With all of the A/E/C industry-related content published on this blog in May 2019, it's easy to let some important articles slip through the cracks, and get lost in the clutter. In an effort to keep you up-to-date on the hottest topics, PSMJ has compiled a list of our top ten most-viewed blog posts from last month.
10. Data Dive: Fewer A/E Firms Satisfied Their Bonus Program Drives Performance – All attributes of a bonus plan should align to produce the results the architecture or engineering (A/E) firm needs to achieve success. If not, the bonus plan won’t be an effective tool for either the owners or the employees.
9. How to Make the Best Valuation of Your Firm – Small architecture and engineering firms owners are likely to be fielding offers again. So if you've been thinking of cashing in, it may be a good time to get a valuation. Also, beware of low-ball offers.
8. Top 5 “Hot” Markets Show Increased Proposal Activity– Marketing spending, M&A investments, and strategic hiring all need data (not guesses) to drive results. While data on overall construction activity and billings are helpful, these are actually lagging indicators because they refer to work already in-progress or completed.
7. 9 Secrets to Holding Ineffective Meetings – Good meetings are organized, well facilitated, and have a clear, preconceived purpose. But there are always those meetings that seem like a waste of time from the get-go.
6. Recent A/E/C Mergers and Acquisitions in the News – Here’s a recap of some of the latest A/E/C mergers and acquisitions that have been announced in recent weeks.
5. 20 Ways to Overcome Project Problems – No matter how carefully you plan your project and protect yourself against the possibilities of trouble, problems will arise. You will fall behind schedule, or you will run over budget.
4. 10 Ways Your Firm Can Benefit from a Strategic Alliance– Forming a strategic alliance isn’t a walk in the park, but when it’s planned correctly and the parties commit the right level of leadership and resources, you can win work that was previously out of reach.
3. Gen Z is in the Building: How to Attract, Engage, and Retain the Next Generation of Employees – Many architecture, engineering, and construction (A/E/C) firms are barely starting to crack the code on how to work with Millennials. And now, they have a new challenge on their hands: Gen Z. Gen Z will comprise 20 percent of the workforce by 2020, so there isn’t much time to get ready.
2. Intellectual Property Rights: What Architects Need to Know – Architectural ideas are intellectual property just as much as a novel is the intellectual property of its author. In fact, one of Congress’s most important responsibilities is “to promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries,” as stated in Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution.
1. Ten Characteristics of A Good Schedule – Is it really critical that an architecture or engineering project manager have a project schedule? Most clients and design firms will probably answer the question with “You must be kidding! Of course, you need a schedule, and a good one at that.
Thank you contributing to the growth of the PSMJ A/E/C Pulse blog in May 2019! For an archived list of our past blog posts, click HERE. We look forward to continuing to bring you powerful tips and top news from the A/E/C industry.
Thank you for reading!
Now its your turn: We invite you to submit a blog post on any hot topic related to the A/E/C industry.
