Job Planning

1. LHAP 301: Job Planning

• Presentation by T, Warke/E. Kawahara

2. Recap:

• Introductory Phone Call - 15 minutes2. Client Interview - 1 hour (ideally)3. Opportunities and Constraints List - .5 hour (ideally)4. Base Map - 1 hour5. Site Inventory and Analysis - .5 hour

Third year intro skills - in real time will hopefully only take 3.25 hours…

• Functional Plans - .5 hour7. Concept Plans (check in with customer) 1 - 2 hours8. Preliminary Master - 3 hours - Allow 2 - 5 hours in addition for negotiating the design by email9. Master Plan and Specifications booklet - 2 hoursa. (supplementary sheets - extra charge)10.Design Proposal meeting (1 - 2 hours)

So, we’ve recapped professionalism and communication and you’ve set the tone for your business relationship through your intro phone call and client interview.

You’ve made up your Opportunities and Constraints list, drafted the basemap and done the site inventory and analysis.

From here, you would launch into the design process - which we will complete in fourth year. The point of showing you this is that hopefully you are able to complete these previous steps with maximum efficiency so you can maximize your profit.

3. The job of the Foreman:Make your company profitable through efficiency and communication

The job of the Foreman:Make your company profitable through efficiency and communication.

• Establish Timelines

Smith Job: 3 weeks… which tasks happen, when? In what order?

• Allocate Assets3)Record Keeping and Reporting

There is a big difference between someone who is good at their job (landscaping), someone who has been at a company for a long time, and someone who is a valuable foreman.

The leap from Labourer to Crew Lead = good at your job AND follows through on instructions.

Crew Lead to Foreman is a big leap… and my experience is showing me that not everyone is naturally cut out for leadership in a company. For some people, it is a

HUGE push, and it honestly might not be the right career choice. What you gain in wages and job security may not be worth the price you pay in stress.

The foreman’s job is to keep the jobsite running smoothly - this means PLANNING.

They need to take the time to plan ahead (VERY few people are able to be efficient and plan on the fly)... maybe that’s unpaid time, maybe its paid but you have to get to work early or stay late.

It means communication and delegation - running your crew and figuring THEM out. A new crew needs to be kept together (also miserable jobs). An experienced crew might be able to divide and conquer. Training needs to be continual and also falls on the foreman. It is of NO value to a company to have a bunch of entry level workers who stay at that level.

They also need to be thinking about the next steps - organizing what’s happening today (tracking against their established timeline) and thinking about tomorrow, and

4. maybe next week (if its a small company and the foreman is...

maybe next week (if its a small company and the foreman is also project manager).

They also need to take the time to keep accurate records and communicate with the office / manager.

It’s a lot of hats. In my company I have had 3 Journeymen work for me who are not capable foremen… and the one who was capable quickly advanced into a Project

Manager position. Those 3 have cost me a lot of time and money as I try to teach them how to do the job, but it is demanding, it is stressful and it is a lot. (And my company is small).

5. Planning ahead

Think of your day-to-day life at work.

• Identify a simple task you routinely complete at work. (Spray herbicide on planting beds)
• Identify what you need, other than yourself, to do the work. (Spray tank. Herbicide. PPE. Water source. Record Book). 3. Identify the steps to completing the job. (Arrive at site. Unload/set up tools. Record weather and site conditions. Mix chemical. Spray. Cleanup. Record Keeping). 4. Identify the required paperwork for your company. (My Timesheet. White copy of sheet to office. Record volume of chemical applied on Timesheet.)

Everyone grab a piece of paper and a pen…

You actually are probably quite capable of basic job planning - it gets a lot more complicated when you have to do it for a full site (over time) including multiple tasks and many people - plus equipment and machinery.

In fourth year, you will learn to make GAANT charts (a management tool for running jobs) - this year we are going to just do a quick group exercise where we overview job flows and see the difference in expectation and responsibility between a worker and a team leader.

6. Job Requirements

Grading certificate for subgrade has been issued only:

You are installing

❏ A stone patio❏ Deck Extension❏ Planting beds with 4 basketed trees, mixed shrubs and perennials, topped with wood mulch❏ Sod in the lawn areas with an irrigation system.

You have a crew of 3: a Journeyman, an apprentice and one labourer

• SEE NEXT SLIDE

Activity:In a group, use your knowledge from construction class and develop a timeline of activities for installation of the items listed here.(20 minutes in class)

When forming groups, make sure someone in the group has construction experience and/or project management experience.

You must mobilize

Equipment - which tools are used?

Materials - What would be new, what might be coming from shop inventory?

• Labour (sub contracts?)

7. Make categories of tasks

Make categories of tasks: 1. Planning2. Rough-in3. Building4. FinishWhich tasks fall under each category?Highlight anything that MUST be done in order within that category (example, should you push full wheelbarrows of mulch over newly laid sod?)

This design is probably in the $40-$50,000.00 range.

8. Job Timeline/Flow

Preparation / Rough in

❏ Utility locates and layout❏ Set Fence Posts and deck posts❏ Underdeck grading❏ Bring in T opsoil❏ Gravel base for paving stones, build firepit and screed?

Softscape / Finishing

❏ Bring in remaining plant material and install ❏ Finish grade❏ Install stepping stones❏ Install lighting❏ Ensure bed irrigation is good❏ Install mulch❏ Install sod❏ Final check irrigation❏ Cleanup

Hardscape / Mid Work

❏ Install 4 Trees❏ Rough in Irrigation❏ Finish deck (joists/stringers, decking)❏ Build Veggie planter❏ Install pavers / edging / cutting / sanding❏ Finish swales / grading❏ Install Lawn Edging

A loose timeline will have been made at time of quote, as well as theoretical materials required… paving stone, etc will probably be on order, but delivery is not usually scheduled for sure.

The Foreman onsite needs to be monitoring materials and planning what’s next, ensuring everyone is working effectively (and has work to do while the foreman is away/busy).

They have to communicate what they need and when - sometimes an office person can call for supplies etc, but they won’t know what to order and when if they aren’t told.

Asset planning and recording is the next big step.

9. Asset Management

Anytime an asset is dispatched to a jobsite, it has to be tracked and billed:

❏Labour❏ Billable time and Nonbillable should be tracked (separately, ideally)❏T ools❏ Trucks and Trailers❏ Gas powered tools / specialty tools❏ Machinery

• ❏Supplies❏ Bulk supply❏ Leftovers from shop…

Asset management is NOT an inherent skill that people absorb on the jobsite. It is something that must be taught, and cultured within a business.

Overhead, in a business, is that category of expenses that are not directly related to a jobsite but are necessary costs to keep the business afloat: Receptionists,

Managers (a portion of consult time may be recoverable, but much is not), Shop lease

/ rent, Capital expenditures: vehicles, machinery, etc,

Companies lose money when overhead skyrockets (you can’t charge the purchase of a tool to the customer, but you CAN charge a km fee for fuel / maintenance or a delivery fee) When staff understand and are good at categorizing expenses, companies are more profitable.

Start by clearly outlining your objectives with the crew for the day.

At coffee breaks or lunch breaks, take 5 minutes to do a check in regarding your progress

10. Assets to Track

NOW, go through each of these items and list the Assets that are required in order to do each phase of the job.

Stone Patio

• How many man hours to complete a standard (300 square foot) patio?● What tools do you need?● What bulk materials do you need?● Run through the steps in your mind and think about logistics - how will you do haul out and delivery?

Now continue through the project as a whole from start to finish

End of Day / Homework.

Review the last 3 slides at start of day 9

11. Recording and Reporting

As a Foreman, you need to be running the crew efficiently, thinking about what’s next, organizing materials confirmation and delivery timing, training new workers, recording assets used and communicating timeline back to base.● What are my tasks right now?● Are we on track or falling behind?○ If so, what do I need to get us back on track?

• What is everyone doing right now? ○ Is everyone working safely and efficiently? ○ Do I need to provide training to anyone?
• What is the next step? ○ Once this is complete, what do I need to get everyone doing, and what do I need in order to do that?

More on Reporting Systems next!

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12. In summary

A Journeyman may be a great worker… But working, alone, is the task of a Crew Member.

T o be successful as a Foreman, one must be a logistical planner, a great T eam Leader, an organized record keeper, and must value communication.

It’s a big leap.

Ideally companies employ an apprenticeship model where all crew members who return are being taught to hone these leadership skills. It’s not enough to just work in a company for 4 years and expect to make Journeyman rate - you have to be functioning at a level that increases your value to the company.