Content

Q3 2024 Construction Spending Update (November 1 Data Release): The gradual slowing of construction in the first half of 2024 reversed in the third quarter with slight increases across both Residential and Nonresidential segments. Residential construction increased by 0.5% and nonresidential grew 0.1%. On an annual basis construction spending is up 4.6% form this time…

Q2 2024 Construction Spending Update (August 1 Data Release): The gradual slowing of construction in the first quarter of 2024 continued in the second quarter. Residential construction slowed the most, off 1% from the previous quarter. Non-residential fell a modest 0.4%. On an annual basis construction spending is still up significantly form this time last…

May 2024 Construction Spending Updates: Overall Construction Put in Place was down 0.2% from January to March and up 9.6% over the last year. After several years of growth, nonresidential construction declined 0.2% over the last quarter. It is still up 13.7% on an annual basis. Residential construction was essentially flat in Q1 after growing…

August 2023 Construction Spending Updates: Overall Construction Put in Place was up 0.5% in June 2023 and up 3.5% over the last year. In April, the annual growth number was 7.2%. In general, it appears the growth rate is leveling off. Note that inflations, specifically material prices, have also leveled off in the last year.…

June 2023 Construction Spending Updates: Overall Construction Put in Place was up 1.2% in April 2023 and up 7.2% over the last year. This is an improvement over the 0.3%/3.8% numbers from last month. Nonresidential monthly growth from March to April (1.9%) was up from the 0.7% growth seen between February and March 2023. Residential…

May 2023 Construction Spending Updates: Overall Construction Put in Place was up 0.3% in March 2023 and up 3.8% over the last year. Nonresidential monthly growth from February to March (0.7%) was up from the 0.4% growth seen between January and February 2023. Residential decline from February to March (-0.2%) was an improvement from the…

Earlier this year, Nate Scott, Principal of Continuum Advisory Group, began compiling a monthly US Construction Spending Summary to share with our clients. In this episode, Kelcey Henderson reviews the latest data release with Nate and gets answers to a few questions from friends. Listen in as we discuss highlights of what’s currently going on…

Welcome to Episode 1 of Continuum Advisory Group’s Strategy Miniseries. In this series, we discuss our work with clients on how they can win in their business environment with a focus on the psychology of leadership in our VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) environment. In the first episode, we introduce the four strategic imperatives that…

There has been a huge push for ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and Sustainability throughout the construction industry recently. In this episode, Kelcey Henderson talks to Brian Stamper from Advantic about the drive toward carbon neutral (or even negative) in the data center space.

On the heels of AGC/ConExpo and Advancing Prefab, Kelcey and Clark share a roundup of industry events for the remainder of 2023. These are listed below in chronological order with a link for each. Hopefully, we will see some of you at these! CURT Lean/Offsite Summit (and member meetings) 5/9-10/23 in Clearwater Beach, FL https://www.curtevents.com/event-details/lean-project-delivery-off-site-construction-summit…

In the third episode of Continuum Advisory Group’s Lean and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) Miniseries Clark Ellis and Kelcey Henderson discuss partner selection and how it is different – or should be different – for a Lean IPD project. Kelcey discusses best practices for owners and how to create a community of potential partners who…

In episode 2 of Continuum Advisory Group’s Lean and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) Miniseries, Clark Ellis and Kelcey Henderson discuss organizational adoption of a Lean Construction and/or Lean IPD approach. Kelcey shares keys to success, common pitfalls and watch-outs, as well as a roadmap for how to approach the transformation within your organization.

In episode 3 of the Energy Evolution Miniseries, Clark Ellis discusses the hydrogen energy transition with Patrick Goodman, Fellow in Clean Hydrogen Technologies and Process Engineering Manager at Fluor. During the discussion, Patrick addresses the evolution of hydrogen energy sources, challenges and opportunities on the path to a clean, sustainable energy future, and how Fluor…

Welcome to episode 1 of Continuum Advisory Group’s Lean and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) Miniseries. This series explores a variety of topics and even some tools and processes in Lean Construction and Integrated Project Delivery. In this introductory episode, Clark Ellis speaks with Kelcey Henderson on CAG’s background, approach, and perspectives regarding our work with…

Would you shop at a store where they wouldn’t tell you how much the milk costs? Neither would we. In this episode of the Built Revolution Podcast Clark Ellis sits down with Ken Pinto, Founder of Kenzai USA – an international Supply Chain solutions company, to explore Ken’s practical roadmap for business leaders who are…

Part 2 of our discussion with Zig Rubel, Founder, President, and CEO of Forsight Digital, dives deeper into how prefabrication and offsite construction are evolving the way we design, build, improve, maintain and renovate in the built environment. Zig and Clark’s conversation in this episode offers a more in-depth look at how application-driven results are…

The Built Revolution Podcast explores the evolving role of design in prefabrication in a 2-part discussion. Listen in as host Clark Ellis catches up with Zig Rubel, Founder, President, and CEO of Forsight Digital. Zig operates at the leading edge of design technology for new buildings as an architect who has become a technologist for…

In episode 2 of our Energy Evolution Miniseries, Clark Ellis discusses McDermott’s vision for ESG and sustainability with Sabrina Rajan, Director of Sustainability for McDermott. During the discussion, Sabrina provides an overview of McDermott’s emission reduction targets for Scope 1, 2, and 3, as well as touches on how McDermott is working on decarbonizing construction…

Energy is evolving daily. From commercial construction to infrastructure and industrial applications, every sector is putting in place Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria and working toward Net-Zero carbon emissions goals. In this first episode of the Energy Evolution Miniseries, Victaulic’s Elliott Smith sits down with Uday Turaga of ADI Analytics to discuss the energy…

In this episode, Clark Ellis sits down with longtime industry leader, real estate investor, and developer, Joshua Pollard, to discuss Real Estate development in urban markets and how Healthcare Services are interrelated. Joshua is the founder, CEO, and President of Omicelo, a remarkable company focused on developing sustainable communities using holistic Real Estate investment strategies.…

Change can be hard, especially when there is resistance or misalignment on the approach. Change can also yield big rewards if we work for it. In this podcast, we explore the challenges and benefits of driving real change in a major General Contractor with Rebecca Snelling, National Lean Director for JE Dunn. Join us as…

As the construction industry explores more collaborative business models (Design-Build, Integrated Project Delivery, Operating System 2.0), while facing an ongoing workforce shortage, The Built Revolution Podcast asks the question: What does industry need from universities? And how can we better prepare the next generation of industry leaders? Barbara Jackson (University of Denver), David Stayshich (University…

Continuum Advisory Group has had two female presidents, which is pretty unique for any firm in the construction industry. The current and most recent presidents, Kelcey Henderson and Gretchen Gagel, sat down together virtually from across the globe to discuss the history of women in construction. We recently celebrated Women’s History Month, and we enjoyed…

Innovation is a term on the brink of overuse. It is used to describe major movements, small ideas, and often old ideas wrapped in new vocabulary. Not having a specific definition of innovation is a fundamental barrier to achieving it. This year’s CURT Owner Trends Study explores barriers to and opportunities for innovation in the…

Many organizations are making the decision to invest in Lean Integrated Project Delivery (Lean IPD) and/or Advanced Work Packaging (AWP), but you don’t have to choose between the two. In this webinar Kelcey Henderson, President of Continuum Advisory Group, Clark Ellis, Principal of Continuum Advisory Group, and Olfa Hamdi, CEO of Concord Project Technologies, Inc. compare and contrast these popular project planning and delivery methodologies.

Speed to market is a common driver in manufacturing and life sciences projects, requiring some facilities to be completed before the product and manufacturing process have been well defined. Some facilities may need to be reconfigured for multiple uses during their operational lives. This podcast explores the research that provides guidance on which common core…

Our conversation with Arlen Solochek, FAIA, Consulting Architect, helps owners consider how different project characteristics, market conditions, internal considerations, and participants’ concerns create better (and worse) matches with different project delivery methods. Arlen’s extensive experience on the owner’s side and on the practitioner’s side of capital projects, and his most recent work as Associate Vice…

Can you imagine a major construction site that requires no cranes? Or one that requires no people? Or completely eliminates the permitting process? Check out our conversation with Fernanda Leite, Associate Professor at the Cockrell School of Engineering at UT Austin who is helping to lead the Construction Industry Institute’s (CII) Technology Path to the…

Research Team UMM-01, Achieving Higher Levels of Standardized Facility Design in the Upstream, Midstream, and Mining Commodity Market The design of most upstream and midstream projects is customized to the project’s specific requirements. The widespread use of standard designs, while perhaps providing a less “optimal” solution, could result in significant cost and schedule savings that…

Olfa Hamdi is a global expert in the strategic, construction-driven planning and execution of capital projects. She is an American-trained engineer, inventor, and Silicon Valley entrepreneur who founded the Advanced Work Packaging Institute before co-founding Concord Project Technologies (https://tconglobal.com/about/) in 2016. Please enjoy our conversation from earlier this year, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. We…

Over the past month, capital projects teams across the country — and truly, across the globe — have been pulling out their emergency management plans as the impact of COVID-19 has pushed us all into unchartered territories. Even the giants in our industry are experiencing disruptions in construction, daily operations, and more commonly now over…

Over the past month, capital projects teams across the country — and truly, across the globe — have been pulling out their emergency management plans as the impact of COVID-19 has pushed us all into unchartered territories. Even the giants in our industry are experiencing disruptions in construction, daily operations, and more commonly now over…

Over the past month, capital projects teams across the country — and truly, across the globe — have been pulling out their emergency management plans as the impact of COVID-19 has pushed us all into unchartered territories. Even the giants in our industry are experiencing disruptions in construction, daily operations, and more commonly now over…

Enjoy our conversation with Art Markman, Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, and Executive Director of the IC2 Institute, a “think and do” tank that focuses on innovation and entrepreneurship. We discuss motivational theory, why people do what they do, and how this is relevant in the context of leadership and…

Clark Ellis, Principal, Continuum AG, and Bridget Boix, Principal, Krill Northgate get together to discuss their strategic alliance. Krill Northgate brings decades of experience and best in class primary and secondary market research capabilities to Continuum AG’s clients. Our teams value the same things: excellence, collaboration, and client service. Bridget and Clark enjoyed recording this…

What matters the most to owners, and why? Kelcey Henderson, President of Continuum Advisory Group, and Jose Garcia-Aranda, President of Alberici Global Automotive Constructors, Automotive, moderate a panel discussion aimed at answering that question. Panelists Include: Mike McClellan, Senior Engineering Manager, Toyota Motor North America at Bodine Aluminum Ryan Bader, Executive Director Facilities Planning, Design…

What happens when a business consistently tells Wall Street it is going to construct a specific amount of capital improvements each year but consistently misses? And what happens when any type of owner organization must react quickly to changes in regulations by replacing a significant amount of its asset base but can’t?

Infrastructure projects and operating assets are frequently impacted by regulatory risks. On this episode of the Built Revolution podcast, we spoke to members of the Construction Industry Institute (CII) Power Utilities and Infrastructure Research Team PUI-01, Identifying and Evaluating the Impact of Regulations throughout the Project Life Cycle, on their work and the resources they…

On this episode of the Built Revolution podcast, we spoke to the members of the Construction Industry Institute (CII) Virtual Reality in Construction Research Team. The team conducted Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) user tests on design review and planning tasks, observing both novice and expert participants. The researchers measured and analyzed several indicators of user…

On this episode of the Built Revolution podcast we discuss how member organizations of the Construction Industry Institute (CII) leverage best practice research and benefit from participation on CII committees. Walt Ennaco, who serves as the Director for the Smithsonian Office of Planning, Design & Construction and chair of the CII Facilities and Healthcare Committee…

Our conversation is with Margaret Whelan, Founder, and CEO of Whelan Advisory, a boutique investment banking firm that raises capital for clients in the building space and represents builders for sale. Margaret provides her perspective on what is driving innovation in the homebuilding industry, some of the persistent challenges that the industry must overcome and…

Clark Ellis, Principal and Co-Founder of Continuum Advisory Group sits down with Mona Haggag to discuss key concepts from his article A Fresh Take on Change Management. This podcast covers the hard work of adapting your company to your changing business environment and how it gets easier when your staff comes together to embrace the…

John McManus, an award-winning editorial and digital content director for the Residential Group at Hanley Wood in Washington, DC, joins Clark Ellis to discuss John’s perspective on what is most interesting and most pressing for homebuilders to consider in the next 12 months. John has been a vital part of the conversation on thought leadership…

Kelcey Henderson speaks with Steve Dapper (P&G) in the second episode of a two-part miniseries on Lean Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) projects that won the Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) Project Excellence award in 2018. They discuss this unique project experience and their accomplishments on the Quicksilver Team in Albany, GA.

Stephen Mulva, speaks with Geoff Ryan of Insight-AWP. Geoff has served on the Construction Owners Association of Alberta Workface Planning committee and was one of the key contributors in the development of the industry model for Workface Planning.  Listen to find out more on how to implement Advanced Work Packaging and what lies ahead for…

We strive to find and highlight innovation across the building and construction industries. Sometimes we find it in places that we wouldn’t necessarily expect. Please enjoy our conversation with Zenon Radewych, Principal with WZMH Architects in Toronto, Canada. Learn how his company is innovating in ways that go beyond the typical design firm’s space. Their…

Kelcey Henderson speaks with Scott Rice (P&G) and Kevin Anderson (Fluor) in the first episode of a two-part miniseries on Lean Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) projects that won the Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) Project Excellence award in 2018. They discuss P&G’s journey into Lean IPD, their experience with this award winning project, and key lessons…

The Built Revolution podcast, including co-sponsoring host Stephen Mulva of CII, was thrilled to welcome Ted Blackmon of Construct-X to the show to discuss technology in the capital program delivery space. Ted’s background – he actually worked on the first Mars Rover with NASA – gives him a unique perspective on our industry and the…

The Internet of Things, where all of the physical devices that surround us are connected to the Internet and become super-powered by Big Data, is beginning to impact the built environment. The implications for facility owners, architects, designers, construction companies and those who work and live in these facilities will be massive over the next…

Dr. Pamela Meyer, author of The Agility Shift, joined the Build Revolution podcast to share her thoughts on agility and how to “make shift happen”. Dr. Meyer quoted an MIT study that found that highly agile organizations grow revenue 37% faster and generate 30% higher profits, great reasons for leaders to consider how to build…

Barry Schrock from Chemours and Connie McLaughlin from KBR talk about a recent project involving the implementation of iPads in the field. Barry and Connie share insightful lessons learned on how to drive innovation from the top down and build broad field support for implementation.

Kristen Hansen, world renowned expert on neuroscience and leadership and author of Traction, sits down with Gretchen Gagel to discuss leadership, performance and more.

Storytelling is a hot topic in management today, and the Built Revolution was thrilled to welcome Gabrielle Dolan, author of “Stories for Work: The Essential Guide to Business Storytelling”, to the show. Gabrielle shares tips for how storytelling helps build authentic leadership by giving us all a tool to share our human side at work,…

Ever had a great idea but nobody would listen? Advocating for ideas is an important skill in this era of change and the need for innovation in our industry. The Built Revolution welcomed University of Texas Professor John Daly, who together with CII Executive Stephen Mulva and Continuum Advisory Group Principal Gretchen Gagel, discussed the…

The construction industry is realizing that the “soft skills” are really the “hard skills” and are critical to our ability to collaborate on construction programs. Dr. Peter Senge, famed author of the The Fifth Discipline, joined the Built Revolution to discuss his work in organizational and team learning, systems thinking and collaborative leadership. Dr. Senge…

The Built Revolution was thrilled to welcome acclaimed author and Harvard Professor Emeritus Michael Beer to our podcast. Mike shares critical ideas about building a resilient, agile organization, both from his past books such as High Commitment, High Performance, and his upcoming book, Fit to Compete. Mike’s thoughts on how to build a trusting, transparent…

Unfortunately, Howard Ashcraft can’t make you a martini via the podcast, but he can answer a lot of your common questions about Integrated Project Delivery contracting and how to truly change the way you collaborate with your partners. In this episode of the Built Revolution, Kelcey sits down with Howard (Partner with Hanson Bridgett) to…

Kelcey Henderson speaks with Ryan Maibach, President of Barton Malow, about innovation and driving efficiency through people and relationships. Ryan discusses Barton Malow’s innovation framework, as well as re-imagining and re-imaging the construction industry. In the future, our industry will be able to offer both consistency of experience and certainty of outcome. To get there,…

Kyle Majchrowski’s LinkedIn profile says he has a passion for recognizing reality with others, and bringing folks together to collectively improve our reality. Eight years ago, he and a few colleagues created a forum to discuss common challenges in construction across various industries in a really innovative way. On this episode of the Built Revolution,…

Tom Chermack, noted author, scholar and consultant, talks about scenario planning and its application to the construction industry. In today’s world of velocity and disruption, scenario planning is a critical tool to help organizations “think the unthinkable” and prepare themselves to react to changes in the business environment faster than their competitors. Tom’s insights on…

World renowned management guru Chris Worley is tough to catch – but The Built Revolution managed to connect with him at last months’ Academy of Management conference in Chicago. Chris, co-author of The Agility Factor, is a leading scholar and consultant on the topic of how leaders create nimble organizations capable of reacting to market…

The Built Revolution welcomed Lori Traweek, Chief Operating Officer of the American Gas Association, who shared thoughts on innovation in the gas utility industry, as well as insightful remarks on leadership and the energy industry in general.

The 2017 CURT Owner Trends study revealed a shocking statistic: less than one in ten owners (9% to be exact) believe they are achieving a high level of excellence in total project performance. This year’s CURT Owner Trends Study is focused upon building the business case for construction and the need for true transformational change to…

On this episode of the Built Revolution podcast, Mona Haggag spoke with Charlie Atkinson and Brian Koches on Jacobs’ role as the construction manager for the award-winning $350M design-build GSA LA Courthouse project. This successful execution of the design-build delivery model reduced the project schedule from 7 years to only 43 months, while staying on…

The Built Revolution was thrilled to have Eric Lamb, Executive and Board Member of DPR Construction as a guest. Eric shared how the organization’s work with Jim Collins during its founding in 1990 created the foundational values, such as “ever forward”, that continue to guide employee efforts to drive innovation. Eric also discusses how a…

Ed Schein, recognized as one of the world’s leading experts on culture and leadership, is professor emeritus of MIT and author of several known books. Ed and his son, Peter, joined The Built Revolution to share insights on how leadership shape culture and the importance of teams of people in accomplishing work. Their new book,…

In 2015, General Motors made the decision to sole-source a $1B construction program with Barton Malow, effectively breaking the mold for how GM engages with their construction partners. A team of leaders from both organizations made the decision to strategically invest in the development of a high-performing integrated team across four geographically disparate project sites.…

Brent Darnell has been working to help the building and construction industry understand how to leverage emotional intelligence to improve performance for 20 years. During this podcast, Brent shares his insights on how our industry can benefit from understanding emotional intelligence and implementing new skills that advance our capacity to solve problems, work collaboratively in…

Gretchen Gagel sits down with the Executive Director of Bridges to Prosperity, Avery Bang. Avery talks about her recently released Ted Talk and what it was like to be on the “big stage” for Ted versus doing her earlier TedX. Other topics of discussion include Avery’s year at Oxford studying for her masters, and how…

Gretchen Gagel of Continuum Advisory Group speaks with Rex Miller, Author of The Healthy Workplace Nudge and influential speaker and consultant in the Construction Industry. Rex talks about the ability to see forward, develop the insight to adapt and follow a proven approach for successful change, as well as the exploration of new ideas emerging…

Kelcey Henderson Named New President of Continuum Advisory Group Founder of Construction Advisory Firm Succeeds Gretchen Gagel RALEIGH, NC (May 1, 2018) — Continuum Advisory Group has announced that Kelcey Henderson will succeed Gretchen Gagel as president of the firm. Kelcey is one of the firm’s original founders, and has played a key role in…

Continuum Advisory Group President, Gretchen Gagel, speaks with Linda Holbeche, author and Adjunct Professor at Imperial College London and a Visiting Professor at City University’s Cass Business School, at the University of Derby, and at London Guildhall Faculty of Business and Law where she is Co-Director of the Centre for Progressive Leadership. Their discussion covers…

Continuum Advisory Group President, Gretchen Gagel, speaks with Barb Jackson, Director – Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management, University of Denver. They discuss revolutionary thinking and innovation within the construction industry.

Continuum Advisory Group President, Gretchen Gagel, speaks with Jan Tuchman, Editor in Chief of ENR Magazine. They discuss the importance of technology and innovation within the industry, driving diversity, lean practices and more.

2018 is off to a busy start for our team at Continuum Advisory Group.  We are working with several firms in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction space to build their strategic business development plans for the next five years.  With the US economy is in the midst of its third longest expansion in history, currently…

Episode 3 of the Built Revolution features Noé H. Sáenz, Burns & McDonnell’s business development leader of its petrochemicals sector and founder of the Capital Projects Professional Exchange (CPX), the first association for capital project professionals (individuals) across all disciplines.

What happens when a business consistently tells Wall Street it is going to construct a specific amount of capital improvements each year but consistently misses? And what happens when any type of owner organization must react quickly to changes in regulations by replacing a significant amount of its asset base but can’t?

Episode 2 of the Built Revolution continues our conversation with initial podcast guest Stephen Mulva, Director of the Construction Industry Institute. Please enjoy our conversation as Stephen shares some of his thoughts on how the Construction Industry can transform itself…or be transformed from the outside.

RALEIGH, NC (December 18th, 2017) — Continuum Advisory Group has released the inaugural episode of their new podcast, Built Revolution. Built Revolution is a podcast about how to transform the construction industry, how it’s already being transformed, and how professionals can get in on the action. It explores this topic through engaging with important people…

Continuum Advisory Group is proud to announce the first installment of “The Built Revolution Podcast”. Our initial guest on the podcast is Stephen Mulva, Director of the Construction Industry Institute. Please enjoy our conversation as Stephen shares some of his thoughts on how the Construction Industry can transform itself…or be transformed from the outside.

Like any industry facing sweeping change, we can either choose to innovate and surpass expectations — or we can sit back and let the shift overcome our businesses.

This year’s CURT (Construction Users Roundtable) conference was centered around a simple idea: excellence in total project performance. But like any great idea, the steps to bring it to life can be far from simple. Our annual owners study seeks to outline those steps and figure out how great owners have already made progress. This…

Last week, Stephen Mulva and CII unveiled a draft Manifesto, which you can read in full below, calling for transformational change in our industry. Continuum Advisory Group has been a proud partner in this effort, coordinating workshops throughout the country that have provided input for this Manifesto. Our industry is facing disruption. We will either…

The recent decision by the United States International Trade Commission, in which the commission found that cheap imported solar panels and modules have harmed domestic panel manufacturers, is creating a good deal of uncertainty about the future of the solar market in the US.  Our team at Continuum Advisory Group completed some research on the…

Two of Continuum Advisory Group’s Senior Consultants, Nate Scott and Kelcey Henderson, just returned from an 11 day trip to India. Outside of it being a wild, unique adventure for both, full of many cows and heart-pounding traffic experiences, there was excellent progress made with one of Continuum Advisory Group’s global, multi-billion dollar clients. The challenge for Nate and Kelcey? Introduce Continuum Advisory Group’s proprietary Integrated Team Performance (ITP) processing addition to various Lean tactics, to a multicultural Indian-based construction team responsible for the construction of a large manufacturing facility.

This year’s CURT (Construction Users Roundtable) national conference was centered around a simple idea: excellence in total project performance. But like any great idea, bringing it to life can be far from simple. Our annual owners study seeks to outline the path and figure out how great owners have already made progress. This year’s study…

The 2017 Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) Owner Trends Study – a collaboration between CURT and Continuum Advisory Group – focuses on excellence in total project performance in the capital construction industry. In this video, Gretchen Gagel goes over the study results. Data was gleaned from dozens of owners, A/E/C partners, and industry professionals, and further refined during…

The purpose of owner E/C/F (Engineering, Construction, and Facilities) teams may seem obvious: build stuff so that business happens. You wouldn’t be wrong, in the same way that a computer’s purpose is to “do math fast.” The strategic benefits of that team can be harder to identify. Continuum Advisory Group recently completed a study to…

“Lean” is a popular term these days. Its principles of improved productivity and minimal waste can be applied to almost any industry or operation. But to truly understand it, you should go back to its original application.

Continuum Advisory Group recently released the 2017 Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) Owner Trends Study, the newest installment of their Owner Trends series. The study – a collaboration between both organizations – focuses on excellence in total project performance in the capital construction industry. Through this research, Continuum Advisory Group and CURT sought to understand the challenges…

We often equate work ethic with raw hours spent. But all that time behind a desk can have a serious impact on physical health…which matters as much for a great leader as any skill or business acumen.

Leaders are more effective when they exercise. In turn, your organization is more effective.

Building information modeling – or BIM – is a powerful business platform that uses 3D visualization to convey a building’s materials, construction, and architecture. Its complexity and power have made it ideal for large-scale commercial projects…but the time is coming for its use in single family and multifamily residential applications.

One of the core beliefs of Continuum Advisory Group is alignment. Put simply, alignment is all stakeholders in an organization being on the same page. Sometimes its scope is smaller – a two-person partnership, a business unit, or a project team – but the ideas of uniformity and consistency remain the same. In construction, such…

Welcome to Spring. How’s it feel? Pretty good for most of us, we’d say. Things are looking up for the building industry: this year, 73 percent of construction firms expect to hire new people to address demand. It’s a hopeful environment, a reassuring one. And while you should stop and smell the roses, you should…

Looking at organizational agility is like looking at a spider web. The first level of observation is an entire, beautiful creation, a single unit. It’s just there; you don’t think much about how it was actually built. But look closer at the linkages and threads, and suddenly it seems impossible to create. Micromanagement of your…

Continuum Advisory Group has released the 2017 Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) Owner Trends Study, the newest installment of their Owner Trends series.
The study – a collaboration between both organizations – focuses on organizational agility in the capital construction industry. Organizational agility is a measure of a company’s ability to rapidly adapt to a changing market, either proactively or reactively.

The purpose of owner E/C/F (Engineering, Construction, and Facilities) teams may seem obvious: build stuff so that business happens. You wouldn’t be wrong, in the same way that a computer’s purpose is to “do math fast.” The strategic benefits of that team can be harder to identify. Continuum Advisory Group recently completed a study to uncover…

The purpose of owner E/C/F (Engineering, Construction, and Facilities) teams may seem obvious: build stuff so that business happens. You wouldn’t be wrong, in the same way that a computer’s purpose is to “do math fast.” The strategic benefits of that team can be harder to identify. Continuum Advisory Group recently completed a study to uncover…

A few weeks ago, between a series of meetings with a homebuilder client, I was asked if I wanted try out their virtual reality prototype, which involved me donning a pair of heavy goggles and clumsily shuffling around within a 10’ x 10’ open space. The open space, of course, was reality.  But what I…

Each year, Continuum Advisory Group partners with the Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) to conduct an owner trends study. This year’s study was focused upon Excellence in Total Project Performance, and as we delved into the research an interesting theme arose around owner and A/E/C partner relationships. Specifically, what more these groups needed from one another to achieve project excellence.

At the 2017 CURT National Conference in Chandler Arizona, Gretchen Gagel, President and COO of Continuum Advisory Group, presented the preliminary findings of the CURT and Continuum Advisory Group annual Owner Trends Study. Through this year’s study we explored the following.

A recent article from the Harvard Business Review says trust starts with the brain. What about your professional relationships? How can you build trust at work?

This week, Continuum Advisory Group and the Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) will share the results of the 2017 owner trends study, focused on Excellence in Total Project Performance.

Amazon is no stranger to stirring things up, and their newest invention is no exception. Yesterday, I read an article about their first grocery store in Seattle – a pilot for now, but it’s really happening – with no cashiers and no lines. There’s not even a self-checkout: customers are tracked via technology that senses…

Do you remember the classic episode of I Love Lucy, where our favorite comedienne got a job at a chocolate factory? The bosses kept speeding up her conveyor belt, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t keep up. Lucy shoved chocolates in her mouth, her shirt, her hat. It’s a hilarious picture, but…

Women make up 8.9 percent of the construction workforce.[1] Our industry has an inability to attract women and lack of flexibility may play a bigger part than we’re willing to admit. Changing the conversation around work-life balance will be critical in developing our workforce in the next decade. Our President and COO, Gretchen Gagel, recently…

The purpose of owner E/C/F (Engineering, Construction, and Facilities) teams may seem obvious: build stuff so that business happens. You wouldn’t be wrong, in the same way that a computer’s purpose is to “do math fast.” The strategic benefits of that team can be harder to identify. Continuum Advisory Group recently completed a study to…

Modern-day companies tend towards size or complexity (the two are not mutually exclusive.) Both paths allow for highly specialized functions and a diverse array of abilities. This comes at the cost, however, of agility. Capital construction asset owners in particular can integrate engineering, sales, contractor management, and other functions under a single umbrella.  Each function…

The Dunning-Kruger effect is a psychological phenomenon that reveals a humorous, but worrying part of human nature. It dictates that people often perceive their ability inverse to their actual ability. Those with skill undervalue themselves, and those without overvalue themselves. Any responsible manager constantly fights against this effect, using personal experience and hard data to…

The demands upon internal Engineering, Construction and Facilities (E/C/F) groups are increasing. They are being asked to do more with less faster to accomplish strategic business objectives. Continuum Advisory Group found this and more to be true in a recent study called “Order Takers or Value Creators – Engineering, Construction, and Facilities Groups as Critical…

The purpose of owner E/C/F (Engineering, Construction, and Facilities) teams may seem obvious: build stuff so that business happens. You wouldn’t be wrong, in the same way that a computer’s purpose is to “do math fast.” The strategic benefits of that team can be harder to identify. Continuum Advisory Group recently completed a study to…

The purpose of owner E/C/F (Engineering, Construction, and Facilities) teams may seem obvious: build stuff so that business happens. You wouldn’t be wrong, in the same way that a computer’s purpose is to “do math fast.” The strategic benefits of that team can be harder to identify. Continuum Advisory Group recently completed a study to…

What happens when a business consistently tells Wall Street it is going to construct a specific amount of capital improvements each year but consistently misses? And what happens when any type of owner organization must react quickly to changes in regulations by replacing a significant amount of its asset base but can’t?

September 13th and 14th Matt Marshall, Senior Consultant with Continuum Advisory Group, participated in the Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) Member Meeting and Forum entitled “Owners In Transition: Doing More With Less.”

Where do we find opportunity for competitive separation in an environment with such constrained resources? As a homebuilder, how do we deliver high quality homes to our customers on time with a depleted trade base and high internal turnover? As a trade contractor, how do we establish a productive relationship with the builder that’s built on trust and transparency, in turn allowing us to meet their expectations regardless of our own internal capacity? As a supplier, how do we communicate our strategic capabilities in a way that addresses a builder’s cycle time challenges?

Doing More With Less Cars are a microcosm of human technology. We pour millions of dollars and hours into extracting more and more from arguably the same stuff: gas and metal. And efficiency isn’t just gas mileage, either. Take the Ford Mustang, for instance. The new V8 model puts out 435 horsepower with nearly the…

The construction business is not always one for subtlety. When you’re building something huge – say a factory – brute force can seem like an effective way to power through the complexities of workforce coordination, materials management and other hurdles. And sometimes it works… but at a cost. A big one, as it turns out.…

When you think procrastination, laziness is definitely adjacent.

Procrastination is a big problem in the construction industry, but for entirely different reasons. Most builders learn quickly that outright laziness is not an option in an industry driven by deadlines, high production standards and shifting customer demand. Instead, procrastination in construction is a bit more complex.

An often-heard term at Continuum Advisory Group is “the Utility of the Future”. This most often describes a shift to new or emerging technology that will define a new era of efficient operation. It can change how construction takes place and how companies operate. While physical assets are critical, there’s another more important aspect of…

Order Takers or Value Creators? Your Engineering, Construction, and Facilities (E/C/F) Department Your facility is sort of like a favorite jacket. You wear it every day, so often that you forget it’s there. You walk through rain and wind, fixed on your phone or a friend or whatever else, and it’s your silent protector from…

While those embedded in corporate engineering, construction and facilities (E/C/F) teams have long understood the value they create for the corporate bottom line, internal business customers may not realize the vital role these teams could play in enabling corporate success. The role served by corporate E/C/F teams is becoming increasingly critical to the success and survival of the corporation. The Construction Industry Institute (CII) and Continuum Advisory Group joined forces to better understand the relationship between the internal E/C/F departments and the overall corporate strategic plan.

In the homebuilding industry, there is an unfortunate phenomenon in the 4th quarter. It is an intense time when up to 60% of units are closed in just a few months. Partners are pushed to their limits, employees work long hours, and your entire team goes into the holidays drained. At Continuum Advisory Group, we…

On Tuesday, June 28th, Brandon Hart (Senior Consultant) and Clark Ellis (Principal) of Continuum Advisory Group spoke to members of the Greater Orlando Builder Association on one of the industry’s hottest topics: the trade shortage.  The repercussions of the recession are still looming, and homebuilders across the country are being forced to consider the impact…

In the homebuilding industry, there is an unfortunate phenomenon in the 4th quarter. It is an intense time when up to 60% of units are closed in just a few months. Partners are pushed to their limits, employees work long hours, and your entire team goes into the holidays drained.

In the homebuilding industry, there is an unfortunate phenomenon in the 4th quarter. It is an intense time when up to 60% of units are closed in just a few months. Partners are pushed to their limits, employees work long hours, and your entire team goes into the holidays drained.

Continuum Advisory Group has released the 2016 Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) Owner Trends Study, the newest installment of their Owner Trends series.
The study – a collaboration between both organizations – focuses on organizational agility in the capital construction industry. Organizational agility is a measure of a company’s ability to rapidly adapt to a changing market, either proactively or reactively.

Imagine you’re out on the ocean at the helm of a sail boat. It’s dark, late at night, and the stars are hidden by the clouds. In the precious light you have, you glance down at a damp map…only to find it has changed. Look up, and somehow the stars seem different too, as if…

The stay-at-home mom is becoming increasingly rare. According to the US Department of Labor, over 60% of women with children under three hold down a job. This is compared to just over 30% in 1976! As traditional gender roles disappear, mothers may find it difficult to balance the mom they want to be with the…

Your organization needs to change. You might not know it yet, but you’ll find out. You may learn it when your costs are rising faster than your prices can increase. It might be obvious when skilled staff don’t come flooding in like they used to. Simply put, change management is needed to align your business…

The 4th quarter is a time most homebuilders should be coasting to a smooth finish. It’s a time to prepare a new budget, brainstorm new strategies, and learn from the highs and lows of the past twelve months. Unfortunately, this period often finds homebuilders struggling to finish homes in an effort to save their bottom…

We all know that planning ahead is always wise. Yet in the homebuilding industry, many find themselves in a last minute December scramble. In a time where you should be discussing next year, drafting a budget and coasting into the holidays, you instead find yourself crushed under deadlines in an effort to save your bottom…

Residential Industry Summary A new year is upon us, and so are the predictions. Housing starts are expected to come in north of 1.1 million in 2015, decent growth from the previous year. Despite a minor slippage in the closing months, builder confidence is high. So what will the experts predict for our industry in…

My dad built my first sandbox. Located a few paces on to the back lawn, it was a place where I met my friends for hours of fun. All of our 6-year-old worries were parked outside of the homemade wooden square, and the only limit to our creativity was mom’s call for dinner. Our sandbox…

Centers of excellence should be a catalyst for developing a process-driven culture that is focused on delivering world-class results.

Clark Ellis, Principal with Continuum Advisory Group, and author of the recent article featured on builderonline.com “Moneyball for Homebuilders: Take an ‘everything matters’ approach to operations, and ‘small ball’ will get you the wins”, was recently invited to join an outstanding lineup of speakers at the 5th annual UBS Homebuilder University on April 9th in…

At Continuum, we get a little excited when baseball starts. We love the game, and of course the weather that comes along with it. If you’re in the same boat, our recent Big Builder article is for you. We see a big opportunity for builders to transition their strategy to a “small ball” approach, one that has…

Take an ‘everything matters’ approach to operations, and ‘small ball’ will get you the wins. “Pitchers and catchers reporting.” There may be no sweeter four words in the English language when they are assembled in the preceding phrase. Along with the indomitable Punxsutawney Phil, the start of spring training is a harbinger of Spring, bringing…

The operational challenges of serving the first time homebuyer segment in 2015 are different and more problematic for most builders than they were between 2000 and 2007. With significant margin risk, working capital management requires a sharper focus from management. This is true for the overall enterprise but is even more important for the entry…

Continuum Advisory Group advises homebuilders on how to eliminate waste from their business, develop scalability, achieve profitable growth, and realize enterprise value.

Ten years ago, I left the construction industry because I needed a change. I wanted a break from the constant travel, and I wanted to get to know my home town of Denver again. So I took an opportunity to run a foundation and, later, became assistant dean at the University of Denver’s business school.…

These are sage words of wisdom, especially when one considers this advice within the context of the U.S. construction industry. Capital asset owners — large American corporations and government agencies who spend roughly one trillion per year to construct pipelines, schools, retail stores, data centers and any other imaginable structure — have endured several economic…

A strong estimator that is trained to accurately estimate a house and understands material management at the field level can be a home-run hire for any homebuilder. Unfortunately, in-house estimating functions were largely eliminated during the downturn. Most builders outsourced their estimating needs, allowed the trades or suppliers to do their own estimates, or transitioned…

[mpc_button text="View Publication" url="http://utilitycontractoronline.com/index/webapp-stories-action?id=993" icon="link" size="big" color="#999999" color_hover="#ffffff" background="#f5f5f5" background_hover="#216189"] Success in 2015 Depends on Being Flexible in the Utility Market. In an environment that will exhibit disruption and change, being nimble is a necessity. The concept of being flexible rather than ridged in the face of change is one that for many industry participants…

Survivors Proactively Structure the Capital Sourcing Process to Fit their Requirements While Victims React to What is Offered Banks are re-entering the market and are looking for new customers. Funds have been raised and investors are looking for opportunities to achieve strong returns. The question is how builders will handle the situation. Here is the…

As our industry recovers from the “Great Recession” and student debt grows, the construction industry rates as a strong educational investment. Recent research conducted by The Hamilton Project analyzed Census Bureau data to compare lifetime earnings of different college majors. Not surprisingly, engineering fields ranked the highest. Included in those are electrical, mechanical, civil, and general engineering, as well as…

While Trade Capacity Concerns Take A Breather, Smart Builders Take Advantage How well do you know the supply base in your market or markets? Are you controlling the best resources or are you taking second or third best as compared to your competitors? As demand recovers, the ability to control the best trades and crews…

I’m pleased to announce that Continuum Advisory Group’s Survivor or Victim series is now being published on Hanley Wood’s Builder Online under the Big Builder marquee. The series introduction on how to excel in a resource constrained environment, originally posted on the Continuum Advisory Group blog, kicked off the guest blog series today. Stay tuned for Part 1 of the series…

The potential for the use of hydraulic fracturing as a technique to purse shale oil/gas in North Carolina has received lots of attention and recent legislation proposed by the state government might ease the path to using this technique that is currently outlawed.  Two local papers, The Raleigh News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer, have been…

[mpc_button text="View Publication" url="http://www.pccaweb.org/images/stories/magazine/PCCAJournal2ndQuarter2014/index.html#13/z" icon="link" size="big" color="#999999" color_hover="#ffffff" background="#f5f5f5" background_hover="#216189"] In the immortal words of Led Zeppelin, the overall utility construction market has seen both good and bad times. The current market is perhaps the best in 60 years, and many utility contractors are expressing their optimism that this market will continue for some time.…

I really enjoyed speaking to the CURT YP group last week in Philadelphia at the Construction Users Roundtable Young Professionals Summit. This group of 75 of the next leaders in our industry, from owner organizations, contractors and engineering firms, came together for two days to learn about the industry, network, and develop their skills as leaders. 

Mark Bridgers kicked off the AGA’s Utility Contractor Workshop on Tuesday, April 29 in Chicago with a speech entitled “Pipeline Construction Waves: Will You Thrash or Crash?” The speech outlined the drivers of the next several waves of pipeline construction through 2030. A highlight of the speech included a look at the large amount of…

Imagine that you were lost in the Arctic for months, or 7 years as the case may be. It has taken every ounce of your strength, endurance and resources to make it back to civilization alive, barely. You have lost members of your party along the way, have learned to live with less of everything…

An update on Trends Related to the Shale Oil/Gas Revolution – Power Production & Crude Oil Transport Continuum Advisory Group is continually tracking trends that will drive your business now and in the future. In this blog post I’ve provided a summary of the latest data and shared my insights on what it means for the…

Mark Bridgers spoke on Tuesday, March 24 in Houston at the Pipeline Opportunities Conference, sponsored by Oildom Publishing. This speech focused on the outlook for pipeline construction through 2035. Continuum has identified three waves of pipeline construction: one that is concluding, and two waves that will occur over the next 20+ years. The first wave of…

I am pleased to announce Part I of Continuum Advisory Group’s two-part series: The Past, Present and Future of Capital Construction. In this article we explore the economic cycles and key trends in capital asset construction of the past decade. Our report is based upon conversations with over 30 of the largest corporations and government…

These are sage words of wisdom, especially when one considers this advice within the context of the U.S. construction industry. Capital asset owners — large American corporations and government agencies who spend roughly one trillion per year to construct pipelines, schools, retail stores, data centers and any other imaginable structure — have endured several economic…

[mpc_button text="Download PDF" url="https://www.continuumag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/SurvivingInScarcity.pdf" icon="download" size="big" color="#999999" color_hover="#ffffff" background="#f5f5f5" background_hover="#216189"] This 2014 Utility Outlook investigates the spending, scarcity and opportunity in the Electric and Gas Transmission and Distribution; Water, Waste Water and Sewer; and Communication sectors. Suc­cessful contractors will recognize that this situation demands innovative solutions to thrive in an environment of scarcity. Said another…

Virtually all large U.S. builders are losing an average of $2,000 to $4,000 per home due to inaccurate takeoff procedures, inflated waste factors and careless use of materials on site, according to research conducted by Continuum Advisory Group. Continuum has analyzed building materials packages for more than 1,000 different house plans in multiple divisions of…