The Building BITE Proactive

Please tune in to this episode of The Building BITE Podcast, as we hear from industry experts about key topics to help you be successful. The Building BITE host Mike Diercksen, CRIS, welcomes Nick Demonte, Cement Mason Coordinator, and Tim Nelson, Plastering Coordinator at ITF OPCMIA.

We begin the episode by discussing Nick and Tim’s professional career, which eventually lead them both to an educational role. Nick and Tim share the new technology they are bringing to the industry and demonstrate the need to incorporate these new strategies due to the labor workforce continuing to shrink. Nick and Tim leave provide excellent insight into the labor force at large, and ultimately leave us with three key takeaways.

1. Recruit: As an industry, we are losing more workers than we are bringing on and we need to find ways to recruit diverse talent. Using tools such as the VR Simulator is just one way that we are looking to engage with both our existing prospect pools and to expand into new groups that may not have otherwise looked at the trades.
2. Train: It is not enough to simply get more people to join the labor work force, but we need to train these new workers to be able to hit the ground running and shorten their learning curve. Using these technologies enables the industry to do exactly that, while offering opportunities to existing laborers to renew certifications and enhance their own experience.
3. Retain: As it stands, industry data shows that in the coming years we will be losing four workers for every one that enters the labor workforce. Investing in technology and demonstrating to new workers the career opportunities available to them will be instrumental to retention rates and the long-term success of our industry.

To learn more about how you can better prepare your firm for the opportunities ahead, listen to our full podcast episode with Nick and Tim on “Virtual Training, Enhancing On The Job Learning.”

Please like, share, and subscribe to this podcast!

Please tune in to this episode of The Building BITE Podcast, as we hear from industry experts about key topics to help you be successful. The Building BITE hosts Chris Epps, LEED AP and Mike Diercksen, CRIS, welcome Hyder Naqvi, CEO at Injala, and Matthew Bogobowicz, Product Manager at Injala.

We begin our episode discussing how both Hyder and Matthew both found their way into the insurance business, acquiring the necessary experience to ultimately launch a product such as Injala. Specifically for Hyder, combining a passion for technology with an early family introduction to the insurance industry allowed him to think critically about the challenges we face, and look to provide a solution through the Injala offerings. Hyder and Matthew walk us through these opportunities to expand how we manage our industry, leaving us with three important action items.

1. Have a Formal Risk Management Process In Place: While it can appear daunting, it is imperative to have a formal risk management process in place. Regardless of the size of your company, look to utilize the expertise of your strategic partners such as your broker and trusted vendor partners. Not everyone is going to be able to employ a full-time Risk Manager, but working alongside these partners who specialize in risk management will be vital to your success.
2. Be Driven by Outcomes: Creating a standard process has long been an effective method of generating measured and desirable outcomes. With that in mind, it is important not to lose sight of the “why” behind those processes. It can be easy to fall into a false sense of security within these internal systems, so think critically to make sure you are not just checking boxes as you go. Ask yourself, am I achieving the desired outcome through this process? If the answer is no, it is time to revisit your thinking on the topic.
3. Incorporate Technology: We all use technology to some extent; however, you should not allow yourself to become complacent. Technology is always pushing the boundaries of what is possible, and likewise, you should look to engage with your technology partners to continuously ask what else you can be doing. This dialogue will not only sharpen your ability to think critically of how to maximize your internal systems but can strengthen the partnership with your technology vendors.

To learn more about how you can better prepare your firm for the opportunities ahead, listen to our full podcast episode with Hyder and Matthew on “Solving Network Organization, Advancing Beyond Excel Spreadsheets.”

Please tune in to this episode of The Building BITE Podcast, as we hear from industry experts about key topics to help you be successful. The Building BITE hosts Chris Epps, LEED AP and Mike Diercksen, CRIS, welcome David Guerino, SVP and Managing Director of Captive Insurance at KeyState Companies, and Scott Allan, Chief Risk Officer at STO Building Group.

We begin the episode by discussing David and Scott’s professional careers in the construction and insurance industries that eventually lead them to partnering together in creating a captive. David works to help demonstrate some of the many nuances around setting up captives while Scott shares his firsthand experience in the matter. From there, we have a great conversation which is highlighted by our three key takeaways.

1. A Captive Is a Great Tool: Captives are formalized funding mechanisms that are regulated and can vary depending on where they are domiciled. As a potential risk mitigation solution, they are uniquely designed to help you manage and mitigate the cost of your risk.
2. There Is a Misconception Around How Risk Is Transferred: Just because you have formed a captive does not mean that the risk has been eliminated. It is important to educate owners and the C-Suite regarding best practices within the captive and discuss effective strategies when deploying their risk mitigation resources.
3. Partner With Strong Business Partners: Like all business relationships, it is important to make sure you are selecting strong partners that align with your business. Choosing the right team to be your Captive Manager can determine how effective your new risk mitigation strategy will be. These trusted relationships will play a key role in the current and future success of the program.

To learn more about how you can better prepare your firm for the opportunities ahead, listen to our full podcast episode with David and Scott on “Understanding Captives as an Alternative.”

Please like, share, and subscribe to this podcast!

Please tune in to this episode of The Building BITE Podcast, as we hear from industry experts about key topics to help you be successful. The Building BITE hosts Chris Epps, LEED AP and Mike Diercksen, CRIS, welcomes Jennifer Wilkerson, VP of Innovations and Advancements at the National Center for Construction Education and Research or NCCER.

We begin the episode by discussing Jennifer’s professional career, where she started as an educator, and then transitioned to a family welding business with her husband. Eventually, Jennifer found an opportunity to combine her passion for education with the construction industry and joined NCCER where she has been able to help develop new training and education for the workforce of both today and tomorrow. Jennfier leaves our audience with three powerful takeaways with regards to the labor pipeline.

1. Shop Class is Not Dead But They Need Your Help: Look to reengage with your local high school and universities and their shop class program. There are still opportunities to connect with these programs and demonstrate a career path for those who are looking for an alternative to classroom higher education.
2. The Pendulum Has Swung Back Towards CTE: There has been a shift in our education system with a renewed focus on Career Tech Education. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by, as these programs are looking for valued partners to fulfill the needs of their students.
3. Carpe Diem: We can’t wait 5 more, 10 more years to address the workforce shortage. With college debt rising and society looking to reexamine potential career paths, the time has never been better to engage with your local programs. Schools, parents, and students alike are all looking for alternative solutions if college is not for them, and a career in construction could be the answer many of them are looking for.

To learn more about how you can better prepare your firm for the opportunities ahead, listen to our full podcast episode with Jennifer on “Understanding and Maximizing the Construction labor Force Pipeline”

Please like, share, and subscribe to this podcast!

Please tune in to this episode of The Building BITE Podcast, as we hear from industry experts about key topics to help you be successful. The Building BITE hosts Chris Epps, LEED AP and Mike Diercksen, CRIS, welcome Damien Caldwell, Co-Founder and CEO of ASG National.

We begin the episode by discussing Damien’s professional career, where he was able to get a diverse knowledgebase through various stakeholders of the Insurance and Technology market. Eventually, Damien met his business partner and developed ASG National to help the industry improve their data integration using a proactive management mindset. Damien leaves our audience with some great advice in his three key takeaways.

1. Take Control of Your Data: Data is the new currency which is why there are industry partners that may appear hesitant to share it. We as an industry are getting more adept at understanding the value in our captured data and it is on us to make the most of it.
2. Proactive Management: Evaluate yourself and/or your program, make sure that your focus is on being proactive. Effective Risk Managers will tell you that this is imperative in risk mitigation. If you are always putting out fires, worried about what’s urgent and not what’s important – you’re not being proactive. Take a step back, re-evaluate and start using your data to identify patterns of failure, to help create a corrective plan to get you to where you need to be.
3. Evaluate Your Tech Needs- Crawl / Walk / Run: Whether your company is on board with investing in technology solutions or just getting into it. Successful executions require a well laid out plan. Understand your needs versus your goals or wants in your technology. Don’t wait to get the Astin Martin of technology when you have an approval to get a BMW.

To learn more about how you can better prepare your firm for the opportunities ahead, listen to our full podcast episode with Damien on “Insurtech, Helping to Improve Outcomes Through Proactive Management”

Please like, share, and subscribe to this podcast!

Please tune in to this episode of The Building BITE Podcast, as we hear from industry experts about key topics to help you be successful. The Building BITE host Mike Diercksen, CRIS, welcomes Arnie Didier, Co-Founder and COO of Forest Business Network.

We begin the episode by discussing Arnie’s professional career, where he had great insight into the logging industry and leveraged his knowledge to grow and develop what is now an international Mass Timber Conference. We look to better understand the opportunities offered within Mass Timber and how the conference provides a multitude of tracks and education opportunities for the industry's various stakeholders. As always, our guest leaves us with their three key takeaways:

1. Sustainability: It has become clear that the need to find sustainable building practices is here to stay. There is a true need within our industry to lead by example and be part of the solution rather than being left behind waiting for someone else to lead.
2. The Numbers Need to Make Sense: The proof is in the pudding, and we now have enough completed Mass Timber structures to validate that the numbers do in fact make sense. From small developments to twenty-five story buildings, we can now point to specific examples in the market where these projects provided cost effective and desirable solutions.
3. The Only Constant is Change: Change is happening in our industry, and we see great examples of that, specifically within the residential building market. With greater market visibility and success, we believe this will continue to drive additional industry-wide changes, leading to more mass timber projects.

To learn more about how you can better prepare your firm for the opportunities ahead, listen to our full podcast episode with Bret on “Mass Timber, An Evolution In Sustainable Construction.”