2015 master specifiers retreat
by Katie Daniel | March 3, 2015 4:32 pm
INSIDE CSI
Greg Ceton, CSI, CDT
What do you think the future of design-bid-build is?
Kelly Cone, innovations director at the Beck Group, kicked off CSI’s 2015 Master Specifiers Retreat in January with a provocative keynote posing this question, among many others with which specifying and manufacturing leaders have been wrestling. His presentation led participants to engage in excited discussion throughout the retreat.
In addition to the potential effect of project delivery methods on facility performance, Cone explored topics as diverse as:
- effectively managing teams with millennial workers;
- privacy and the unforeseen ramifications of data we make publicly available; and
- software and Internet-enabled hardware’s impacts on project and facility performance.
Cone opened his presentation by showing a live feed from a website that tracked the location of hundreds of individuals in several European cities drawn entirely from information made public by social media, cell providers, and other sources. This put the notion of privacy in stark relief and immediately set the room abuzz.
That buzz did not end with the event, either; it continued in a fashion increasingly common for CSI members—on Twitter (#CSIMSR).
“Our industry is viewed as non-innovative, but we are trapped in contractual relationships that hamper innovation,” tweeted retreat attendee, Ruth Albertelli, CSI, CCS (Westlake Reed Leskosky). “Gamification of the project manual? If it got people to use it, it could
be great.”
“Design-bid-build is the most perverse method of project delivery,” tweeted T.J. Gottwalt, CSI, CCPR (Allegion). “Get rid of risk and your value declines as an architect.”
There were also a few entertaining observations by the event’s participants.
“Internet of things with addressable devices, even office chairs. Are you actually sitting in your chair?” tweeted David Stutzman, CSI, CCS (Conspectus).
CSI improves communication in the construction industry through challenging education, and close-knit networking, and the Master Specifiers Retreat was a perfect example. Held in Scottsdale, Arizona, it gave nearly 100 high-level specifiers and manufacturing building product representatives a chance to meet and discuss the industry. It also provided education programming that gave participants points to ponder and discuss at receptions and group meals.
In addition to the broadly ranging chatter participants engage in during social events and breaks, the attending specifiers and product manufacturers were also paired for scheduled ‘deep-dive’ discussions. This scheduling was done in response to various expressed participant preferences well in advance of the event so both sides could prepare for their meetings.
In 30-minute sessions, the specifiers and product representatives discussed real projects and the issues challenging them, and forged relationships and strengthened existing ones. A common reflection on these scheduled meetings from both specifiers and manufacturers is they provide the kind of feedback and answers to real problems immediately usable by participants to increase value and solve any problems.
CSI is now accepting applications for the 2016 CSI Master Specifiers Retreat, which will be held next January at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point in Fort Myers, Florida. To apply, visit www.csinet.org/msr.
Greg Ceton, CSI, CDT, is the interim executive director, and director of technical services, of CSI. He has managed the development of CSI’s information standards and publications since November 2000 and has been directly involved in the creation and maintenance of OmniClass, buildingSMART Data Dictionary (bSDD), MasterFormat, UniFormat, and the CSI Practice Guide series. Ceton can be reached at gceton@csinet.org.
Source URL: https://www.constructionspecifier.com/2015-master-specifiers-retreat-2/