Category: Subject Matter Experts

Planning and Projecting to Manage the Workforce

Posted on by Mandy Brown

Planning and Projecting to Manage the Workforce

Faron Belone

During my time as Field Ops Manager, I have seen substantial growth in how we manage our field workforce. Being able to identify peaks and valleys in the workforce needs on job sites is vital to the stability of our company. Knowing our boundaries and working together as a team to navigate through this dynamic industry has helped K2 Electric grow consistently over the years.

We pride ourselves on being able to meet our customer’s schedules while strategically chasing upcoming projects and opportunities for our team. Below are some of the key tools we have in place to help manage our current workforce of 150 plus team members:

  • Labor Loader Spreadsheet (Created off historical data of past projects to allow us to project future needs)
  • Weekly Projects Meetings (Address schedule and manpower needs for each project in a team setting)
  • 3 Week Look Ahead Scheduling (Allows managers to review what foremen are planning)

Keeping an updated and transparent labor-loaded chart of ongoing and upcoming projects allows preconstruction and management to be on the same page when making future company decisions. Experienced field and management leadership coupled with established processes and procedures help make a typically demanding job an exciting one for me. We at K2 are completely prepared and well equipped to handle any project opportunity presented to us.

John Jordan Advises How to Determine an Accurate Project Budget

Posted on by Mandy Brown

John Jordan Advises How to Determine an Accurate Project Budget

One of the most challenging elements of pre-construction and budgeting is working with minimal information to develop an early-stage budget that comes close to the final contract number without eroding the established profit margin goal.  Our client partners come to us with a scope description, limited drawings, and possibly specifications, to assist in developing the budgets required from their client owners. Keeping the end user and architects design ideas, expectations, and concerns at the forefront of the budget process is critical.

While general contractors often have an idea on cost, they need us to use our knowledge of similar projects to produce a price that validates the budget and identifies items that may cause budget issues as the project documents are developed.  To be exact would be nearly impossible but we know we must be within a tolerable margin over/under the final value to best serve the needs of our clients. To combat these obstacles our team has many tools in the toolbox:

  • Drawing from personal and team experience
  • Historical estimating data
  • Evaluation of market trends to avoid misses in material and labor escalation costs

Our team has done a fantastic job of documenting previous project estimates and pulled important information into an easily digestible spreadsheet to help our customers feel confident in our pricing.  Utilizing an experienced group of people that have been in the AZ construction market for many years, K2 is able to help our clients reach their end goal of a successful project that balances the design team’s intent with the owner’s budget constraints. Building confidence in our clients with persistent effort, reliable communication, and accountability is the key to creating a genuine working relationship.

IT Manager Discusses Technology in Construction

Posted on by Mandy Brown

IT Manager Discusses Technology in Construction

I think that technology is underutilized in many construction organizations. There are many new software and hardware resources in the marketplace that could benefit the industry. Computer vision, deep learning, and virtual construction just to name a few.  Companies now are leading a charge toward equipping the field with a whole new suite of tools that utilize some of these newer technologies.

Here at K2 Electric, one technology that has fundamentally changed how we handle constantly evolving construction drawings and field documents is called “Plan Grid.”  It allows our field team to always have access to the latest set of documents in real time. They can get on their laptop, pull up a print, and immediately be notified if a new revision has been posted.

Through the pandemic, mobility has become the name of the game. K2 launched a full work from home fleet right as the stay-at-home order hit. We were prepared for the situation with all the right remote tools at our disposal. We even saw our best year, right through the middle of a chaotic time. I have seen massive improvements in efficiency and tooling since being at K2.  As the IT Manager I strive toward making everything as clear for the employees so they can use the tools without fighting the technology. It gets increasingly difficult as the whole landscape of technology shifts faster than things can be taught, but I remain confident that K2 will stay ahead in its plans to be the best equipped electrical contractor in Arizona.

K2 Electric Utilizes Construction Analytics to Manage Risk

Posted on by Mandy Brown

K2 Electric Utilizes Construction Analytics to Manage Risk

One of the most crucial questions that management within the construction industry must ask themselves is “how will we manage our business risk?”.

While the answer to this question is not one-size-fits-all, all sizes must find a fit that fosters sustainable business continuity.  One of the ways we have managed risk at K2 is through construction analytics.

Construction analytics is the process of collecting, analyzing, and monitoring real-time data to improve capital project outcomes, reduce risks, and uncover critical insights.  Our team was able to draw on decades of experience in the electrical contracting industry to identify the analytics that have been crucial to how we have managed risk.  This, in turn, has led to significant growth over the years by helping us answer imperative questions, including:

“Should we bid on this project?”

“How much should we bid?“

“If we bid on this project, will we run into problems on any of our other jobs?”

“Can we exploit the risk inherent to this job to gain a competitive advantage, or should we avoid it altogether?”

Four common ways of dealing with risk are to avoid, reduce, transfer and/or accept.  With the use of automated reporting, KPI’s and financial/operational dashboards, we have been able to find a balance between these risk responses that allows us to provide a higher quality product at the best prices, all while maintaining the highest safety standards.

Linda Spiller Gives Advice to Other Women in Construction

Posted on by Mandy Brown

Linda Spiller Gives Advice to Other Women in Construction

Linda Spiller

We value each and every one of our team members here at K2 Electric, and this month we are celebrating the women in our company for all they do not only internally, but how they impact the entire construction industry. Linda Spiller, Scheduling & A/R has done so much for the K2 team…. Linda gave us some background on how she got into the industry, what her day-to-day looks like, and advice for other women in construction.

Q: Tell us how you got into construction.

Linda Spiller: My dad got an electrical engineering degree in the Navy and worked in the commercial/industrial field his entire life. On the side he built spec homes with his younger brother who was a GC.  As a kid I enjoyed helping with all of it but was most fascinated by the electrical side of things. I never really thought about it as an employment field until I ended up working for a neighbor in a small electrical contracting office. I enjoyed learning more about it in a commercial/industrial setting. Since it was a small office, I would help with material pickup and delivery when needed. This got me out of the office and out to see vendors and customers. I have worked in different types of offices, including the corporate world but always made my way back construction offices. It is where I am happiest.

Q: Share one way you try to help pave a way for other Women in Construction.

Linda Spiller:  Encouragement is always a strong motivator for me. I try to encourage those who want to be in the field to take steps necessary to get them where they need to be. As a kid I would sometimes hear things, like why do you like to build houses and fences with the boys? My reply was simple, “because it is fun.” It did not discourage me that I was the only girl working with a group of boys. I was determined to learn new things and I love the outdoors. Also, I try to encourage those who are considering qualified personnel to give everyone an equal chance. All persons, regardless of rather they are male, or female should be considered for a position if they are equally qualified.

Q: What’s your favorite thing about your job?

Linda Spiller: One thing I like the most about my job is knowing that I can make a difference. It is my job to help many people throughout the day and I enjoy it. I help field employees, team members, managers, vendors, and customers. It is a good feeling at the end of the day knowing that I made someone else’s day easier by doing something either directly for them or behind the scenes. I also get to hear about advancements and new products in the trade through conversations with those I am helping.

Q: Walk us through a typical day for you.

Linda Spiller: Planning is a big part of my day. I plan, daily, weekly, and monthly tasks and meetings so that nothing gets missed. I start each day checking email and check it at least two more times throughout the day. I get emails at three different email addresses for work. I immediately answer or take steps to complete the short order stuff and priorities. I flag for follow up the items that are not going to get done right away. Because I preplan there are certain activities that need to get done on different days of the week such as collections, pulling prelims or requesting AP waivers. Scheduling is a very busy activity that takes place off and on most every day. I schedule service calls that come in and I schedule small projects, some of which have different manpower needs each day. New customers and new jobs are entered on the master job list, in the accounting software and in the appropriate folders. Billing is another busy part of my day. Service calls are billed within 2 days and small projects are generally billed once per month. Along with billing, I assist with other project paperwork such as close out documents when needed, certificates of insurance, badging if needed and any other project specific paperwork. I attend several regularly scheduled meetings throughout the week and complete other task such as checking timecards for payroll and notarizing waivers or other documents. I also help with the new hire on boarding when we get a new team member to the service/small projects division. Of course, none of the things I mentioned would work smoothly if it were not for good communication. I am in constant communication with my team, customers and vendors when needed. We communicate via email, phone, text and in teams.

Q: What’s one piece of advice for other women looking to get in this field?

Education and hands-on experience are of the upmost importance. Construction is a vast field even within a specific trade such as the electrical trade. There are many different jobs ranging from things like the field labor, administration, engineering, management, logistics, safety, and teaching. Learn a little, explore a little and never give up your pursuit. Rather you want to work more in the physical side of things or in an office capacity, it is important to stay educated in the field and to grow as an employee and a person.

David Blake Shares Why K2 is a Great Place to Work

Posted on by Mandy Brown

David Blake Shares Why K2 is a Great Place to Work

David Blake

David Blake started his role as HR Manager in the beginning of 2020.   During his exploratory conversations about joining K2 Electric with Jared Kredit and Matt Kuiper, they shared about the company culture and how they had several long-tenured employees.  This was a big selling point for him.

When he joined the team as the Human Resources Manager, he was excited to meet everyone and hear their thoughts on what is behind K2 Electric’s company culture and why K2 Electric is such a great place to work.  Well, COVID-19 happened and hindered him from having those opportunities.

After he got settled into K2 Electric and got used to life working from home, he still wanted to know what makes K2 Electric “tick”.  He needed to get some real feedback from the people who know K2 Electric best…the employees!  In the Fall of 2020, David rolled out our first Annual Employee Survey.

He recently sat down with Jared and Matt again to really dive into the results of the employee survey.  After the meeting he came away impressed with the overwhelmingly positive responses.  The survey was very insightful into finding out what makes K2 Electric “tick”. With over 90% participation the following strengths of K2 are accurate and sincere:

  • K2’s Family culture
  • Teamwork
  • Safety is a top priority
  • Employees feel they have opportunities for growth and development
  • Employees feel valued and appreciated

The survey also reiterated that our Core Values of Safety is Essential, Perform to be Preferred, Genuine Relationships, and Advancing the Team are the driving force behind everything we do at K2 Electric and the reason for our great company culture.

While the survey confirmed that K2 Electric is doing many things well, it also showed that the company has a great opportunity to turn some weaknesses into strengths.  This coming year David is excited to further develop additional education and training opportunities for our employees, find ways to streamline communication, and make sure K2 Electric continues to offer first-class benefits.

He looks forward to seeing what everyone has to say in 2021’s survey.

Nicole Gambescia Discusses Energy Management Trends

Posted on by Mandy Brown

Nicole Gambescia Discusses Energy Management Trends

Over the years, energy management has drastically changed, incandescent to CFL to LED.  Originally LED lamps being large, not available for all fixtures, not dimmable and requiring lamp designs to keep the components cool and functioning.  To make the changes and upgrades were quite expensive and not an off the shelf item at your lighting supplier or local home improvement store.

Now – available in everything you can imagine and then some, single LED diodes on strips, dimmable, color changing capabilities to different lumens in the individual fixture or lamp, making color match to existing lighting easier and future changes possible without a fixture of re-lamp change being necessary.  Fixtures and lamps are available that are Wi-Fi capable to communicate back to a lighting controls or even a smart phone.

The world of LED is vast, and the applications keep improving and allowing the end user to not only save on energy consumption but make the changes within a reasonable budget.

With each change, as a company you must stay informed of the new technology and its applications. As we all continue to navigate through the ever-changing times, K2 will continue to adapt and provide our customers with the best solution to their energy management needs.

K2 Partners Discuss Brand Promise

Posted on by Mandy Brown

K2 Partners Discuss Brand Promise

K2 Electric, in the Valley since 2003, has a distinct culture built around their core values. In a recent employee survey, about 90% of team members said they know what is expected of them at work and have the resources to complete their given tasks. K2 is proud of their internal training, their commitment to safety and empowering their employees with opportunities to learn and grow. This translates directly into their brand promise of:

Teamwork:

  • Commitment & trust
  • Open lines of communication
  • Diversity of capabilities
  • Adaptable to changing conditions
  • Confidence and freedom to make decisions

 

The three partners sat down earlier this year to reflect on their brand promise and recently discussed what value and experience their customers can expect to receive. It is their hope to deliver on this promise and to continue to perform to be preferred. Below is what they had to say…

 

How do you exemplify the five pillars of your Teamwork brand promise? (Jared Kredit, President)

Commitment & Trust:

No matter the challenge, when we are on a project, we are committed to whatever it may take to meet deadlines and get it across the finish line.

Open Lines of Communication:

Robust internal process of regular coaching for improved performance.

Externally, we are a phone call away, transparency and access to executive leadership are a cornerstone of our communication strategy with clients.

Diversity of Capabilities:

Operating throughout the state of Arizona, direct for owner or G.C. subcontractor, design build to labor support, and a full suite of specialty disciplines like thermal imaging we aim to be a value add solution for whatever our clients may need.

Adaptable to Changing Conditions:

In a digitally advancing marketplace we continuously equip our teams to meet the industry and our client’s needs to stay with the latest in software and hardware to meet schedule and performance demands.

The labor market is continually being constrained by a lack of new skilled workers, so we look for ways to develop that talent and to optimize more efficient ways to construct with a less experienced labor force.

Confidence and Freedom to Make Decisions:

We develop and train our team members to empower them to deliver consistently for other team members, clients, and industry partners.

 

What are some best practices to putting this brand promise into action? (Nick Kredit, Estimator)

K2 maintains an environment internally and externally that allows our team members to admit missteps without fear of reprisal.  Processes like incident reports, team leadership meetings and 30-day reviews enable us to learn and create a culture of honesty.

Embracing technology by giving every field leader a Surface Pro with programs like PlanGrid and Blue Beam has enabled our team to promptly receive information and perform at the highest level on today’s quick build schedules.

 

What are some benefits of K2 offering diversity of capabilities? (Matt Kuiper, Vice President)

By being diverse in many areas clients can count on us to not only perform large project work but offer 24/7 support in Service and Special Projects as well. We are experienced in other specialties like lighting retrofits and thermography making K2 a one stop shop whether you are a G.C., or a small business owner.

Our clients like to work with people who understand their needs and can offer solutions unique to them. By having a diverse team, we can accommodate these unique challenges and offer better, more tailored solutions. A diverse company helps us form stronger, more authentic relationships with a broader range of customers, allowing us to outperform competitors long-term.

 

How has adaptability been beneficial to K2, especially this year? (Nick Kredit)

K2 has never shied away from entering new markets.  If it requires electricity, we will figure out a way to build it.  This attitude has opened many doors for us over the years and placed us into markets like solar and large multi-million-dollar projects.

Our flexibility and resilience were put to the true test this year when we shut down our office but had to continue to operate our business and build jobs safely.  Our team stepped up immediately by using new software programs to work remotely and swiftly implementing new safety guidelines in the field.

 

How can leadership help support and empower their team to have the confidence and freedom to make decisions? (Matt Kuiper)

To me the (5) key elements are:

  1. Consistently encourage and promote training and developmental programs
  2. Instill a culture of communication by being approachable and transparent as leaders
  3. Set clear and measurable company goals
  4. Involve employees in making influential company decisions
  5. Recognize team members for outstanding work

Jared Kredit Shares His Experience as a Young Leader

Posted on by Mandy Brown

Jared Kredit Shares His Experience as a Young Leader

Jared Kredit

Background

Prior to joining K2 Electric full-time, Jared spent summer and winter breaks away from college to work as an entry-level field employee, gaining hands-on experience within the core competency of K2’s electrical construction scope of work. Since joining K2 full-time in 2008, Jared has worked in all aspects of preconstruction, held various roles in back-office accounting and administration, and served both Project Engineer and Project Manager functions.

Expertise

Jared has had his fair share of successes, though not without some challenges along the way. K2 has grown from a small business with approximately 50 employees to a medium-sized operation boasting 100+ employees, presenting the need for a more complex organizational chart and strategic leadership. Jared was instrumental in leading this charge, transitioning from a doer/manager to a leader and strategist. Through trial and error, as well as advice from peers and mentor advisors, Jared was able to accomplish personal and organizational growth.

Experience

Jared is a member of the Young Professionals Committee for the Associated Builders and Contractors and has served on the Board of Directors and Apprenticeship Committee for the Independent Electrical Contractors Association. That paired with his extensive knowledge of the industry, and his experience in various roles at K2 have shaped him as a strategic leader for K2.

Mr. Kredit has overseen the growth and development of the K2 team, and continues to build relationships and position K2 as a leader in many markets.

Leadership

As President, Jared provides strategic leadership for K2. Working alongside the other executive and operational leaders, he sets the goals and expected outcomes for the organization and its subdivisions. He has established the vision and values that shape K2 Electric’s culture and he continues to develop, manage, and maintain important client relationships and overall marketplace presence.

Jared has had many professional accomplishments as a young leader, but he is especially proud of the K2 team for having some very successful 2020 quarters even despite a lot of headwind. He comments, “It is amazing to witness the results of years of disciplined focus on team development that have resulted in having all seats in the organization chart filled with the right people firing on all cylinders. In what could have been a chaotic period, the K2 team relied on the efforts of prior years to execute on two important elements of our business: Perform to be Preferred and Genuine Relationships.”

Future

As a young leader, Jared has experience growing into a leadership role. His advice for the next generation of leaders is to, “get uncomfortable, learn continuously, and seek out mentors.” He also suggests getting to know yourself through self-development and personality assessments in order to discover your strengths.