Business Boosters
Good project managers think three weeks ahead
By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group. Exceptional project management isn't about staying busy. It's about staying ahead. One of the biggest differences I've noticed between average project managers and exceptional ones has very little to do with experience, personality or technical knowledge. It has everything to do with where ...
The small decisions that protect roofing margins
By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group. Margins are built — or quietly eroded — through hundreds of small choices. When contractors talk about profitability, the conversation usually turns to estimating, labor costs, material pricing or overhead. Those are all important pieces of the equation, but after spending more than ...
Why material staging deserves more attention
By Emma Peterson. Experienced distribution partners play an important role in helping contractors manage site constraints, moving materials efficiently and keeping projects progressing without unnecessary delays. When contractors try to plan ahead for issues on the jobsite, they often are thinking about things like weather delays and unexpected additional repairs. ...
Fresh eyes see what experience sometimes misses
By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group. Sometimes improvement doesn't require new technology or expensive equipment. Sometimes it starts with asking a question. One of the things I've always appreciated about bringing a new employee onto a roofing crew is the questions they ask. Sometimes those questions seem simple.Sometimes they're inconvenient ...
Roofing work affects more than the roof
By Cotney Consulting Group. Learn about planning roof work around an occupied building. When a building remains occupied during a roofing project, the work can affect employees, tenants, customers, residents, deliveries, parking, access and normal day-to-day operations. Noise, dust, odors, equipment movement and temporary closures can create problems even when ...
The first hour on the jobsite predicts the entire project
By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group. The first hour on a jobsite isn't just another sixty minutes on the schedule. It's where preparation meets execution. I've walked onto enough roofing projects over the years to know that crews usually understand how the day is going to unfold long before lunch. ...
The jobs you don’t take can be just as profitable as the ones you do
By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group. Some projects make your company stronger. Others simply make it busier. One of the hardest lessons a roofing contractor learns isn't how to estimate a complicated project or manage a difficult customer. It's understanding that not every project your company can win is a ...
AI will not fix a broken process
By Cotney Consulting Group. Fix the process. Standardize the work. Define ownership. Then use AI. Artificial intelligence can help contractors work faster, organize information and reduce administrative effort. What it cannot do is repair a business process that was never clearly defined in the first place. A contractor with ...
Turn market data into smarter decisions
By The Coffee Shops™. The RCMA Quarterly Gallon Report breaks down coating demand and the roof coatings marketplace. Reliable market intelligence can help roofing coatings manufacturers navigate changing demand and identify new opportunities. The Roof Coatings Manufacturers Association’s (RCMA) Quarterly Gallon Report gives participating members exclusive access to industry data ...
When the economic signals don’t agree
By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group. How roofing contractors should plan for slower growth, uneven demand and continued volatility. If you are having trouble deciding what the economy is telling you right now, you are not alone. The signals do not agree. Total nonfarm payroll employment declined by 23,000 jobs in ...
UP TO THE MINUTE
