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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 138
C
Member
Thanks, macmikeman! I definately will! Already there have been a couple of extras, and changes, so I cant' emagine what else they might have in store for me. Thanks again!

nick

Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 2,723
Likes: 1
Broom Pusher and
Member
Ask the GC for a copy of the schedule (Gantt Chart...sp???).

If they say the infamous "We do not have a Schedule", ask that person "How can anyone be behind schedule if no schedule exists?"

Guaranteed to get some highly unordinary remarks with that one!

Seriously, get a copy of the Schedule, so you know:
* who is doing
* what
and
* When

Like when vendors / Equipment Suppliers are scheduled to install cooking equipment.

This document also gives you an idea of where some Project Managers have decided the work "should be at by a certain date" - giving you an idea of:
* Who is behind schedule
and
* Why.

As pointed out previously by others;
most GCs / Superintendents (typically "Stupid-Intendents") will cry "Behind Schedule" as a default statement, so try not to let it get to you.

Scott


Scott " 35 " Thompson
Just Say NO To Green Eggs And Ham!
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Member
The GC is behind schedule, I don't know how many times I've heard that line, it seems to be a default with these clowns.
Bear in mind, it's not YOUR fault, that the GC can't organise a shout in a brewery.
I've been in places where the Electrician on the job has been panicking to get the power connected, mainly because of pressure from the GC.
All I can say is don't sweat it, your GC will get his sweet power.
Just make sure you charge plenty for the privelidge, I do and the GC pays, otherwise the power gets cut again.

Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,445
Likes: 2
Cat Servant
Member
Those in the chat will remember my last restaurant's job - and its' aggravations. Those aggravations all were defined by one word: Schedule.

The day I first arrived, the GC and the customer insisted the place would be open in two weeks. I said "no way," that there was at least two month more work to be done. I was informed in no uncertain terms as to how wrong I was.
Well, for the next two months ... all I heard was the 'two weeks' pressure. Rush, rush, rush.

Guess what happened? They opened two days shy of two months .... all MY stuff was ready, and working ... and the GC spent another two weeks completing his stuff.

This job progressed fairly smoothly, with minimal delays caused by waits for other trades, or equipment deliveries. If there were any avoidable delays, they were caused by attempts to 'hurry things along' by doing work out of sequence. (For example, my wiring the kitchen was slowed by the customer insisting on using the kitchen as a store-room ... and the GC hanging the drop ceiling grid before anyone's pipes were run).

I came away convinced that the 'time pressure' is an artificial issue, created in the belief that giving you an impossible target will somehow inspire you to herculean efforts. It's just another game, another version of 'more, more .. faster, faster ... cheaper, cheaper."


A second job had an enormous time pressure applied to it. In that instance, the CUSStomer had a complete set of plans approved in January ... then, when I show up in March I was presented with a set of unapproved plans that bore NO resemblance to the original set. The customer was delayed, simply because they tried to short-cut the plan approval process.

This customer was clever, though .... his rep was a sweet, lovable lady, who managed to inspire everyone to really, really want to make her happy. ANYTHING to please her ... if that meant assuring her that winter concrete could set in 15 minutes ... she got the promise. (Then the concrete guys were blamed when it took longer).

Only later did it become clear that her only purpose was to adhere to the original schedule ... in essence, making all the contractors 'eat' the lost two months. The reason: they simply didn't want to pay more rent. As soon as they moved in, the niceness and charm disappeared.

We really should have noticed that she rode to work on a Nimbus 2000 laugh

I've bored you with these tales to make one point: "Schedules" are most often tools for fictional management, and not really schedules at all. Times and dates are pulled out of thin air. Don't let them bother you. As I told that lady: you can turn up the oven all you want; the cake won't bake any faster!

Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 2,723
Likes: 1
Broom Pusher and
Member
Here is something I found a while back, which is a sadistic look at Construction Management.
I think everyone will like this stuff:

Quote

The Real Dictionary of Construction Terminology

Contractor - A gambler who never gets to shuffle, cut or deal.

Bid Opening - A poker game in which the losing hand wins.

Bid - A wild guess carried out to two decimal places.

Low Bidder - A contractor who is wondering what he left out.

Engineer's Estimate - The cost of construction in heaven.

Project Manager - The conductor of an orchestra in which every musician is in a different union.

Critical Path Method - A management technique for losing your shirt under perfect control.

OSHA - A protective coating made by half-baking a mixture of fine print, red tape, split hairs and baloney--usually applied at random with a shotgun.

Strike - An effort to increase egg production by strangling the chicken.

Delayed Payment - A tourniquet applied at the pockets.

Completion Date - The point at which liquidated damages begin.

Liquidated Damages - A penalty for failing to achieve the impossible.

Auditor - Person who goes in after the war is lost and bayonets the wounded.

Lawyer - Person who goes in after the auditors to strip the bodies.


Needs a few more items in there - such as:

Schedule: Printed tool to increase production via extortion.

Submittals: Documents which place your payments in a locked safe, while the persons required to approve them take off to Tahiti for 2 Months on the day of submission, then do not review said documents for an additional 6 weeks after returning to work.

RFI: A written plead for an answer, which gets placed into the Black Hole on someone's desk - never to be replied upon, until the 3rd copy gets E-mailed to everyone possible.

FWO: The beginning of free work!

Lead-Time: The time it takes to get anything, which makes sense to you, but not to the people who must approve submittals.

I'll come up with some others later.

Scott


Scott " 35 " Thompson
Just Say NO To Green Eggs And Ham!
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 348
I
ITO Offline
Member
All GCs are liars, no exceptions.


101° Rx = + /_\
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,391
I
Moderator
Originally Posted by ITO
All GCs are liars, no exceptions.


Many would say the same about all sub contractors.



Bob Badger
Construction & Maintenance Electrician
Massachusetts
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 348
I
ITO Offline
Member
Yeah like anyone would believe a GC.


101° Rx = + /_\
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,391
I
Moderator
Originally Posted by ITO
Yeah like anyone would believe a GC.


LMAO grin

I really did not mean GCs I meant anyone that hires sub contrators....but that was pretty funny. smile


Bob Badger
Construction & Maintenance Electrician
Massachusetts
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 348
I
ITO Offline
Member
LOL...my mouth sometimes gets me in trouble.


101° Rx = + /_\
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