FMI Quarterly

2022 Q4

Placing Your Bets for 2023

Featured Article: Project Delays Are Coming: Develop a Strategy Now

As the economy becomes more uncertain, engineering and construction firms are beginning to see more project delays and cancellations. It's not enough to have a strategy in this environment. You need to execute, integrate and constantly reassess your plans to optimize your market position. Learn how […]

Quiet Quitting: The New Leadership Challenge

Many are talking about quiet quitting. Yet, quiet quitting is not laziness, but a symptom of poor management. Discover ways to motivate your people.

Closing the Gender Pay Gap: Why Women May Be the Key to Solving E&C Labor Challenges

Companies that make efforts to diversify their workforces and recruit employees from various backgrounds will be better able to compete in a continuously evolving market. As the labor shortage continues to be a problem across roles in construction, think about how you can create an environment that […]

Creating a Process Playbook That Drives Operational Excellence

Operationally superior organizations are constantly evolving and adapting to changing conditions with clear goals and ways to measure progress. The easiest place to start on continuous process improvement is developing a playbook or standard set of practices. Once those have been implemented for a […]

2023 M&A Outlook for Construction Services

Signs of a coming recession indicate challenges for some portions of the economy, but certain construction services segments will continue to see strong growth despite economic headwinds. This article dives into those sectors most ripe for consolidation in 2023.

2022 Q3

Driving Sustainability and Diversity in the Built Environment

Featured Article: Harness the Power of Your Board by Diversifying Your Directors

The concerns around building diverse and inclusive workplaces have been a part of office conversation for the past 60 years and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. Here we provide a framework for leaders to capitalize on the increasing diversity in the industry and establish diverse […]

How Leaders in the Built Environment Can Champion Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The future of the industry will depend on expanding opportunities for all people, something that the most successful companies are already paying attention to across their organizations. To help understand this, we interviewed Rev. Larry S. Bullock, CEO of USMCA.

Creating Operational Excellence through Improving the Field and Job Sites

For many engineering and construction (E&C) firms, the first area they turn to for improvement is the field, since it often seems to be the easiest place to work on efficiencies. Yet, operationally superior organizations know that you must implement the right practices, processes and people across […]

Private Equity: Finding the Value in the Built Environment

Skilled private equity investors can spot opportunities, but the complicated outlook for the economy and the construction industry, including building products, facilities services and related E&C industrial industries, means that it’s going to take deep industry knowledge to find the right […]

2022 Q2

How to Win the Big Talent Race: Tactics and Strategies

Featured Article: Employee Stock Ownership Plans: An Effective Recruiting and Retention Strategy

The built environment offers tangible payoffs for those who do the work: world-class projects and feats of engineering. Success within the space is tied to a sense of shared ownership with employees feeling they have buy-in and a say in the decision-making process. ESOPs are a great means to an end, […]

Industry Trends Shaping E&C Ownership Transitions

Handing over an organization’s reins to the next generation and transitioning ownership are never easy processes. For optimal results, the ownership transfer and management succession (OTMS) approach starts with identifying, selecting and developing key associates; ensuring that leadership roles […]

Megaprojects: How Great Leaders Can Be the Difference Between Success and Failure

Discover what differentiates a great leader of a large project from an average one and how your organization can help people develop critical competencies.

Preconstruction: The Foundation in Operational Excellence

To be operationally superior, E&C firms need to develop and implement preconstruction processes that will create a defined game plan before people show up to a job site. Being organized helps retain talent, win business, improve productivity and increase profits.

Trading on Excellence: The Value of Talented Field Leaders

When engineering and construction (E&C) firms think about leadership development, the focus naturally goes to C-suite and business development teams. While those managers are a critical part of a firm’s ultimate success, companies often neglect to develop on-site leaders who are ensuring projects […]

2022 Q1

Strategies for Navigating Volatile Times

Featured Article: Compounding Competitive Advantage: The Integration of Strategy, Project Selection and Execution Framework

Being selective about what projects you take is becoming a business imperative in today’s market. Engineering and construction firms need to have superior execution that aligns with clear strategies to increase their competitive advantages.

Why Contractors Need to Understand Embodied Carbon

Carbon accounting isn’t required on all projects yet, but there are major incentives for early adopters.

Don’t Risk Poor Cash Management Due to Lack of Strategy

Regardless of market conditions, having the right level of liquidity is a crucial aspect of successful risk management for contractors.

Engineering and Construction Compensation: What Executives Need to Know

Companies need to pay attention to broader economic trends and other data issues when determining pay in today’s highly competitive environment.