Purchasing

We continue our quest for quality with the careful selection of subcontractors.  This is facilitated by our “open-book” project delivery system in which the  subcontractor’s bids are available for review and discussion.  This gives us the freedom to be far more selective in choosing the lowest QUALIFIED bids, from subcontractors with known track records. 

  • Prequalified subcontractor pool is maintained.
  • Prequalified subcontractors and suppliers are solicited during the bidding phase.
  • Proposals are evaluated and awarded according to “Best Value” to the Owner.
  • Procurement schedule is rigorously enforced.

Project Management

  • Product Submittals are tracked and reviewed for compliance with contract documents and schedule.
  • Requests for Information, Proposed Change Orders and Change Orders are proactively managed.
  • Weekly project meetings are facilitated and documented by IDEA with mandatory compliance on action items required of all Stakeholders

Safety

IDEA has maintained an outstanding safety record, throughout its 21 year history.  In fact, we had ZERO lost time accidents for 16 years, until 2002 when we had two relatively minor accidents occur during the same week.  Fortunately, both of these injuries were minor and the injured employees were able to quickly return to work.  These injuries resulted in an Incident Rating for 2002 of 7.97.  Until then we had a Incident Rating of ZERO and a workers compensation modifier of .67.  Since 2002 IDEA has again maintained a ZERO Incident Rating and is working to exceed our previous 16 year record for zero lost time accidents.  IDEA’s current workers compensation modifier is .72.

IDEA is currently one of a select number of contractors utilizing the DBO2 Safety Net Program.  This is a leading edge safety inspection, reporting, and tracking program that revolves around daily safety inspections using a Palm device to collect and record the data.  The results of the inspections are uploaded into a database where information can be extracted for very specific analysis and training, or compared to benchmark data from other participating companies.  In addition to the DBO2 daily inspections, we conduct weekly job site safety meetings, and monthly in-house safety training. 

As a minimum, IDEA’s operations staff, from the V.P. of Operations to the superintendents, must complete the basic OSHA 10 hour course.  Our V.P. of Operations, most of our project management staff, and some of our superintendents have completed the more comprehensive OSHA 30 hour course.  IDEA supports ongoing training in safety, first aid, and specific risk education courses. 

At IDEA, safety is a fundamental and non-negotiable part of everything we do. 

Quality

  • Quality is defined as “conformance to requirements.”
  • Quality checklists are utilized to measure conformance to design documents.
  • Pre-task planning meetings are conducted for all trades.
  • IDEA’s structured approach to Quality Assurance / Quality Control results in consistent execution of the work and all processes.
  • We insure quality through several initiatives beginning with our review of the construction documents.  Our knowledge and understanding of these documents is on par with the design team’s.  This applies to our estimating staff and continues with our project team.  Seeking this level of understanding results in a dialogue between IDEA and the design team that identifies and minimizes mistakes and misunderstandings. 
  • During construction, we follow all industry standard procedures regarding Requests for Information, Submittals, Shop Drawings, Close-Out Documents, etc.  We always provide a highly experienced, full time superintendent, who has the support and oversight of the project engineer, the project manager, the V.P. of Operations and IDEA’s President. 
  • As the project executive, our V.P. of Operations is involved with virtually every project, on a daily basis.  In addition, our President holds weekly project review meetings in which he reviews the superintendents’ Daily Reports, and discusses progress with the project team.  The project manager and project executive make routine job site visits.  Our President makes unscheduled job site visits. 
  • At critical stages in the project, such as before a concrete pour, management conducts extra inspections with the architect and engineers, to identify problems while they are still easily corrected.  At the completion of various subcontractor’s scopes of work, we conduct internal milestone punch-list inspections to identify problems before they are compounded by other trades.  Then, as the project nears completion, we again conduct internal punch-list inspections in order to minimize the architect’s final punch-list and expedite the owner’s occupancy of the new facility. 

Scheduling

  • Suretrack Critical Path Method (CPM) schedules are updated once or twice monthly depending on size and complexity of the project.
  • Actual progress is compared to scheduled progress.
  • Three week look ahead schedules are used.
  • If any phase of the project falls behind schedule, a recovery schedule is implemented.
  • IDEA has an extremely impressive track record of on-time completion of projects.
  • Punch List and project close out are accomplished in an expedited manner.

Cost Management

  • Job cost are “open book” with the client.
  • Cost to Date, Cost to Complete and Projected Final Costs are maintained on an ongoing basis.
  • Allowances and Contingencies are tracked and reconciled.
  • Savings are returned to or shared with the Owner.