{"id":4027,"date":"2014-10-14T08:00:57","date_gmt":"2014-10-14T12:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.consigli.com\/?p=4027"},"modified":"2020-12-09T11:06:10","modified_gmt":"2020-12-09T16:06:10","slug":"customizing-collaboration-the-power-of-co-located-teams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.consigli.com\/customizing-collaboration-the-power-of-co-located-teams\/","title":{"rendered":"Optimizing Collaboration: The Power of Co-Located Teams"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>MILFORD,\u00a0MA\u00a0&#8211;<\/strong> Consigli\u2019s construction professionals are constantly exploring\u2014looking for the smartest ways to use the tools and techniques of today\u2019s construction management world to help our clients.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCo-location\u201d\u2014establishing one shared physical location where all members of a construction project team collaborate\u2014is one of these techniques. Seemingly a simple concept, it only truly works with foresight and commitment. When done well it saves projects time, money and headaches of all kinds. For Consigli\u2014with examples that include savings of over 5 months and $2 million\u2014when done well, the co-location (\u201cco-lo\u201d) process <em>really <\/em>works.<\/p>\n<p><em>Read on for a look at our optimized approach to co-located project teams:<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How to Reduce Schedules and Changes<\/li>\n<li>How to Integrate Co-Location within Chapter 149A<\/li>\n<li>How We Shed 5 Months and $2 Million from our Last Project in Kendall Square<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In a recent conversation about what \u201cinnovation\u201d means at Consigli, Andy Deschenes\u2014Director of the firm\u2019s cross-disciplinary Project Services Group, and team leader of the firm\u2019s Innovation Initiative\u2014highlighted the example of the firm\u2019s creative tailoring of project team \u201cco-location,\u201d for several distinctly different clients and projects.\u00a0 Andy explained, \u201cThe most important steps to using a co-located team effectively is to fine-tune support of the process at the most senior client level, coach and encourage subcontractors who are new to the process and make the time commitment financially feasible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Recent examples of Consigli\u2019s optimized approach to co-located project teams include:<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How to Reduce Schedules and Changes<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><em>Four-Week M\/E\/P Coordination Reduced to Three Days, Creates Strong Team Bond for Worcester\u2019s Telegram &amp; Gazette Building Renovation<\/em><\/p>\n<p>On the Worcester Telegram &amp; Gazette building renovation, the coordination of mechanical, electrical and plumbing (M\/E\/P) systems had begun in the traditional manner, but once the team had coordinated the first two levels of the building\u2014it was clear a faster process would be needed to keep pace with construction. Consigli\u2019s M\/E\/P Manager, Larry Byron, set up a three-day co-location session with the M\/E\/P subcontractors at Consigli\u2019s field office in downtown Worcester.<\/p>\n<p>Initially there was some concern and hesitation on the subcontractors\u2019 part to participate. As a new working method for the project\u2019s subs, some team members were concerned that it would be a wasteful, time consuming process, rather than more efficient; while others were worried about not having portable computer equipment to use in the shared working space.<\/p>\n<p>To respond to these worries, Consigli prepared the team for the collaborative session by talking through what the working sessions would cover, before they began, and removing issues like lack of field computers and monitors, by providing computer monitors for the subcontractors who were bringing desktop computers. \u00a0Feeding the team each day\u2014 helping them stay focused and together\u2014didn\u2019t hurt, either.<\/p>\n<p>Once the process was underway, the results were excellent. Because the team had the primary decision-makers in the room, they worked floor-by-floor to resolve conflicts and charged through the coordination of the remaining four floors of the building in just <strong>three days<\/strong>, an effort that normally would take <strong>at least four weeks<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How to Integrate Co-Location\u00a0within Chapter 149A<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><em>Accelerated M\/E\/P Coordination for Worcester State University\u2019s Sheehan Hall <\/em><\/p>\n<p>For Worcester State University\u2019s (WSU) new residence hall the project team\u2014client, architects and construction managers\u2014were in happy accord about using building information modelling (BIM) from the project\u2019s very beginning, as well as its continued use for building system coordination with the M\/E\/P subcontractors. At first glance though, it seemed Consigli\u2019s ability to bring other management innovations to this project\u2014 like the early co-location of the full construction team\u2014 would be limited because of the State\u2019s Chapter 149A public bidding legislation, which requires that the trade contractors are selected later, after the construction management firm has been selected. This sequential award process limits the pre-construction involvement of the subs and puts a crunch on construction coordination. This didn\u2019t stop Consigli\u2019s M\/E\/P Coordinator, Matt Ward, from thinking creatively\u2014Matt realized that while the M\/E\/P contractors would not be available as early as is preferred, if Consigli initiated weekly co-located working sessions with the M\/E\/P trades, as soon as they were on board, significant time could still be saved.<\/p>\n<p>And this is exactly what the team did. Initially some of the subs resisted, their concerns varied: it was a new and different way to work, they didn\u2019t necessarily have mobile equipment, they were concerned about their participation limiting their availability on <em>other<\/em> projects\u2014most of all they were concerned it was going to be a waste of time.<\/p>\n<p>To smooth the way, the team provided hardware and software to the subs that couldn\u2019t relocate their own equipment, setting up a collaborative work space in the job trailer. Additionally, the project architect and engineer were invited every other week for direct design team input. Despite the initial doubts, it quickly became clear that these sessions were in fact productive, and without them, coordination would not have been completed in time for the M\/E\/P system rough-ins to be built. A notable success of this co-location team process was in the coordination of the new residence hall\u2019s densely packed ground floor mechanical space. This complex coordination, which typically would have gone on for months with a continual back and forth between the subs, multiple drawing iterations, and countless RFIs\u2014was completed in just four weeks, with minimal revision.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How We Shed 5 Months and $2 Million from Our Last Project in Kendall Square<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><em>Full Team Co-Location\u2014a Key Component in the Success of 225 Binney Street, Kendall Square, Cambridge \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>As part of Consigli\u2019s innovative project strategy for Alexandria Real Estate\u2019s Kendall Square development of the six-story 225 Binney Street bio-tech building, the full team was co-located at the project site\u2014with the encouragement of the private development team\u2014during the project\u2019s pre-construction phase. This skillful collaboration led to an almost <strong>five month reduction of the schedule<\/strong> and over <strong>$2 million in project savings<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Navin\u2014 Consigli\u2019s Project Executive for the 225 Binney Street project\u2014 is enthusiastic and clear about the benefits to clients and the overall project process, when the project team is co-located. \u201cThe co-location of the full project team is invaluable\u2014there are so many ways this creates project efficiencies and savings.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jeff sees the top four benefits of co-location as: 1) reduced inefficiencies associated with waiting for answers in a non-co-located team experience, 2) allows easy access to all design team members in one room, 3) reduced coordination time, and 4) reduced Requests for Information (RFIs). He also explained that, \u201cDuring our Binney Street experience, we also identified the steps that lead to a successful co-location process.\u00a0 We recommend the following guidelines for others interested in using a co-located team approach.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Guidelines for Successful Project Team Co-Location<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Define the overall duration of co-location, and set realistic goals each day<\/li>\n<li>Leave egos at the door. Need team players and good communicators in the room.<\/li>\n<li>Have a comfortable working environment\/make it enjoyable<\/li>\n<li>Identify an overall leader or director in the room<\/li>\n<li>Consider cost and schedule in every discussion or decision<\/li>\n<li>Define roles at the beginning of the process<\/li>\n<li>Involve managers in the process, not just designers or coordinators<\/li>\n<li>Measure progress and action items daily<\/li>\n<li>Hold weekly lessons learned sessions for the team<\/li>\n<li>Use the technologies that fit the needs of the group<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Because It Works: Consigli\u2019s Commitment to Co-Located Team Collaboration<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Today\u2014 when innovation in construction management can be obscured by industry jargon, or seen as simply the newest version of a software package\u2014at Consigli, industry practices and software are where innovation begins\u2014not ends. For this construction management company, true innovation is in the creative thinking that lies behind the day-to-day inspirations and decisions about the ways that move each project to its best conclusion, as efficiently, and as innovatively as possible. Co-located project teams are definitely one of those ways.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MILFORD,\u00a0MA\u00a0&#8211; Consigli\u2019s construction professionals are constantly exploring\u2014looking for the smartest ways to use the tools and techniques of today\u2019s construction management world to help our clients. \u201cCo-location\u201d\u2014establishing one shared physical location where all members of a construction project team collaborate\u2014is one of these techniques. Seemingly a simple concept, it only<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4027","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-insights"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\n<title>Optimizing Collaboration: The Power of Co-Located Teams - Consigli Construction<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.consigli.com\/customizing-collaboration-the-power-of-co-located-teams\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Optimizing Collaboration: The Power of Co-Located Teams - Consigli Construction\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"MILFORD,\u00a0MA\u00a0&#8211; Consigli\u2019s construction professionals are constantly exploring\u2014looking for the smartest ways to use the tools and techniques of today\u2019s construction management world to help our clients. \u201cCo-location\u201d\u2014establishing one shared physical location where all members of a construction project team collaborate\u2014is one of these techniques. 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