Net Profits - Four Major Levers

Increasing net profits for contractors comes down to four major levers that can be pulled.

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Leadership Tools: Four Basic Profit Levers. Like operating a backhoe; use all four levers simultaneously.
  1. Increase quality revenue up to the point where it stretches your operational capacity.  Not revenue for the sake of revenue but revenue in alignment with your market strategy and capabilities.  Not stretching to the point of breaking but just enough to allow you to grow. 
  2. Increase the “Sold Margin” on projects by finding the customers that will pay the most for the capabilities that you have and by building capabilities that the market places a higher value upon like advanced preconstruction services
  3. Decrease the cost of building project through investments in talent, training, process streamlining, tools and technology.  
  4. Decrease the cost of overhead and indirects in both absolute dollars by looking at every cost and asking how it truly adds value to the customer.  Be careful not to “over-cut” and create a hollow organization that will impact future growth.  

All are interrelated and seem simple on the surface. 


A 3rd party perspective can be helpful for assessment and planning purposes




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Construction Technology Integration Failures
More construction technology integrations FAIL to meet expectations due to alignment with the talent than the capabilities of the technology. If we looked at talent and technology the same way we look at equipment we would achieve a much better return.
Growth and Opportunity
Contractors that are growing profitably, have great reputations with their customers, and have a good culture are able to attract and retain the best talent even with the talent shortages the construction industry will face in the next 10+ years.