EDUCATION HEALTHCARE INDUSTRIAL COMMERCIAL, CIVIC & CULTURAL PREFABRICATION & MODULARIZATION CONSTRUCTION RESOURCES WE KNOW COMMERCIAL, CIVIC & CULTURAL | OUR WORK TOUGH JOB – BEST PRACTICES Every company claims to use best practices. Our difference is Cullen Process Improvement. What is that? In simple terms, it’s a commitment to delivering value to our clients. Those things that don’t deliver value are by definition a waste – and need to either be improved or eliminated. MARKET EXPERTS Navigating project-specific regulations and compliance. We have unusually deep, industry-specific knowledge from years working in the fields of corporate, government, municipal and community facilities, and from our leadership roles within statewide organizations. This will ease client worries about navigating regulations, laws, code, compliance and enforcement around any project to prevent any violations. We have the experienced team to plan and work around complex construction projects to ensure all phases of a project are in compliance with all technical, operational and legal details. PRE-CONSTRUCTION PLANNERS Our pre-construction planning services consistently save clients time, money and risk over the life of their projects. How? By preemptively eliminating waste. Our pre-construction planning has several components: In-depth site investigations. Site investigations are critical to understanding existing conditions at the facility. They help locate major unknowns and ensure accurate budgeting. Most of our estimators have significant field experience, which means they know what to look for on a site. Whether it’s conducting an above ceiling inspection or doing a soil boring, we’ll find out how site conditions will impact the budget. Design verification. Verifying that the new design will work in a real-world setting is a tried and true method for heading off problems. To that end we perform a constructability study, during which we’ll propose cost-saving construction alternatives. Drawing review. We’ll work closely with the architect and engineers to ensure that all drawings are accurate and ready to go out to bid. Historical comparison. We have a vast database of previous projects we can draw upon to help identify efficiencies and opportunities to save cost. Client collaboration. We will participate in all design meetings, whether for mechanicals, interior finishes, design or budget. We want to be your eyes and ears at every step to make sure there are no holes or overlaps in the budget. Involvement with mechanical, engineering, plumbing and fire protection (MEPF) contractors. Mechanical systems are typically a large part of the budget. We’ve found through experience that projects go over budget when subcontractors are not involved early enough. When that happens square foot numbers are used and no one is held accountable for that part of the budget. When that happens square foot numbers are used to build a budget, which can be unclear and unspecific to how the costs were developed. We bring contractors onboard early to ensure the estimate is accurate. Contractor estimating. Every contractor will prepare a budget book for each phase of the project during design. All budgets will include items like scope narrative, schedule, budget, etc.. We will work closely with the designer and consultants to review the scope of work to ensure there are no surprises. If there are any scope changes you will be notified immediately. Work review. We self-perform most types of work, employing in-house experts to crosscheck logistics, budget, and economics. For other types of work we have established relationships with subcontractors in virtually every field. True value engineering. Our experts employ True Value Engineering which means they’ll deliver the same results at the same level of quality at a lower cost for all components on your project. BUDGET STEWARDS Treat our client’s money like it’s our own. Which means we do it responsibly. It’s ingrained in our culture. We’re always seeking newer ways to improve and provide value by eliminating waste in every process – large or small. We instill these same values in our subcontractors, frequently via film analysis, helping them to streamline their processes, save time and money and improve on-the-job performance. Accurate conceptual estimating. If you knew ahead of time that the difference between your estimate and your actual cost would only differ by plus or minus 1%, would that reduce the stress of your new project? Our expert estimating teams provide the most accurate conceptual estimating in the industry. We have a vast historical project database from which to pull costings. We base costing on detailed take-off, not just square feet. STAKEHOLDER ADVOCATES Viewing projects through the eyes of our owners. We often come into a corporate and community project and first learn about our client’s processes. Viewing projects through the eyes of owners allows us to understand their business needs. We want to be your partner in the process, not just a construction manager or general contractor. What are the end goals? When must the project be completed? Whose schedules do we need to accommodate? What events or processes need to be maintained to minimize disruptions to daily operations? By the start of your project we’ll have a full understanding of your needs, a detailed knowledge of your facility and be ready act on your behalf as the project proceeds. ACTIVE JOB SITE MANAGERS Site-specific work schedules. Most tough jobs involve active job sites, which means working around daily operations. We’ll develop a site-specific work schedule and safety plan that takes into account all functionality as well as the ebb and flow of staff, vendors, and operational needs. Each day we’ll update you on any site changes or construction phases, so you can rest easy knowing there won’t be any surprises or added risk. SCHEDULE GUARDIANS Set schedules. Set schedules. We stand by our schedules. Often we develop them by working backward from a key date such as a move-in or start date. Along the way every step is scrutinized and verified by our in-house market experts, trusted subcontractors and the project architect. We then compare the schedule with our historical project database to verify it’s correct, efficient and providing the most value for the client. MARKET EXPERTS PRE-CONSTRUCTION PLANNERS BUDGET STEWARDS STAKEHOLDER ADVOCATES ACTIVE JOB SITE MANAGERS SCHEDULE GUARDIANS ABOUT US CAREERS BIDDING BLOG OFFICE LOCATIONS