Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - (Page 26)

Business Insights Sustainability Market Growing Rapidly There is growing demand for sustainability considerations to be part of a total design and construction project. ACEC’s unique Green Infrastructure and Sustainable Communities course (Feb. 1–4, 2011, in San Antonio) examines key design issues and processes and showcases the growing applications of “green” engineering by some of the leading U.S. practitioners. Participants will hear about emerging opportunities in sustainable development, become familiar with national and international metrics, understand how to identify future projects through audits and comprehend how to apply life-cycle analysis to proposed projects and programs. The expert faculty will also explore ways to expand business practices in sustainable engineering and facilities planning, especially with regard to transportation, buildings and water projects. This four-day certificate program includes an afternoon fieldtrip along the famed downtown Riverwalk in San Antonio, with insights into the bypass channel, floodgates, bald cypress plantings and annual drainage, cleaning and refilling of this unique spur of the San Antonio River. For more information and to register, visit http://www.acec.org/education/index.cfm. ect manager or aspiring project manager involved in pricing services, the skills and insights explained in this book can help you get the price right. To order, go to www.acec.org/bookstore. Big Value Online Seminars Meet Niche Knowledge Needs—Conveniently One of the most critical challenges facing A/E/C firms is how to keep employees trained and capable of performing, even as technology and business practices change around them. Multiday courses offer exceptional learning, but sometimes a short burst of knowledge, insight or information is what’s required. ACEC’s Institute for Business Management produces and presents more than 70 online seminars each year, honing in on bottom-line A/E/C topics that affect firms’ day-to-day operations. Increasingly, members and nonmembers are discovering online topics specific to their business and taking advantage of the “single fee for single computer connection” format that encourages staff participation by the roomful in these one-hour to oneand-a-half-hour seminars. 2010 seminar topics included how to write the “perfect” NEPA cumulative impact analysis; engineering the “Smart Grid”; the case for M/E/P firms using BIM; developing and defending overhead rates; and the impact of Hurricane Katrina on floodplain mapping and management. Other topics included post-passage discussion on what the new health care bill means to firms; updating the market status and future of U.S. high-speed rail; and how to develop more persuasive proposals. Courses are presented by ACEC’s faculty roster of highly credentialed government, law and A/E business consulting experts. Select online seminars might also be recorded for purchase through the ACEC Bookstore, though live presentations allow for participation and questions from the widely dispersed class of participants. The ACEC seminar calendar at www.acec.org/education is continually expanding. Already, 2011 is shaping up to provide a mix of updates on industry business basics and of-the-moment topics. Check the calendar and watch for frequent e-mail announcements highlighting upcoming “don’t-miss” sessions. n Pricing Firm Services In the New Economy In an era of increased competition and limited work, pricing a firm’s services can be difficult: Set your price too high and risk not getting the job; set it too low, and face financial ruin or diminution of the firm’s reputation. For guidance on how best to price services, ACEC recently released Value Pricing for A/E and A/E/CM Firms by renowned business consultant and marketing expert David Stone. Stone takes readers through the necessary skills and “profit arithmetic” basics of setting fees through logic and systematic process, instead of through a “throw-a-dart-at-the-wall” exercise or reliance on outdated “rules of thumb.” Stone also addresses the issue of types of services, from commodity to value-added business models, describing strategies and market issues to ensure perception matches services delivered, and that fees are justified wherever they fit on the curve. Whether you are a principal, proj26 ENGINEERING INC. NovEmbER / DECEmbER 2010 The ACEC Institute for Business Management provides comprehensive and accessible business management education for engineering company principals and their staffs. Visit ACEC’s online educational events calendar at www.acec.org/calendar/index.cfm or bookstore at www.acec.org/publications, or call 202-347-7474, ext. 338, for further information. http://www.acec.org/bookstore http://www.acec.org/education/index.cfm http://www.acec.org/education http://www.acec.org/calendar/index.cfm http://www.acec.org/publications

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010

Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010
Contents
From ACEC to You
News and Notes
Market Watch
Legislative Action
Power Play
2010 Fall Conference Highlights
Ins and Outs
Re-energized
Business Insights
Young Professionals of the Year
Members in the News

Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010