Event Category: Class

Calculation Shop Burden Class

Electrical contractors are unique in the construction industry in that they engineer, install and integrate products made from both commodities and engineered materials. The scope of services provided by electrical contractors creates confusion and sometimes conflict with owners and general contractors who may not be familiar with the cost structure of an electrical contractor. The purpose of this presentation is to detail the various types of expenses incurred by an electrical contractor in support of a proper determination of overhead and burden rates. The objective is to provide a clear and concise discussion surrounding the scope of services provided by the electrical contractor and thus how overhead and burden should be calculated.

Following this course, participants will be able to:

  • Understand the impact of fixed and variable costs on burdens
  • Differentiate between overhead burden, engineering/fabrication burdens, and field burdens
  • Calculate overhead, engineering/fabrication, and field burdens separately

Class: Pull Planning

Pull planning is a lean technique that is being successfully deployed in the construction industry to help improve coordination, planning, and ultimately reduce overall schedule durations. Participants will review case studies demonstrating the inefficiencies experienced on projects due to out of sequence work. An introduction to pull planning techniques and terminology will allow participant to join in on two separate hands on activities that illustrate the productivity improvements experiences as a result of batch flow and sequential work. At the conclusion of the session, participants will be educated on the impacts and overall process of pull planning.

Following this course, participants will be able to:
• Understand the mechanics and terminology of pull planning
• Identify waste associated with out of sequence work
• Effectively participate in a pull planning session with owners or general contractors

Target Audience: Sr Execs, Financial Managers and Project Managers, Field Managers

Course Length: Half-day

Continuing Education Hours: 3

Production Tracking & Detailing Class

Tracking productivity has been a challenge for electrical contractors who are characterized by a high degree of offsite work such as detailing plans and off-site fabrication necessary to build a customer’s project. There are few standards related to tracking productivity for off-site facets of construction and because of that, it remains unclear what best practices are applicable for these design-driven contractors to effectively track productivity. Traditionally electrical contractors have focused on tracking productivity in the field since it is often viewed as the most intensive and riskiest portion of the work. Labor costs typically account for anywhere from 30% to 70% of a project’s costs depending on the type of work being performed, so a small improvement in labor productivity can yield substantial increases in profitability. However, there is a growing recognition that productivity tracking for electrical contractors should encompass the entire lifecycle of a project from initial design and engineering through punch list.

Following this course, participants will be able to:

  • Differentiate tracking productivity approaches for engineering, off-site fabrication, and installation.
  • Setup a standard cost code structure for engineering, off-site fabrication, and installation.
  • Identify standard units of measure for each code, understand how to apply time to those codes, and report progress and benchmarking.

NEC Code Class Pt. B

This extensive and popular program analyzes the major changes to the NEC. Members of the twenty code-making panels contributed to the development of the authoritative text, which covers more than 400 of the most significant changes and includes interpretations by the group that enforces the NEC. This comprehensive course will provide users a solid understanding and application of the requirements contained in the 2023 NEC.

NEC Code Class Pt. A

This extensive and popular program analyzes the major changes to the NEC. Members of the twenty code-making panels contributed to the development of the authoritative text, which covers more than 400 of the most significant changes and includes interpretations by the group that enforces the NEC. This comprehensive course will provide users a solid understanding and application of the requirements contained in the 2023 NEC.

Corporate Strategies Class

This course introduces electrical contractors and industry professionals to the core principles of business strategy as they apply to the electrical construction industry. Drawing on frameworks from competitive analysis, corporate strategy, and risk management, participants will gain practical tools to evaluate their market position, identify growth opportunities, and make smarter strategic decisions.

What Participants Will Learn:

  • What is Strategy? — Understanding the difference between accounting and economic profit, and how strategic thinking goes beyond day-to-day operations.
  • The 5 Ps of Strategy — Plan, Perspective, Pattern, Ploy, and Position, with real-world examples applied to the electrical industry.
  • Industry Analysis — How to use Porter’s Five Forces to assess competitive dynamics in the electrical contracting market.
  • Competitive Advantage — Core vs. distinctive competencies, first-mover advantages, and how to build a sustainable edge.
  • Corporate Strategy — Growth frameworks including market penetration, diversification, and vertical/horizontal integration using Ansoff’s Matrix.
  • Risk and Opportunity — How to calculate expected value, evaluate risk-taking, and manage a portfolio of growth opportunities.

Format: Lecture-based with group exercises and real-world scenario discussions throughout.