FMI Blog

past posts

Mergers & Acquisitions Advisor: Trends, 2014 Q1

Each year for the first quarter edition of FMI’s Mergers & Acquisitions Advisor, we ask...

Creating the Discipline of Execution

In 2002, Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan coauthored a book titled “Execution, the Discipline...

Great Operations: Bridging the Silos

Done correctly, effective business leaders know that sustainable operational excellence can create a lower...

Eight Strategies for Grooming Global Leaders

Globalization presents unique leadership development challenges for companies in the construction and engineering fields. Grooming...

FMI’s Fourth Quarter Construction Outlook, 2013

With our latest forecast and Outlook for 2014, we are seeing good reports from almost...

Peerless Executive Development

It comes to us as no surprise that in any industry, peer groups offer...

Sales is Not a Dirty Word

Ask a packed room of industry professionals who wants to be a salesperson, and...

The 2013 U.S. Construction Industry Talent Development Report: Highlig...

For more than 20 years, FMI has...

The 2013 U.S. Construction Industry Talent Development Report: Highlig...

For more than 20 years, FMI has...

Nonresidential Construction Index Fourth Quarter 2013

After hitting its highest marks in the last two quarters, the NRCI dropped 2.9 points...

Nonresidential Construction Index Fourth Quarter 2013 Highlights

After hitting its highest marks in the last two...

Capitalize on Market Information

The importance of market information and data has always been significant. However, when times...

FMI’s 2013 Prefabrication and Modularization in Construction Survey

According to FMI’s 2013 Prefabrication and Modularization in Construction Survey, only 40% of all...

Partnering for Profitability

Since the design and construction industry embraced the partnering concept almost 25 years ago,...

If You Want World Class Operations, Focus on the Foreman

What sets world-class contractors apart from average and struggling contractors? World-class contractors all have incredible...

Tenets of Transfer

FMI’s Investment Banking Group has assisted thousands of contractors in planning and executing the...

Construction Estimating Software UserView, 2013

Software Advice, a company that helps people find the right software for their companies, recently...

The Basics of Cost-to-Complete Forecasting

For the first eight months, the project manager had been telling them that it was...

Nonresidential Construction Index Third Quarter 2013 Highlights

The NRCI Index for Q3 of 2013 = 60.3....

Formulating an Acquisition Strategy

Running an effective and successful acquisition search is a major undertaking for any business....

Six Keys to Customer Service

In pursuit of a winning edge in today’s hypercompetitive construction markets, contractors have trimmed...

The 25th Annual State-of-the-Industry Report

FMI recently released The 25th Annual State-of-the-Industry Report, which covers design and construction markets for...

FMI’s Second Quarter Construction Outlook, 2013

The improvement in residential construction is the primary area of growth in our latest forecast....

Four Essential Steps in Acquiring Profitable Work

Acquiring work, in particular profitable work, in today’s economic climate has never been more challenging....

Reinvesting in Training: What to Consider

We at FMI are seeing an increased interest in training from our clients. Perhaps you...

Help Software Advice Evaluate the Effectiveness of Estimating Software

I was asked by Derek Singleton, managing...

Leadership Development Tactics for the A/E/C Industry

The A/E/C industry has recently gone through an increasingly difficult recession, forcing most leaders to...

NRCI Second Quarter 2013 Highlights

“I think I can. I think I can,” said the Little Engine that Could....

Let Us Hear How Your Company is Attracting, Developing and Retaining I...

Now that the economy has started to...

Adding Science to the Art of Leader Selection

When the time comes to select a new leader, difficult questions arise, such as whether...

Assess Your Leadership Pipeline

Succession planning is a continuous and systematic process that should be tied to the...

FMI's First Quarter Construction Outlook, 2013

Although the strength of individual markets is shifting, the forecast for total construction put in...

From the World of Sports to the Business World: Leveraging Strengths t...

What do Michael Jordan, Bart Starr and...

Social Media Isn't New: Even Cavemen Did It

Your web page just received its 5000th “Like” and your team is sharing high-fives around...

Beyond Vertical Integration: The Re-engineering of the Design and Cons...

FMI is proud to present its latest...

Are You Ready To Transfer Ownership of Your Company?

According to “FMI’s Ownership Transfer and Management Succession Survey,” only 47% of respondents believe they...

Preparing to Lead Tomorrow's Workforce Today

There are many clear and immediate impacts of the Great Recession in the construction industry....

NRCI First Quarter 2013 Highlights

The NRCI index score of 58.1 for the first quarter of 2013 matches the...

A Growing Trend: The Talent Shortage in Construction

“For the last two years, there has been a sharp drop in the unemployment rate...

Twelve Essential Roles for CFOs

The economy is driving all contractors toward highly sophisticated financial management to survive the...

Making Change Stick

When a new year begins, it is typical for leaders to reflect on the...

NRCI Fourth Quarter 2012 Highlights

Jobs, projects and project funding — that has been the focus of the construction...

Reading the Tea Leaves

Every day we are bombarded by news and information. We assailed by thousands of...

FMI's 2012 Industry Trends

FMI shareholders met in late 2011 and identified several key trends they felt would...

Who Really Cares About Ethics?

“The construction industry has not done a good job of regulating itself,” says FMI’s...

The Future of the A/E/C Industry

On October 29, 2009, FMI hosted a one-day workshop in Chicago, attended by more...

Beware the Upturn: NRCI, Third Quarter, 2012

Beware the upturn. According to a number of comments and results we received when we...

What’s Ahead for the Construction Industry?

FMI recently was honored with a surprise guest speaker at its monthly staff meeting in...

Doing What You Promised, On Time

So many people are urging contractors to refrain from defaulting to the tag line...

Financing Energy Efficiency Projects

Buildings use more than 70% of the electricity generated and more than 40% of...

Money Builder: Developing a World Championship Team (Statistically Spe...

In 2002 the Oakland Athletics were confronted...

Redefining Leadership: Strategic Thinking in Today's VUCA World

Leaders in the design and construction industry have long...

Mobile Technology and the Construction Industry

Guest blogger John Chaney, co-founder of Dexter + Cheney, a Seattle-based company that specializes in...

FMI’s Second Quarter NRCI, 2012

The NRCI index moved up slightly to 59.8, our highest score since its inception....

The Federal Construction Sector: Understanding a Transforming Market

Based upon federal budget constraints, shifting national security priorities...

Create a Culture of Wellness

Health and wellness is a hot topic for many companies that are trying to...

Construction Project Health: The Story of Earned Value

Guest blogger John Chaney, co-founder of Dexter + Cheney, a Seattle-based company that specializes in...

Developing High Potentials

Avoiding turnover completely is unlikely, as it is not always easy to increase salaries...

FMI’s First Quarter Outlook, 2012

FMI’s forecast for total construction put in place for 2012 is an increase of...

Construction Cash Flow - Your Project's Lifeline

FMI is happy to welcome back John Chaney, co-founder of Dexter + Cheney, a Seattle-based...

The Science of Efficiency and Productivity

The race to the bottom has been fierce and bloody. The current perception of the...

Cloud Computing – It’s Here to Stay

Every now and then, we will be having guest bloggers to contribute to our...

How is Your Company Using Social Media?

What is social media? It is a collection of online media, such as Facebook,...

Unfair Advantage

Contractors need every trick in the book to find and win the work they...

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