Tracy Mulqueen
Publisher, FEDA News & Views
CEO, FEDA
[email protected]
It’s been a while since News & Views has highlighted best practices to manage each stage of a bid response or design-build project. As the industry cautiously, but optimistically, pursues new facility design and construction, it is an especially good time to review the latest information and dealer insights.
As Welbilt CEO Kevin Clark mentions in this issue’s Industry Insights column, it’s important that dealers continue to expand their services and capabilities to keep pace with the increasing demands of operators. He also suggests that dealers be strategic about the partners with whom they do business. This issue outlines how dealers can strengthen their performance throughout the design-build process and other services and carefully evaluate and select the right companies to work with, generally.
This special section, “Taking a Project to Completion,” begins with a brief review of the steps dealers should consider when bidding on various scopes of a project. This includes evaluating whether a potential project partner is a good fit, as well as identifying “win themes” that can increase the chances of being awarded the project. From there, we move into a discussion of design-build planning and execution strategies that can elevate dealer performance in this competitive market. The article shares guidance from the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), along with recommendations from some of our own industry’s design-build experts.
Design-build projects are endlessly complex and often include several partners to move from concept to completion. Given the financial and legal unpredictability in today’s environment, it’s important to ensure the project’s contracts offer as much protection as possible. To help dealers navigate this delicate component, contract information and resources from the DBIA are provided.
Lastly, Centerpiece Founder and CEO Sam Grote discusses how the right project management software can make design-build projects and overall dealer operations more successful. Sam describes the industry’s current challenges related to outdated technology and a lack of standardization and proposes new and innovative solutions for project management technology, including centralization, workflow automation, analytics, and long-term support.
90th Anniversary Marks FEDA Turning Points
FEDA is working diligently to support dealers in the areas of technology, business and economic advocacy, workforce needs, and industry research. This year marks FEDA’s 90th anniversary and this milestone coincides with several significant turning points for the association, including a formal roll-out of its own industry software and support center, a new Standards Committee and important new project partners. These announcements will be shared in the next several weeks.
As this is a critical time of change for the industry, I encourage every dealer, no matter what size or business type, to become involved with FEDA in some way this year — and plan to attend this year’s Oct. 24-27 conference in Frisco, Texas. FEDA can make it easy for individual dealers to attend the conference and I would love to assist in any way possible — please contact me at [email protected].
We need the full strength of our membership to move forward with new efforts that will benefit all dealers and our partners throughout the industry. We welcome your generous help and ask that you let us know how you could best contribute.