Details about the process to get the work
What you will learn
How the contractor tracks down projects to bid on
How the bidding process works
How the constructor prepares for the competition
The different criteria used to determine the winners
The various factors considered before competing
Description
Before you as a contractor/construction manager can start managing any project, you must have a project to manage. To get a project to manage, the contractor must first find projects to bid and then win the opportunity to build them. Finding and getting work is a crucial factor in the success of a construction firm. Obtaining information about upcoming projects is a big part of the overall marketing effort of the construction company.
Some companies can boast of a certain number of negotiated projects that are just handed to them because of reputation or prior dealings with a happy client. However, in the majority of cases, contractors must compete for their work and their livelihood. In the past, this competitive process was pretty straightforward. But increasingly it has become quite complex, and the strategies employed to win the project require abilities that were not needed before, such as negotiation, presentation, team-building, and communication skills.
The construction industry has always been a very competitive business, and in the future the competition will become even more aggressive. The stakes are higher, the margins are lower, and the skills that must be employed are at a different level. Today all aspects of your game must be operating at full capacity in order to win projects. Owners are much more sophisticated and make much greater demands. But the game is indeed a very challenging one, and the rewards can be significant.
Content