This week has been somewhat different than a regular week. I have had to deal with all the normal day to day tasks (bidding, drawing, project managing, etc.) but one thing that has come up is thinking outside of the box when it comes to the industry we work in.
It all started in a random conversation with my boss about waterfall system he wants to build in his house. From there we went to random ideas that could be marketed and sold in the steel industry as well as outside the steel industry. We have now come up with a few ideas that I not only think are innovative and creative but are also not like most of my "million dollar ideas" that would never work anyway. These ideas seem to be actually possible and would be simple enough to build that overhead would be somewhat minimal.
This all may be a little comical that working in a steel shop we have sat and thought up some random ideas that might make a dollar, and it is, but I have taken a few things away from this. Thinking outside the box is a skill that can be applied in many different ways. In this scenario it has at least for the time led us down a path that could potentially be profitable. In more practical real work scenarios it is problem solving in situation where the obvious answer is not allowable. Whether it be loading a truck with steel, flying some balconies up to the top of a building, or hiring a helicopter to move a bridge over a mountain! Finding the ways to accomplish tasks in any and all circumstances is valuable.
Weekly Hours: 45
Total Hours: 367
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Better late than never
It has been 3 weeks since I have found time to get a blog together. OOOPS! The bid schedule I have been set up with this past couple weeks has yet again pushed me to my limits. Where to start with what I have learned.....
This past week I have been involved in a couple extremely large bids going out that could potentially keep us busy for the rest of the year. One project I had been working on was one I believe I talked about before. A 108 footbridge in Chelan, WA. This was a very different project than I have ever bid and took all of my focus. Not only was the fabrication going to be a maze but shipping this thing to the remote village of Holden was quite the act getting numbers lined up. We had even debated a helicopter to transport and install! We ended up going with a trucking service and cranes instead as the prices were just ridiculous to have these things flown. I have also bid a project in Seattle which is already adding up to be the biggest project we have ever done and I am only about halfway done with this one. With the bid going out this Wednesday I find myself up against it once again. If I had to focus on one thing this last couple weeks that I have learned it is the very necessary "skill" of being to say no. Now this may sound a little bit different than the other things I have learned, and it is, but I have found that it is not only something that is hard to do but can actually be a skill that needs to be practiced. There is a reality on some jobs you go after that may be too much depending on circumstances, man power, time, etc. People may want you to bid jobs and really push to get them in but if you can sit back and input all factors and decide that it will be too much than spending the many days it takes to bid it could end up being a waste of time. That being said I don't believe anything I have went after this last couple weeks has been a waste of time as I am extremely confident in my numbers but I can see how if things were just a little different they could have been.
Weekly hours:50
Weekly Hours:45
Weekly hours:55
Total Hours:322 HRS
This past week I have been involved in a couple extremely large bids going out that could potentially keep us busy for the rest of the year. One project I had been working on was one I believe I talked about before. A 108 footbridge in Chelan, WA. This was a very different project than I have ever bid and took all of my focus. Not only was the fabrication going to be a maze but shipping this thing to the remote village of Holden was quite the act getting numbers lined up. We had even debated a helicopter to transport and install! We ended up going with a trucking service and cranes instead as the prices were just ridiculous to have these things flown. I have also bid a project in Seattle which is already adding up to be the biggest project we have ever done and I am only about halfway done with this one. With the bid going out this Wednesday I find myself up against it once again. If I had to focus on one thing this last couple weeks that I have learned it is the very necessary "skill" of being to say no. Now this may sound a little bit different than the other things I have learned, and it is, but I have found that it is not only something that is hard to do but can actually be a skill that needs to be practiced. There is a reality on some jobs you go after that may be too much depending on circumstances, man power, time, etc. People may want you to bid jobs and really push to get them in but if you can sit back and input all factors and decide that it will be too much than spending the many days it takes to bid it could end up being a waste of time. That being said I don't believe anything I have went after this last couple weeks has been a waste of time as I am extremely confident in my numbers but I can see how if things were just a little different they could have been.
Weekly hours:50
Weekly Hours:45
Weekly hours:55
Total Hours:322 HRS
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Oops!
Rough week at PMW... More or less it was one day that made the rest of the week pretty tough. A current job we are on has gone completely perfect up until this point. We have hammered out close to 100 steel tube balconies, columns, and we are now on the last stage of 13 canopies. We were slightly ahead of schedule on the canopies until my fabricator realized he had fab'ed 3 of the first 7 in the shipment completely the wrong depth. 72" instead of 96"..... My first reaction was lots of frustration but as I sat there thinking about what do do I realized getting upset, frustrated, etc. does not get the work accomplished that needs to be done. Nose to the grind stone! All we should do in any situation or jam is make necessary adjustments, communicate well, and get behind the hood and burn some steel.
As easy as it could have been to completely loose it, I've learned my best options as a foreman or any level of laborer is to put my head down and work. Do what needs to be done, period, and your work will be successful.
Weekly hours: 42
Total:172
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Newest Venture
This last week I found out that we have an opportunity to bid a job in Holden Village near Chelan. I may have brought it up in previous quarters as it was talked about in the past but now the plans are out and bid date is set. I will have the next 9 days to come up with a price for this project. This is no ordinary project for PMW. This will be and 110' footbridge fabricated from steel, crossing over a creek, in the middle of no where! Our sister company Axiom has been on a job up their and got some good reviews from the owners or people in charge of this village. Hopefully that works in our favor as I try to come up with a competitive yet profitable price.
We have talked through the job a bit and what we are planning to do if we get it is set up a life size mock up of elevations so we can build this bridge in parts, assemble it here to double check installation, and ship the steel in sections up to Holden. This should definitely take the top spot on largest job I will have bid.
I have learned a few things this week about being a company minded employee. There are a few guys I have come in contact with in the past that have shown a bit of the mentality that their work is only done to get something for themselves and "forget the company" type of mindset. Now this is somewhat true as ultimately you need to be looking out for #1. But I believe working for a company you can look out for yourself by being willing to save/make the company as a whole more money. Doing this through many different ways will be profitable for the company which in turn will be profitable for you individually. Higher profits in the bosses hand means more raises, bonuses, allowances for growth, etc.
I continue to learn things daily that are creating all around good aspects in me for the working world.
Weekly Hours: 45
Total: 130
We have talked through the job a bit and what we are planning to do if we get it is set up a life size mock up of elevations so we can build this bridge in parts, assemble it here to double check installation, and ship the steel in sections up to Holden. This should definitely take the top spot on largest job I will have bid.
I have learned a few things this week about being a company minded employee. There are a few guys I have come in contact with in the past that have shown a bit of the mentality that their work is only done to get something for themselves and "forget the company" type of mindset. Now this is somewhat true as ultimately you need to be looking out for #1. But I believe working for a company you can look out for yourself by being willing to save/make the company as a whole more money. Doing this through many different ways will be profitable for the company which in turn will be profitable for you individually. Higher profits in the bosses hand means more raises, bonuses, allowances for growth, etc.
I continue to learn things daily that are creating all around good aspects in me for the working world.
Weekly Hours: 45
Total: 130
Thursday, February 6, 2014
stress/suffering=endurance=character
This week has been full of stress of the job. Having so much on one plate becomes overwhelming at times and can bring the energy right out of you. Deadlines, new bids, managing projects, and all the other things that add up create quite a bit of stress. What I am working on this past week has been finishing up our current job with a deadline that keeps creeping up. I have also received many inquiries for new projects various general contractors would like me to get a number to them on. Not only that but managing a crew of guys in a productive manner plus sending out my largest bid yet (in fact the largest PMW has ever done) as well as finding a time to stay updated with my blog!!! :)
All that to say my learning is continuing in many different ways. I have come to find out that even though the stress of high demands bring you down, you can be confident that the work, time, and effort put is going to pay off in means of landed jobs, successful business, pay raises, and endurance. In my experience thus far in my life and in this internship I am a firm believer that when you manage to make it through all the stress/suffering and can find yourself enduring more and more your character is built making you a better employee and person as a whole.
Keep calm and BLOG ON!
Weekly: 45
Total: 85
All that to say my learning is continuing in many different ways. I have come to find out that even though the stress of high demands bring you down, you can be confident that the work, time, and effort put is going to pay off in means of landed jobs, successful business, pay raises, and endurance. In my experience thus far in my life and in this internship I am a firm believer that when you manage to make it through all the stress/suffering and can find yourself enduring more and more your character is built making you a better employee and person as a whole.
Keep calm and BLOG ON!
Weekly: 45
Total: 85
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Meeting Deadlines
This week has been full of stress dealing with scheduling commitments and meeting deadlines. We are elbows deep in one of the biggest jobs Phoenix Metalworks has done. Not only that but we are dealing with some building owners and general contractors that are the most particular I have ever dealt with. To top it all off their scheduling has been vague and limited in information up until 3-4 weeks before they need 130K in steel fabricated.... I saw this one coming. Needless to say it has been a stretch to keep these guys happy but it has worked out in our favor completely.
With little knowledge of our company, the general contractor were quite hesitant to give us this job in the first place. We have not only gone above and beyond their expectations but have met deadlines a week ahead of schedule to keep all involved on pace for a quicker finish date on the project. I have learned the importance of your word when you tell them the product you will be offering will be done following a certain timeline. Whether it be steel balconies, breaks, or full engine swap a timeline promised and met goes a long way in order to keep customers coming back.
More photos to come of the work we are doing and the many things I am learning during this quarter.
Weekly Hours: 40
Total Hours: 40
With little knowledge of our company, the general contractor were quite hesitant to give us this job in the first place. We have not only gone above and beyond their expectations but have met deadlines a week ahead of schedule to keep all involved on pace for a quicker finish date on the project. I have learned the importance of your word when you tell them the product you will be offering will be done following a certain timeline. Whether it be steel balconies, breaks, or full engine swap a timeline promised and met goes a long way in order to keep customers coming back.
More photos to come of the work we are doing and the many things I am learning during this quarter.
Weekly Hours: 40
Total Hours: 40
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