Boss keeping projects on "warming plate"
Boss keeping projects on "warming plate"
(OP)
What is with this policy? I realize that it is to maximize profits, but if a client is paying a substantial fee for complete and correct engineering calculations and drawings, isn't he being cheated? When all these projects are kept on the "warming plate" until they are due in 3 days, then there is the mad rush to do the engineering and drafting, there is absolutely NO way to do the job well.





RE: Boss keeping projects on "warming plate"
What is your take on the reason why? Everybody always has a reason for what they do, even if it does not turn out to be a GOOD reason...
RE: Boss keeping projects on "warming plate"
RE: Boss keeping projects on "warming plate"
RE: Boss keeping projects on "warming plate"
RE: Boss keeping projects on "warming plate"
in reality in are office it is often a result of the architect taking months to fiddle with their part of a project and then finally finishing it and asking for something in a few days. it is also a management style. If i don't release the project to the staff they can't bill hours to it.
RE: Boss keeping projects on "warming plate"
RE: Boss keeping projects on "warming plate"
From numerous postings from you, I totally hear you about architects' demands on project dead lines and last minute changes.
Typically, I demand that all necessary information (affecting the structure) be provided to us by the architect 2 weeks prior to THEIR dead line. In addition, any changes that affect structural work after that point shall be provided in writing (alternately, clouded CAD version with a written narrative). I make an agreement with the architect that making these subsequent changes are not guaranteed, depending on the structural design impact.
What about last minute mechanical changes? After working so diligently framing out all the units, latest background indicates units shifted from your equipment support framing. I'm sure you've encountered this problem.
It is a good idea to develop a relationship with the architects that you work with to, in a way, train them to provide you with what you need in advance. It is not an easy task... It is an on-going process.
Regarding your 3 day dead line rush, I just want to say "You can't finish a 1000 hour job in 1 hour with 1000 engineers".
RE: Boss keeping projects on "warming plate"
HVAC68
RE: Boss keeping projects on "warming plate"
Too much information is dangerous!!!
Once I furnished details of a minor shutdown in Microsoft Project. Someone double-checked the schedule by summing the durations of the tasks. Needless to say that his completion time was different then ours
RE: Boss keeping projects on "warming plate"
HVAC68
RE: Boss keeping projects on "warming plate"
"But according to the time needed you would be finishing on Friday" My answer sh.. I didn't acount the holiday on wednesday
RE: Boss keeping projects on "warming plate"
What happens with the last minute rush is
(1) Chances of more mistakes.
(2) Somebody reviews it and asks for additional information/data, which is again required on war-footing basis - additional pressure - again chances of mistakes.
HVAC68
RE: Boss keeping projects on "warming plate"
RE: Boss keeping projects on "warming plate"
Then when they are maxed out, they will hand the work out faster requiring more work per person to be done. Then chain of command will get bonuses for working more efficiently.
Welcome to the world of big business and beuacracy. :)
RE: Boss keeping projects on "warming plate"
Nope, this isn't a large company, nor do we have legions of managers. There are less than 10 engineers and drafting techs. All management is done by the boss-man.
RE: Boss keeping projects on "warming plate"
Your boss has probably also observed that engineers are like gases in that they will fill up whatever time is available. He might be taking this idea to the extreme and assuming that it goes both ways and that you're compressible.
This kind of stuff is why I gave up on building design and went back to school. I've told myself at this point that I'll work for anybody but an architect. The relationship is almost always disfunctional because the information and fee come down the same path -- from the architect to the engineer. It's different as compared to architect / contractor relationships. The info goes from the arch to the contractor but the contractor's fee comes from the owner. When the fee and info come down the same path, it's bad news. They can give you whatever they want whenever they want and if you don't like it, they'll hire somebody else. It happens. At my last job, we were that other firm in some cases. Architects told us that one of the reasons they hired us was because we would do just about the whole building without much of anything from them while others would not. They used our drawings to help create their drawings. My bosses loved this of course, but it was terribly difficult for people in the trenches (like you! and formerly, me).
14159
RE: Boss keeping projects on "warming plate"
"Typically, I demand that all necessary information (affecting the structure) be provided to us by the architect 2 weeks prior to THEIR dead line. In addition, any changes that affect structural work after that point shall be provided in writing (alternately, clouded CAD version with a written narrative). I make an agreement with the architect that making these subsequent changes are not guaranteed, depending on the structural design impact."
I'd like to know how you pull that off! I've seen that kind of thing tried countless times and the bottom line is still that "they can send you whatever they want when they want and if you don't like it they'll hire somebody else."
What's the recourse if they don't give you the stuff that you're demanding? It's not like you have any teeth to do anything about it, and the architect surely knows this. He also knows that he can get somebody else to do the work (like my old firm) if you become too demanding.
Can you actually get this to work? I've tried stuff like that but it becomes almost like a joke after a while. It's usually that they're so far behind that they can't give the info even if they wanted to, so they really need for the engineer to just do the best they can and send the drawings in this chaotic manner.
At my old firm, we had one huge client that was forced by the owner to use a local engineer on one project. They said that he did a decent job but that there's no way they'd use him again because he was too difficult to deal with when he had a lack of information. This could be a great thread all by itself -- how to get ahead of your competition by taking beatings better than the other guy.
14159
RE: Boss keeping projects on "warming plate"
Disgruntled design level architect does not have much impact on whether an architectural firm retains or releases their consultants.
Architect may ask "design me a house". Structural engineers asks "how many floors, what is the shape of the roof, with a basement, etc." It is not "possible" for us to design without 20 (or more) questions. Prudent architects actually know the extent of information they need to release to the structural engineer at various stages of design. I put them on the endangered species list.