Running and Truss Design

I’ve been running for years and often think about the correlation between running and effective truss design. One aspect is “pace”.

Pace

If you’ve ever run any distance for time, you will become aware of how your choices more than your ability, will affect your final time. In a ten-mile run, for instance, if your goal was to run that distance in 80 minutes, you’ll need to run at an 8 minute per mile pace. If you run at a 10 minute per mile pace for 7 miles you’ll find yourself at 70 minutes into your run with 3 miles left to go. Three miles that you need to do in only 10 minutes. We irrationally try to kick it into high gear to make up for lost time, but the distance we must travel in the time we have left is just physically impossible. This brings us to an important principle: lost time cannot be recovered.

Choices

When giving the run an honest assessment, we can determine several points of failure that stem from our choices.

• We didn’t start the run with the correct pace.
• We didn’t measure our pace.

Choosing the correct pace is fundamental. You set a goal, then you break that goal into smaller sections. Once you do this, you must execute and run at that pace. If you don’t follow your plan, you may set your pace too fast or too slow, typically leading to the same result: not achieving your goal.

Measuring your pace during the run is also essential, it lets you know if you are lagging and need to increase your pace for the next mile or two, or if you are on track. Not measuring, as in the example above, can lead to being very far behind with no awareness until it is too late.

What About Truss Design?

Truss design, like all work, has similarities to running. While you can design some jobs with a “sprint”, many jobs require multiple days to complete.

For truss designers, many feel like they are too busy to assess upcoming jobs and make a plan while they are in the middle of the one they are on. This is understandable, but there are some important factors that may be missed.

• An estimated time of completion (ETC) cannot be established.
• Your ETC may differ from your design manager’s.
• You may not have the skills need to complete the job and need to inform your design manager.
• Missing information is not addressed.

If that job is to be completed on time it must be reviewed so that an estimated time of completion (ETC) can be established. If you open the plans on say, day 6, only to realize that it is a three-day project, you are behind schedule before you even start.

If your ETC doesn’t match that of your design manager, you need to discuss this with him or her before too much time elapses. The last thing a manager needs is to be informed that you can’t get the job done on schedule when it’s too late to assign the job to someone else. This can have a significant impact on your design manager and your fellow designers.

You also may not have the requisite skill to do the job. You may need additional help or the job needs to be reassigned to someone who has the ability to perform the job. The sooner your design manager knows this, the better.

Missing information is an important aspect of “pace”. Don’t use requests for information to “buy time”, but rather, be proactive about requests for information (RFI) so that answers can be provided in a timely manner before the job is due. Sending an RFI out the day before the customer is expecting the job is one way to tell them that you can’t manage your time. It also forces everyone else involved in the project to work at a frenzy to get the info you need, whereas the same email 6 days prior would have fit smoothly into their schedule.

Finishing Well

The goal of running the race isn’t just to “finish” but to finish well. When it comes to truss design, finishing well means that you can be satisfied with your performance, and those around you have the confidence that you are a key player who manages time well.

Tim Hoke

General Manager – Gould Design, Inc.

To begin the account setup process click HERE

To explore becoming a contractor designer with us click HERE

Experienced Designers Wanted

If you have ever wanted to start your own business and work from home, GDI presents a unique opportunity to do just that. Before starting the conversation, read through this article to get a sense of what GDI, INC looks for in those we partner with and how to assess yourself to see if you would be a good fit.

GDI, INC is looking for designers who are self-starters, and eager to operate their own business. We have the clients, agreements, and the workflow. You control your schedule, pace, etc. While many are dissuaded by the lack of a “steady” paycheck or a fixed hourly rate, I would present this as an opportunity rather than an obstacle. As a contractor, your earning potential will be directly related to your performance.

One thing before I continue. Fundamentally, GDI, INC is about being in business with integrity. We don’t cut corners. We don’t knowingly do things wrong and submit it anyway. We respond to mistakes with humility, make restitution, and learn from them. We are in business so, yes, we are about making money, but not to the exclusion of our integrity. GDI, INC is a company operated by folks of integrity and so we expect integrity of people that we partner with.

If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, follow the link at the end of this article.

So, let’s face it, this is the age of the entrepreneur. We are going to look at the essential characteristics to help you succeed and reach your goals:

• Humility
• Effectiveness and Efficiency
• Discipline
• Ownership
• Communication

Humility

Want to succeed at any vocation? Be humble. This goes hand in hand with all the other traits and forms a kind of feedback loop that allows you to gauge where you are, honestly, and where course correction needs to occur.

Humility is a frame of mind which governs how we conduct ourselves, how we respond to criticism, and how we criticize others. It allows us to see our own weakness and then take steps towards growth.

How do you improve humility? One way is to become a beginner at something, where you rely on others to teach you, and where you place yourself in a position to receive criticism. Humility is always hungry to learn.

Some ideas:

• Volunteer with a charity
• Take music lessons
• Take a martial arts class
• Ask your kids to teach you something (huge for them and you!)

Humility and humor share the same root. Being able to laugh at yourself is the key to humility. Don’t be so serious that you can’t see the humor in your foibles. See them, laugh at them, and move on!

Effective and Efficient

These two are so interconnected that I will discuss them together. Tim Ferriss has a useful definition that I’ve adopted. Being effective is doing the right things, being efficient is doing those things right.

To succeed at remote truss design, we need to determine the right things to do, then we need to determine the most efficient ways to accomplish them. Doing the wrong things efficiently does not provide value. It’s still doing the wrong things.

This kind of approach is essential as a freelancer because you aren’t paid by the hour, but rather on a job by job basis. A job that I bill out at $200.00 will be that regardless if I spent 2 or 20 hours doing it. Succeeding at remote design then is directly related to being as effective and efficient as possible.

Whenever I hear someone complaining about not having enough time I wonder if they really don’t have enough time, or if they are doing the wrong things with their time. If time is a currency, then what you spend it on is more important than how much you have.

How can you become more effective?

• Make a list of your top priorities
• Make a list of things that you do in a day/week/month/year. Determine if those things are aligned with your priorities.
• Ruthlessly deal with the non-priority things that you find yourself doing. Schedule them out of your time, or schedule them in where they don’t interfere with your work (e.g. check social media at lunchtime or at the end of the day, don’t allow that to enter into your designated work-time).

How can you become more efficient?

• Stay up on developments in your field and the tools you use. Keep educating yourself.
• Find ways to reduce “clicks” of the mouse, or taps on the keyboard. E.g. shortcuts to eliminate using the ribbon and drop down menus.
• Automate as much as you can. E.g. set up a labeling scheme so that you have very minimal manual labeling to do.
• Is there a menu default that doesn’t match up with what you need 90% of the time? Look into settings to change the defaults. Now you only change it for the 10% of the outlier situations.
• Give yourself time limits and goals for completing a job. This can add a sense of urgency and focus on the task at hand. E.g. aim to have a job done by 3 pm so you can spend time with your kids when they get home from school.
• Don’t switch tools too frequently. Often times we hunt around for the next best tool when in reality, the one we have is good enough. We just need to have the discipline to stick with it… speaking of which:

Discipline

Like we talked about, freelancing is the dream. You have leeway in setting your schedule, the frequency of work, what work you accept, etc. But, is it the freedom that everyone craves?

Not without discipline. Without discipline, being a freelancer will be torturous. Deadlines won’t be met, money will be tight, everyone at your house will hate you because you are stressed out.

Discipline is that inner voice, yours (I hope!), telling you what to do and then obeying it.

How do you improve your discipline?

• Start the day with a simple goal and follow through with it. E.g. set your alarm and get up when it goes off!
• Make your bed. Admiral William H. McRaven (U.S. Navy Retired) and Jordan B. Peterson have spoken about the benefit of this. In a nutshell, discipline starts in the smallest areas of our lives under our control. Too often we stress about the things not in our control. Your bed? Under your control.
• Continue through the day with goals that you set ahead of yourself and execute.
• Decision fatigue will give way to discipline. Discipline in one area begets discipline in other areas. I find if I get up and run, the choices I make the rest of the day follow in a disciplined and focused direction. It still takes effort, but I’m proceeding down a groove, rather than creating a new one.
• Don’t put it off! Take little steps now!

Ownership

Is it possible to “own” something that you don’t truly own? Absolutely. When you take on the mindset of treating a company or a job as if your own interests are at stake you will enter into an ownership mindset.

Personally, I have been both an employee and an employer. I know what it is like on both sides and so whatever “hat” I happen to be wearing the “flip side” has informed how I operate.

Whether as an owner, employee, or freelancer it is important to view the success or failure of your employer or clients as your own. Taking ownership means owning the failures and owning the solutions to the problems that you encounter and not putting them off on others.

What does this mindset look like? Here are some examples:

• Bill your client as if you were paying the bill. That changes things, doesn’t it? Adding in padding that shouldn’t be there only hurts your client and could even end your work relationship. Think about how you would respond to an invoice that was higher than expected.
• Treat omissions as opportunities. When you realize that you missed something in your work, don’t ignore or hide it. Take it to your client. Say, “Hey, I did this work and in reviewing it later I see I missed X, Y, Z. What can I do to make this right?” They may not be happy, but this would at least give them the opportunity to correct the issues. Ultimately, I think they would respect you more and it would increase rather than detract from your credibility.
• If a project fails don’t blame others. Blame yourself and learn from your mistakes. If someone under you fails, don’t blame them, blame yourself for not giving them the direction they need. Then take it upon yourself to train them up to avoid those mistakes in the future.
• Ownership is all-encompassing. It is saying “the buck stops here” even if your title doesn’t say “CEO” or “President”. That doesn’t mean you park in the CEO’s parking spot. If you do, you didn’t get that advice from me!

Let me answer one objection. It would run along the lines of, “But, if I take ownership of mine and other people’s mistakes, I’m going to be sacked” or “I’m going to lose clients!”

If you lose your job because you took responsibility, then the company wasn’t worth working for and you are better off. No. What happens when people take responsibility for mistakes and who work to grow and learn from them all the while creating solutions? They are given more responsibility. What is responsibility? You guessed it: “Ownership”.

Take ownership of your education as well. Read, learn, grow. For more on “Ownership” check out the book Extreme Ownership by Jock Willink and Leif Babin.

Communication

We have had many good blog articles on communication that you can find here and here and here that I will refer you to for review if you want to go into greater depth on this topic. Here are the basics.

It is important to remember that our communication is with people, not robots. People have thoughts, feelings, stresses, and tensions in their life… all of which affect their communication.

Working remotely requires the right balance of communication, but it is better to err on too much to start, and dial it down, rather than not enough.

Here are some ways to improve communication:

• Determine how to communicate on a person by person basis. What method (phone, email, texting, or another messaging tool) and what style (personal, formal, chatty, to the point, etc.).
• Follow up vital information provided over the phone with an email summarizing that information. Get your client to confirm.
• Ask questions. If you think they will make you look stupid, just think about how stupid you will look if you provide a product that is wrong… all because you didn’t ask. Ask questions!

Remember that communication is relational. It is more than just gathering information.

Summary

We hope this gets you thinking about what it will take to succeed at remote truss design or whatever it is you have set as a goal. What thoughts do you have on what it takes to succeed? Let us know in the comments below!

To begin the onboarding process, complete this form. Note, it will require 1-3 hours to complete.

Tim Hoke – General Manager

Gould Design, INC

Book Review: RE-WORK

I’ve been reading Jason Fried’s writings for over a year now. He is the Co-founder and CEO of Basecamp. Not only has he written best selling books, he is also a prolific writer and speaker (Signals vs. Noise, Medium, Inc., TED talks, etc.). I’ve listened to David Heinemeier Hansson interviewed by Tim Ferriss. He is the Co-founder and CTO of Basecamp, creator of Ruby-on-Rails.

After reading reviews about their book “Re-work” I finally decided that I needed to dig into this book myself.

Let’s get one question out of the way: what does a couple of tech guys have to say to those of us in the building industry? The answer is a lot. While the tools and techniques used in tech may be different, what is not different are the people we work with and the business practices employed to do our work. What they have to say about business applies just as well to the foodservice industry, manufacturing, and yes, to the building industry.

RE-WORK: Breakdown

Re-work is broken down into twelve sections with short parts that are no more than two pages each.

The beauty of this is that I could read as little or as much in a day as I wanted and be able to “finish” with a part. If I wanted to chew on a particular part I just re-read it throughout the day.

The overall tone of the book is like one of the Old Testament prophets who would stand up and challenge the norms, common practices, and status quo of their culture. Jason and David challenge many norms in business. Here are a few:

• Why 50-60-70 hour work weeks?
• Say “No”.
• Meetings are toxic.
• Don’t avoid decisions. Make small decisions. Adjust. Small decisions keep the momentum going.
• Interruptions kill productivity (which is part of why we “need” 50-60-70 hour work weeks).
• Focus your efforts on what won’t change, don’t chase fads.
• Don’t be all things to all people. Let customers outgrow you.
• Don’t be a hero.
• Sleep.
• Do it yourself first.
• Hire when it Hurts.
• Hire managers of One.
• Own your bad news (no apologies like, “I’m sorry you were offended”).
• You don’t create culture.
• ASAP is poison.

I did not walk away after reading this book wondering what the authors meant. It is right there and it challenges how I view business. Go get the book, I promise you won’t regret it!

RE-WORK: Application

What’s the point? The authors challenge the prevailing notions about business and offer alternatives. They incite us to ask “Why” about our practices and ideas. The value of the book is what we do with it after reading it. Keep asking why. Keep challenging the norms of your business.

Some examples:

Our customers want us to offer service “X”. Do we do it? Will this detract or enhance our bread and butter services? Will it stretch our manpower beyond capacity?

A customer asks for a project that we know we don’t have the capacity for. Do we say yes? If we say “Yes”, what will the effect be? Since we don’t have the capacity it will require overtime, all-nighters, etc. What is produced will not be of the highest quality, and because we don’t really have time for it, it will probably be submitted after the date the customer requested. When seen this way, saying “No” becomes not only more appealing but essential for survival. The customer, though they don’t like to hear “No” will at least respect the fact that you only want to deliver a quality product, on-time, rather than try to be a hero and produce a mediocre product late.

Consistently working over-time, a common temptation for me, skews the “numbers”. I may feel like I get a lot done, but if I’m not looking at the quality of those hours, I may not be as productive as I think. How many of the hours “worked” are really filled with distractions, interruptions, poor prioritization, etc.?

Working over-time feeds the ego. It is my way of telling myself I’m indispensable and the hero. What it might mean, however, is that I’m lazy. I’m too lazy to figure out which tasks are important and which are not. I’m afraid to say no and not be the “hero”. Placing limitations on my time forces me to prioritize what I do next and maybe as important, what I don’t do at all.

Do we value those we work with? Or are they just a means to an end? This is an important question as the effects will be far-reaching, touching decisions about hiring, remuneration, time off, capacity, expectations (explicit and implied)… everything!

Conclusion

We got a lot out of this book and will be applying its lessons for many years to come. We hope you learned enough about it to make a choice as to whether to get your own copy. We should note that we are not receiving a kickback for writing this post. We truly hope you find this useful!

Tim Hoke
Design Manager / Sales – Gould Design, Inc.

To start the account setup process go HERE

To apply for a design position go HERE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Many Faces of the Parapet Truss

There are many projects these days that require a parapet wall in the building design. To understand in detail the nature of and requirement for parapets, please click here for a wonderful article by BSC (Building Science Corporation). Here is a brief definition and description:

Oftentimes, the builder is asking for the parapet to be built in the trusses and save costly field fabrication time. Like all truss designs, it can get tricky and challenging. There are just as many faces of the parapet truss design as there is to the webbing configurations in common peak trusses.

In this article, I am going to show you a few different types I have run across. Are you ready?

Common Type Sloping Parapet with Cantilever

Sloping Step with Roof Plane Cut-In

Gable Studded Sloping Step with Roof Plane Cut-In

End and Mid-Point Parapet with Roof Plane Cut-In

End and Mid-Point Parapet with Roof Plane Cut-In with Pocket Beam

Walk-Through Truss for Roof Access

Parapet Jack Truss

These types of trusses are really fun to design, but can be “headscratchers” at times. Every job is like a new puzzle and when it comes to parapets, some of the pieces are really strange to look at!

What kinds of odd shapes of parapet truss have you had to come up with? Share in the comments below.

Component Designers and the “Wheel of Responsibility” (Part 4)

In Part 1 one of this article, we laid the groundwork and the 4 quadrants. In Part 2, we began to identify the quadrants and their focus. In Part 3, we completed the quadrants and explained the meaning of each.

As we eluded in Part 2 and 3, there is much, much more that goes into the design process than is acknowledged or respected. Are you aware of this fact? If not, ignorance is NOT bliss. If you are aware, then are you a part of the solution or a part of the problem?

Briefly, in each of these 4 quadrants, there are three specific targets that are highlighted as the key “lubrication” for a component manufacturer’s business model. Simply put, the designer has the most responsibility directly related to the component manufacturers:

• Reputation = Designer has to think about
• Profitability = Designer has to comprehend
• Customer satisfaction level = Designer has to meet the needs of
• Repeat business factor = Designer has to understand how to please

Simply put, the component designer is responsible for WAY more than anyone gives him/her credit for. So why is it, that the component designer:

• Always gets resistance when there is a request for additional training?
• Why is it that this particular individual and the position the individual holds are so undervalued?

These are questions that only you can answer within each specific company.

Any company that is not willing to invest at least 10% of an individual component designers weekly time on additional professional development is spending at least 20% to 30% more on each and every project that leaves their facility. This is not a guess. This is a fact. The two biggest areas are wasted material and inefficiency.

I know from years of my own personal experience as a business owner of Gould Design, Inc. that this information is either not known or is completely ignored. Some say that ignorance is bliss. I tend to disagree with that. If the component manufacturer would simply take the time to invest in their most valuable asset, they could exponentially increase their profits.

No, I’m not talking about the biggest, fanciest saw that money can buy. Sure, that may be the most expensive asset, but it is not the most valuable. I’m talking about the individual responsible for making sure that everything that gets on that saw is efficient, optimized and fits correctly within the scope of the project it’s assigned to.

You see, all 4 of these quadrants are interrelated. They are all connected as the following model represents:

Have you ever taken the time to actually calculate the cost of hiring a new component designer? Depending on the quality of their professional development before they got to your company, depends upon the amount of investment you will need provide them to be successful and fit within your company’s protocols and boundaries.

GDI has written many articles in the past relating to the value of training and its importance. I will not take up space to relate to them here. I will encourage you to scroll down to the bottom left and click on the section called “Professional Development” and see for yourself.

Do you realize that there are nearly 500 articles on this blog? The intention of this blog and its articles is simply to share our experience with you, our valued reader. The wise component manufacturing administrator could use this blog as a resource to help their own design team grow. Using this tool comes at absolutely no cost to them other than to invest that 10% in their greatest and most valuable asset by creating time on the schedule for growth.

The hundreds of thousands of dollars that this company called GDI has spent on its team’s development over the years been done to provide a quality service to our customer. It has also done to make the world a better place, to try and help educate those that may not be getting the opportunity for in their career. It has been truly shocking to hear so many applicants say they were never given an opportunity to grow at their previous place of employment.

I’m a firm believer that any leader worth a hill of beans should always be training his replacement. That is exactly what my husband Christopher did with this company. When it came time for him to retire from its management, he did so, happily knowing that he shared as much knowledge and invested into those that were going to carry it on into the future.

The satisfaction I gained from watching him go through that experience simply cannot be put into words. Knowing that you’re doing the right thing by your fellow human is reward enough. Together, we helped build a quality service, filling a need for so many over the years.

In closing, I encourage you to please consider the following:

If you don’t have time to properly train your staff, then call GDI. You will be quite surprised at the result to your bottom line. Remember, if you are not investing that 10% in your most valuable asset, it is really costing you 20%-30% more than you realize. You have nothing to lose and profits to gain!

Naida Gould – Owner

Gould Design, Inc.

ngould@goulddesigninc.com

772-708-8064

Component Designers and the “Wheel of Responsibility” (Part 3)

In Part 1 one of this article, we laid the groundwork and the 4 quadrants. In Part 2, we began to identify the quadrants and their focus. Please click here for Part 1 and here for Part 2 to review.

As we eluded to in Part 2, there is much, much more that goes into the design process than is acknowledged or respected. Are you aware of this? If not, ignorance is NOT bliss. If you are aware, then are you a part of the solution or a part of the problem?

Briefly, in each of these 4 quadrants, there are three specific targets that are highlighted as the key “lubrication” for a component manufacturer’s business model. Simply put, the designer has the most responsibility directly related to the component manufacturers:

• Reputation = Designer has to think about
• Profitability = Designer has to comprehend
• Customer satisfaction level = Designer has to meet the needs of
• Repeat business factor = Designer has to understand how to please

Customer satisfaction level = Designer has to meet the needs of

What exactly does a designer have to think about in consideration of meeting needs?

Each and every product delivered to the jobsite has to uphold to the contractor’s expectations, precisely adhere to the engineer’s specifications and satisfy management’s sale price in order to make a profit, right? Each of the 3 items in this quadrant has a direct effect on the customer satisfaction level. If the designer is not thinking about these things in the design process, jobsite efficiency moves at a turtle’s pace. Plain and simple!

Time to ask yourself a few tough questions (now is the time to be open-minded):

1. When was the last time you invested in your design team and had a collective discussion about ways to be cost-efficient, based on new shop equipment and/or newly stocked inventories?
2. Are your designers aware that these amazing new saws will cut web/chord lumber for multiple trusses out of the same board?
3. When you have “TDM’s”, how many of those were design errors or are directly related to engineer preference?
4. When was the last time you asked your veteran designers on the team to take the time and help out those with less experience and discussed common types of TDM’s that can be avoided?
5. When was the last time you scheduled a meeting with the General Contractor on the jobsite to help foster a direct, open, positive relationship built through strong communication?

Repeat business factor = Designer has to understand how to please

Each and every product delivered to the jobsite has to uphold to the shop production staff’s expectations, precisely adhere to the company administrative requirements and satisfy what the component salesman promised the customer, right? Each of the 3 items in this quadrant has a direct effect on the repeat business. If the designer is not thinking about these things in the design process, repeat business is a struggle. Plain and simple!

Time to ask yourself a few tough questions (now is the time to be open-minded):

1. When was the last time you invested in your design team and shop production staff had a collective discussion about ways they become frustrated or continually lose time in the fabrication plant?
2. When was the last time you asked a designer to put on the tool belt and work in the fabrication plant on recently acquired shop equipment to truly understand how the design affects shop efficiency?
3. Are your designers exposed to continual training from your Design Administration team that helps them continue to grow?
4. When you do have “training meetings”, how many of your designers are allowed to share their experiences, or is one person doing and the sharing?
5. When was the last time you assigned your “junior” designers on the team to take the time and study a topic to teach others in the design staff?
6. When was the last time you scheduled a meeting with the General Contractor on the jobsite to help foster a direct, open, positive relationship built on strong communication?

In Part 4 of this article, we will conclude and fill in the rest of the blanks. Stay tuned!

Naida Gould – Owner

Gould Design, Inc.

Component Designers and the “Wheel of Responsibility” (Part 2)

In Part 1 one of this article, we laid the groundwork and the 4 quadrants. Please click here to review.

You see, there is much, much more that goes into the design process than is acknowledged or respected. Are you aware of this fact? If not, ignorance is NOT bliss. If you are aware, then are you a part of the solution or a part of the problem?

The responsibility for the designer is further illustrated and begins with the model shown below:

In each of these quadrants, there are three specific targets that are highlighted as the key “lubrication” for a component manufacturer’s business model. Simply put, the designer has the most responsibility directly related to the component manufacturers:

• Reputation = Designer has to think about
• Profitability = Designer has to comprehend
• Customer satisfaction level = Designer has to meet the needs of
• Repeat business factor = Designer has to understand how to please

When all is said and done, each of these 12 items are interconnected. They all touch each other. They are all so tightly interwoven that if just one of these quadrants are ignored or overlooked, it could be dangerous to the other 3 quadrants. It could also be costly.

Let’s examine this further:

Reputation = Designer has to think about

What exactly does a designer have to think about in consideration of the company’s reputation?

Each and every product delivered to the jobsite has to uphold to the manufacturer’s company values, adhere to the building codes and satisfy the building inspector, right? Each of the 3 items in this quadrant have a direct effect on the component manufacturer’s reputation. If the designer is not thinking about these things in the design process, reputation suffers. Plain and simple!

Time to ask yourself a few tough questions (now is the time to be open-minded):

1. When was the last time you invested in your design team and held a meeting about company mission, values and/or direction?
2. When was the last time you asked your design team to take the time and review the building code changes and updates proactively?
3. When was the last time you scheduled a meeting with the local building inspector to help foster a direct, open, positive relationship of strong communication?

Profitability = Designer has to comprehend

What exactly does a designer have to think about in consideration of comprehension?

Each and every product delivered to the jobsite has to uphold to the software provider’s capabilities, precisely adhere to the project’s plans and satisfy the expectations of the framing crew “setting” the trusses, right? Each of the 3 items in this quadrant have a direct effect on the component manufacturer’s profit margin. If the designer is not thinking about these things in the design process, profits suffer. Plain and simple!

Time to ask yourself a few tough questions (now is the time to be open-minded):

1. When was the last time you invested in your design team and asked them to take the new courses on MiTek University?
2. Are you aware that MiTek has a weekly newsletter called “Productivity” that highlights changes and upgrades to the software?
3. If you are aware of the newsletter, are all of your designers getting this extremely valuable email each Thursday?
4. When you do have “truss repairs”, how many of those design errors are directly related to plan reading?
5. When was the last time you asked your veteran designers on the team to take the time and help out those with less experience reading plans?
6. When was the last time you scheduled a meeting with the local framing contractor on the jobsite to help foster a direct, open, positive relationship with strong communication?

In just these 2 quadrants, we have outlined some very important considerations for reputation and profit. The remaining 2 quadrants relate to customer satisfaction and repeat business.

In Part 3 of this article, we will conclude and fill in the rest of the blanks. Stay tuned!

Naida Gould – Owner

Gould Design, Inc.

Analog Design of Trusses with M-Blocks

With the MiTek software being so powerful these days, one thing truss designers often overlook is the proper application of analog on an “M-Block” end condition. This condition is also referred to as the “Leg-Up” as well. For those that might not know, analog is what determines the critical factors in the truss design and determines load direction through the members (chords/webs/plates).

How does this affect our designs? Why does this matter? These two questions are the purpose of this article.

Here at Gould Design, Inc., we strive to provide the right product for every customer, every time. In order to do that, we provide necessary training to our component design professionals. This ensures that our customers receive a product that is correct and ready to be fabricated.

The design shown below is an example of properly designed analog over an M-Block condition at the bearing.

One item often overlooked and the application of the top chord bearing truss design is that the end of vertical of an M-Block condition is actually a chord. When this member is added as a web (rather than a block), it distorts the analog and therefore the plate size required to handle the proper load resistance.

As you will see below, by not using the proper analog and the design, it significantly changes the direction of the forces and also the plate “tooth grip factor” required to sustain them.

In order to properly apply the correct application in this design, MiTek has what’s called the “Top Chord Bearing” tool. Now, you can do this manually in VersaTruss if you want to, but it will take multiple clicks costing you precious time. By using this tool in the engineering software, it reduces this to a mere minimum of mouse clicks.

What you will notice is that when the member is entered as a web rather than a chord, it does not properly distribute the load to the bearing, but rather it transfers down through the truss. In essence, what you were doing is giving the software the wrong information.

As shown above, this causes the following complications:

1. Affects the size of the plate
2. Can affect the reaction (especially on girders)
3. Affects the “leg” analysis
4. Affects lumber grades
5. Could potentially cause an issue on the job site

So, take a minute, right now, and learn how to apply this condition properly in the MiTek software. It may save your company a headache down the road. Additionally, take a minute to educate your peers sitting next to you in the office.

By not providing this type of for the proper application you may find yourself getting some TDM’s back from your MiTek engineer. And no one likes those, especially your manager!

If you’re like most designers in the industry, you probably design without having your analog shown. However, you can turn this feature on under your settings as to what you view if you so choose.

This is one of those things that often gets overlooked and usually never comes up until it’s a problem and usually a back-charge. By then we have lost revenue somewhere and we have an unhappy manager, salesman and customer. Take a proactive stance and prevent that problem from ever happening by educating your “Apprentice” or “Junior” designers.

Your MiTek engineer will thank you for it!

NOTE: This same mindset also applies to Tail-Bearing trusses (more on that in a future article)

Gable End Sheathing in MiTek

Are you aware that the MiTek software will allow you to sheath your gables in the software? Are you using this tool? Consider the value it could provide to your customer if you could provide this as an option on your quote sheet. Here are a few tips to consider about the sheathing feature.

Sheathing is most common in the application where it covers the entire gable face. Yet, there are jobs where this is not necessary. To ensure proper application, you will need to take a few extra steps.

Dimensions for Sheathing Placement

When designing partially sheathed gables where the sheathing is raised from the bottom chord, always add a vertical dimension from the bottom edge of the truss to the bottom of the sheathing. MiTek provides notes on the shop drawings that describe where the sheathing gets applied EXCEPT for this case where the sheathing is held up from the bottom chord.

1. To add the vertical dimensions to the sheathing, you will need to add a horizontal reference line in Versa-Truss to represent the bottom limit of your sheathing.

2. Then use the “add dimension” tool in Versa-Truss to add the vertical dimension.

Doing so will ensure your shop has the proper placement. After all, what is the point of a value-added feature for your client unless it is correct? Take the extra time to ensure your shop personnel can accurately apply the sheathing.

Ask your customer if this is something they want. I think you will be amazed when they say “I didn’t know you could do that!” After all, the application is happening anyway, why not do something to distinguish yourself from the competition?

Remember: It’s the little things that add the value for repeat sales!

Gould Design, Inc. Administration

Designers Wanted

Tags

outsourcing, Professional Development

If you have ever wanted to start your own business and work from home, GDI presents a unique opportunity to do just that. Below, I have co-opted a blog post I wrote last year to provide a sense of what GDI, INC looks for in those we partner with and how to assess yourself to see if you would be a good fit.

GDI, INC is looking for designers who are self-starters, and eager to operate their own business. We have the clients, agreements, and the workflow. You control your schedule, pace, etc. While many are dissuaded by the lack of a “steady” paycheck or a fixed hourly rate, I would present this as an opportunity rather than an obstacle. As a contractor, your earning potential will be directly related to your performance.

One thing before I continue. Fundamentally, GDI, INC is about being in business with integrity. We don’t cut corners. We don’t knowingly do things wrong and then send it in regardless. We respond to mistakes with humility, make restitution, and learn from them. We are in business so, yes, we are about making money, but not to the exclusion of our integrity. GDI, INC is a company operated by folks of integrity and so we expect integrity of people that we partner with.

If you are interested in providing us with remote design services, contact me after you finish reading this article.

So, let’s face it, this is the age of the entrepreneur. If you are considering a move to remote truss design work start with this article before making the move.  We are going to look at the essential characteristics to help you succeed and reach your goals:

• Humility
• Effectiveness and Efficiency
• Discipline
• Ownership
• Communication

Humility

Want to succeed at any vocation? Be humble. This goes hand in hand with all the other traits and forms a kind of feedback loop that allows you to gauge where you are, honestly, and where course correction needs to occur.

Humility is a frame of mind which governs how we conduct ourselves, how we respond to criticism, and how we criticize others. It allows us to see our own weakness and then take steps towards growth.

How do you improve humility? One way is to become a beginner at something, where you rely on others to teach you, and where you place yourself in a position to receive criticism. Humility is always hungry to learn.

Some ideas:

• Volunteer with a charity
• Take music lessons
• Take a martial arts class
• Ask your kids to teach you something (huge for them and you!)

Humility and humor share the same root. Being able to laugh at yourself is the key to humility. Don’t be so serious that you can’t see the humor in your foibles. See them, laugh at them, and move on!

Effective and Efficient

These two are so interconnected that I will discuss them together. Tim Ferriss has a useful definition that I’ve adopted. Being effective is doing the right things, being efficient is doing those things right.

To succeed at remote truss design, we need to determine the right things to do, then we need to determine the most efficient ways to accomplish them. Doing the wrong things efficiently does not provide value. It’s still doing the wrong things.

Recently I had the opportunity to shadow my boss as he posted a blog and reviewed his social media content for the business.

He follows a sequence that he does every day, quickly moving from task to task, and he had it wrapped up in a half hour (it was that long cause he was showing me things as he went).

He posted a blog article, wrote notes to connections on LinkedIn, reviewed groups that he manages, added new connections, accepted invitations, shared an article or two that he thought would be useful, all this within a short span of time.

As I reflected on this I thought of how ineffective (not identifying and doing the right things) my social media time was. As distracting as social media can be, he found a way to navigate it through a series of tasks to be performed, completed those tasks, and moved on to the next thing on his plate while staying true to his goal to provide value to others.

That kind of approach is important as a freelancer because you aren’t often paid by the hour, but rather on a job by job basis. A job that I bill out at $200.00 will be that regardless if I spent 2 or 20 hours doing it. Succeeding at remote design then is directly related to being as effective and efficient as possible.

Now, whenever I hear someone complaining about not having enough time I wonder if they really don’t have enough time, or if they are doing the wrong things with their time. If time is a currency, then what you spend it on is more important than how much you have.

How can you become more effective?

• Make a list of your top priorities
• Make a list of things that you do in a day/week/month/year. Determine if those things are aligned with your priorities.
• Ruthlessly deal with the non-priority things that you find yourself doing. Schedule them out of your time, or schedule them in where they don’t interfere with your work (e.g. check social media at lunchtime or at the end of the day, don’t allow that to enter into your work-time).

How can you become more efficient?

• Stay up on developments in your field and the tools you use. Keep educating yourself.
• Find ways to reduce “clicks” of the mouse, or taps on the keyboard. E.g. shortcuts to eliminate using the ribbon and drop down menus.
• Automate as much as you can. E.g. set up a labeling scheme so that you have very minimal manual labeling to do.
• Is there a menu default that doesn’t match up with what you need 99% of the time? Look into settings to change the defaults. Now you only change it for the 1% of the outlier situations.
• Give yourself time limits and goals for completing a job. This can add a sense of urgency and focus on the task at hand. E.g. aim to have a job done by 3 pm so you can spend time with your kids when they get home from school.

 

Discipline

Like we talked about, Freelancing is the dream. You have leeway in setting your schedule, the frequency of work, what work you accept, etc. But, is it the freedom that everyone craves?

Not without discipline. Without discipline, being a freelancer will be torturous. Deadlines won’t be met, money will be tight, everyone at your house will hate you because you are stressed out.

Discipline is that inner voice, yours (I hope!), telling you what to do and then obeying it.

How do you improve your discipline?

• Start the day with a simple goal and follow through with it. E.g. set your alarm and get up when it goes off!
• Continue through the day with goals that you set ahead of yourself and execute.
• Decision fatigue will give way to discipline. Discipline in one area begets discipline in other areas.
• Don’t put it off! Take little steps now!

Ownership

Is it possible to “own” something that you don’t truly own? Absolutely. When you take on the mindset of treating a company or a job as if your own interests are at stake you will enter into an ownership mindset.

Personally, I have been both an employee and an employer. I know what it is like on both sides and so whatever hat I happen to be wearing the “flip side” has informed how I operate.

Whether as an owner, employee, or freelancer it is important to view the success or failure of your employer or clients as your own. Taking ownership means owning the failures and owning the solutions to the problems that you encounter and not putting them off on others.

What does this mindset look like? Here are some examples:

• Bill your client as if you were paying the bill. That changes things, doesn’t it? Adding in padding that shouldn’t be there only hurts your client and could even end your work relationship. Think about how you would respond to an invoice that was higher than expected or reasonable.
• Treat omissions as opportunities. When you realize that you missed something in your work, don’t ignore or hide it. Take it to your client. Say, “Hey, I did this work and in reviewing it later I see I missed X, Y, Z. What can I do to make this right?” They may not be happy, but this would at least give them the opportunity to correct the issues. Ultimately, I think they would respect you more and it would increase rather than detract from your credibility.
• If a project fails don’t blame others. Blame yourself and learn from your mistakes. If someone under you fails, don’t blame them, blame yourself for not giving them the direction they need. Then take it upon yourself to train them up to avoid those mistakes in the future.
• Ownership is all encompassing. It is saying “the buck stops here” even if your title doesn’t say “CEO” or “President”. That doesn’t mean you park in the CEO’s parking spot. If you do, you didn’t get that advice from me!

Let me answer one objection. It would run along the lines of, “But, if I take ownership of mine and other people’s mistakes, I’m going to be sacked” or “I’m going to lose clients!”

If you lose your job because you took responsibility, then the company wasn’t worth working for and you are better off. No. What happens when people take responsibility for mistakes and who work to grow and learn from them all the while creating solutions? They are given more responsibility. What is responsibility? You guessed it: “Ownership”.

Communication

We have had many good blog articles on communication that you can find here and here and here that I will refer you to for review if you want to go into greater depth on this topic. Here are the basics.

It is important to remember that our communication is with people, not robots. People have thoughts, feelings, stresses, and tensions in their life… all of which affect their communication.

Working remotely requires the right balance of communication, but it is better to err on too much to start, and dial it down, rather than not enough.

Here are some ways to improve communication:

• Determine how to communicate on a person by person basis. What method (phone, email, texting, or another messaging tool) and what style (personal, formal, chatty, to the point, etc.).
• Follow up vital information provided over the phone with an email summarizing that information. Get your client to confirm.
• Ask questions. If you think they will make you look stupid, just think about how stupid you will look if you provide a product that is wrong… all because you didn’t ask. Ask questions!

Remember that communication is more about building relationships than just gathering information.

Summary

We hope this gets you thinking about what it will take to succeed at remote truss design or whatever it is you have set as a goal. What thoughts do you have on what it takes to succeed? Let us know in the comments below!

Tim Hoke – Design Manager / Sales – thoke@goulddesigninc.com – 276-492-8020

Gould Design, INC

Continuing Education: A Cost or an Investment?

I was privileged to attend a Virginia Tech continuing education course titled “Introduction to Structural Design of Wood Buildings per the 2015 NDS”. The course instructors included the legendary Frank Woeste P.E. Ph.D., John “Buddy” Showalter P.E., and Joe Loferski Ph.D.

In later blog posts, I’ll touch on some of the topics covered during the three-day course as well as introduce some of the resources that are available to those involved in the building industry for those who may be unfamiliar with them. Today, however, I want to answer the question posed above.

The Cost

For truss design, there aren’t any “truss designer” continuing education requirements from outside governing bodies. This is primarily because responsibility for overall building design doesn’t fall on the truss designer. So, why attend? Isn’t that just a waste of time and money? Wouldn’t it be better to focus on delivering a quality service to our clients? Consider that we incurred direct expenses (the course cost, hotel, food, travel, etc.) Indirectly, the staff at Gould Design, INC. had to cover for me while I was out of the office for three very busy days. In short, one way to look at this course is its cost. Was it worth it?

The answer will differ depending on perspective. A pure accounting perspective would attempt to measure the cost and project a return. However, a return on education is difficult to measure and the return on investment (ROI) may look different depending on the individual.

Investing for the Future

To invest is to enter into a long-term mindset. We have accepted the use of time and other resources now (the cost we talked about earlier) in the hope that the short-term sacrifice will benefit the organization in the future. Education supplies us where we were deficient and equips us for the complex challenges we may face as we apply our new found knowledge and skills in our work.

Not only does the individual who received the education grow, but he or she can then take what they have learned and teach others. This magnifies the impact of that initial investment.

Without this long-term mindset, an organization will stagnate and loses its ability to compete with other companies that are investing in their people.

Fortunately for me, Gould Design Inc. has and will continue to invest in its employees which in turn is an investment for the future growth of GDI, INC.

Tim Hoke – Design Manager / Sales

Gould Design Inc.

Look for more posts regarding this course in the weeks to come!

 

How Solid Is Your Foundation?

In the world in which we live, the foundation upon which something rests determines its sustainability and longevity. The quality of this foundation determines all of the factors that go into the successful utilization of whatever is built on it. A weak foundation means that whatever rests above is merely temporary. A solid foundation ensures something much more permanent. The question becomes: How do we know if our foundation is solid?

In this article, I am going to answer that question by addressing different types of foundations as they relate to the “4 Quadrants” of life.  These quadrants are:

1. Physical
2. Mental
3. Emotional
4. Spiritual

I am sure many of you already heard of these quadrants and are wondering how I can add anything to your knowledge base. All I ask is that you keep an open mind. For those of you not familiar with these quadrants, you are in for a real treat!

Physical

A physical foundation can be many, many different things. A concrete slab of a house. Earth. A steady, sustainable job. Education. A properly maintained vehicle.

For this article, I am going to focus on the material aspect from a business standpoint. When my husband and I started Gould Design, Inc., we started with the foundation of his skill set and my own. We built a business that was based on the eternal principles of honesty, integrity, open-mindedness, quality and willingness to adapt and innovate. This foundation was very secure because it was unwavering. It had built into itself the necessary tools to dictate its direction. The results have been more than I ever imagined.

Since his retirement from the company, I have been able to maintain this solid foundation just as we implemented it over a decade ago. Why? Because the foundation was unshakeable. It was built the same way it was intended and was quality checked by our peers. There have been times where I have wanted to expand revenue and get into other areas of the construction industry, but have decided not to after some experimentation. I simply was not willing to compromise the foundational principles that I built this company on. Sure the expansion would have been nice, but at what cost? If even one of the founding principles was compromised, the cost was simply too great a price to pay.

Mental

When most folks think of the mental foundation, they think of education. As you can see from the above, I disagree. Education is a physical foundation. What then is a mental foundation?

Simply put, it is optimism. In each and every event in my life, I challenge myself to look for the good in it, no matter how dark, dreary or inconvenient it may be. A successful mental foundation requires me to look for the good. After all, as Earl Nightingale said back in the 50’s “We become what we think about.” Click here to listen to this incredible, perspective shifting recording and here to read a previous article written in detail on this topic.

The fact of the matter is, whether you realize it or not, your positive thoughts radiate energy and influence your health. The people around you sense this energy. Think about it. Have you ever been near someone you did not know that made you feel uncomfortable, even though they were well groomed? Chances are that individual was a pessimist and was radiating negative energy through their thoughts. Do yourself a favor and radiate positive energy. You family, coworkers and everyone you meet will thank you for it. Besides, they deserve that from you, and, more importantly, you deserve it for yourself.

Emotional

The emotional quadrant is quite complex. It begins at birth, and, in the early years of our lives, is controlled by our family. As we mature, we begin to take control of this area of our lives long before we even realize what is happening. As adults, this quadrant controls us and how others see us in life.  How do we get a solid emotional foundation?

If you are married or have children, you already know the answer. If you are not, the answer is simple, yet very complicated: True Love. You see there are all kinds of love. Some people love things, some feelings, some even live thrills or attention. None of these are “true” love. In order for something to be true, it has to be built on honesty and self-sacrifice. It will not always be how you think it should be, nor will it always be pleasant. In fact, you are going to find yourself bonding closest with the person you truly love in the worst of times, not the best.

A solid emotional foundation begins and ends with you bring to the relationship, not what you take from it. So many people today marry for the wrong reasons, and the divorce rate is now hovering around 50%. Sad but true. If a new couple would take the time to get beyond the main issues of money, property or prestige that they would “get” from their prospective spouse, they could have a chance at a solid foundation. My husband and I are complete opposites in just about everything you can think of. This is an excellent foundation for our relationship because we always have to compromise and consider the other person’s point of view. We have to agree to disagree. We have to communicate. What a gift this is, as our love continues to grow ever so much deeper each and every day. It is such a blessing as our 4 children get to watch us live in this sturdy emotional foundation.

Spiritual

I know, I know. You are thinking religion, right? Wrong! Religion is about rituals that foster spirituality. Don’t get me wrong, I am not discounting it at all. We practice our religion each and every day in our home. The fact of the matter is, religion is not spirituality. How many “religious” people do you know that aren’t spiritual? On the same token, how many “spiritual” people do you know that aren’t religious?

What then is a spiritual foundation? Such an easy answer to say, but difficult to understand, and, oftentimes, to carry out. A spiritual foundation is doing G-d’s will as He would have me do. It is making the world a better place than it was before I entered it. This could be as simple as holding open a door for an elderly person or letting someone “in”, in traffic. It could be making donations to the needy or volunteering at your local soup kitchen. There are so many different ways to feed the spiritual side our ourselves. And in so doing, we reduce the time we spend thinking of ourselves, thus leading to true happiness and contentment in life.

When my spiritual foundation is solid, I naturally feed the other 3 quadrants and improve them. I naturally live a principle-centered life and try to help others as often as I can. The spiritual side of life is the one that contains all the gifts that I read about in religious literature, which teaches us that humility is the greatest characteristic a human being can possess. Humility naturally generates gratitude. And gratitude enables me to so many things that I do not have the strength to do. After all, there is only one thing I can truly take with me when I leave this world: my good deeds.

So, dear reader, how solid is your foundation?

In reading this article, I hope I have opened your eyes to just one thing that may help you assess your current foundations. If we are building foundations on things like referenced in the picture above, the sooner we recognize this, the better. After all, our spouses, children, co-workers and fellow inhabitants of the earth are counting on us. I look forward to reading your comments below and learning about your own personal foundations.

Naida Gould – Owner

Gould Design, Inc.