not to mention the gluttony of excess that put us here – it’s more important than ever to live within our means. This home was designed around a simplistic lifestyle and a craftsman’s custom details. The modern version of an old Forest Service cabin – small spaces need not be predictable or claustrophobic. Predominantly reclaimed, extremely energy efficient and at only 1500sf; a testament to our clients who live large in smaller spaces.

Construction costs jump 5.2% over 2008

Construction costs jump 5.2% over 2008

With steel leading the way, Engineering News Record reports the following figures for March 2009:

20-CITY:
1913 = 100
MAR 2009
Index Value
% change
Month
% change
Year
Construction Cost 8534.05 0.0 +5.2
Common Labor 18015.79 0.0 +5.4
WAGE $/HR. 34.23 0.0 +5.4
20-CITY:
1913 = 100
MAR 2009
Index Value
% change
Month
% change
Year
Building Cost 4766.71 0.0 +4.3
Skilled Labor 8112.22 0.0 +4.1
WAGE $/HR. 45.02 0.0 +4.1
20-CITY:
1913 = 100
MAR 2009
Index Value
% change
Month
% change
Year
Materials 2722.66 +0.1 +4.4
CEMENT $/TON 101.73 -0.3 +0.5
STEEL $/CWT 44.90 +0.2 +9.1
LUMBER $/MBF 414.34 -0.2 -3.9

Read the entire report