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A Day in the Life of a Construction Project Manager: Why You Need One By Mark Worley, Project Manager, DEI Incorporated A construction project manager (PM) is the driving force behind every successful build. Around the clock, they ensure that every detail is executed smoothly, keeping projects on time, within budget, and up to quality standards. Whether you're a client wondering why you need a PM or someone considering this career path, here’s a glimpse into a typical day in the life of a construction project manager. Morning: Kicking Off the Day The day often starts early, typically before sunrise. [...]

What is a Construction Manager By Mark Whipple, Project Manager, DEI Incorporated What does a construction manager do? As a Construction Manager at DEI, I must have a deep understanding of all the parts of the building process, from the initial planning and foundational work to project completion. It is my responsibility for overseeing and coordinating all aspects of a construction project, from its inception to its completion. My job is to oversee a lot of moving pieces at once, and keep the project on track, on time, and on budget. Given that I act as the intermediary between clients, [...]

The Benefits of Value Engineering By Jacob Birch, Assistant Project Manager, DEI Incorporated Value engineering (VE) is a crucial process in construction that aims to improve project value while cutting costs without losing quality. This approach is essential for ensuring that projects meet both functional needs and aesthetic expectations within budget. At DEI, the VE process starts early in planning and is continuously revisited among the duration of each project. The four main benefits of value engineering are explored upon below: Cost Savings: Many projects have limited budgets. By using value engineering, DEI can find ways to cut costs without [...]

The Future of Concrete By Korey Pangburn, Assistant Project Manager, DEI Incorporated Concrete is one of the most common building materials around. Whether it’s in the foundations of a pole-barn or the columns and decks of a 100,000 person capacity stadium, if a structure is being built, they will be using concrete in one form or another. This fundamental material has been used in various forms for centuries, and most people would think not much has changed since. Let’s take a look at some of the latest advances in the concrete industry. “Green” Concrete Portland cement is one of the [...]

Tips for Construction Permitting and Planning By Jenny King, Director of Construction Services, DEI Incorporated Gone are the days of submitting stacks of drawings and paperwork to local municipalities. Many building departments throughout the United States upgraded their systems to online portals during the Covid-19 Epidemic. Initially these systems allowed their employees a safe working environment from home instead of completely closing their offices while also speeding up the review process. However, online portals have not changed the need or ability to establish new relationships within the reviewing jurisdictions and business communities. These relationships are developed based on mutual respect, [...]

Designing an Environment for Employee Health and Well-Being By Shawn Pence, Design Director, DEI Incorporated Great design is more than aesthetics, form, and function. In post-pandemic commercial interiors, it now includes a focus on how the lighting, colors, sounds, and textures that surround us as we work influence our mental and physical health. Employers are prioritizing creating a workplace for their employees that not only promotes work efficiency but improves their health. This wellness focus pushes designers past the typical space planning, branding, and interior design typical of their role. Below are some of the steps the DEI design [...]

Rendering to Reality - The Advancement of 3D Visualization By Holger Gerdes, 3D Visualization & Concept Development, DEI Incorporated With advancements in technology, design visualization has improved exponentially over the past 25 years. From hand drawn sketches and illustrations to photo realistic renderings, visualization has always been an important part of communicating the vision of our customer’s new buildings. Understanding flat, 2 dimensional architectural drawings can be a challenge for both customers, designers and architects. The ability to quickly generate a 3-dimensional model and change its form, finishes, angles of view and even perform sun-studies, has been a priceless [...]

What is the branch of the future? By Brandon Eckhart, 3D Visualization & Concept Development, DEI Incorporated The branch of the future. is a request we regularly get from clients looking to showcase technology in their space. However, rather than focusing on what technology to use, a better question would be what role does technology play in bettering the experience? From a visitor’s perspective, one typically enters a branch when they need to talk to someone about a specific financial issue. With that in mind, any technology that allows employees to be more accessible is a worthwhile investment. Many [...]

Should our HQ include a retail branch? By Kim Rittmeier, Marketing Manger, DEI Incorporated Finding land and designing and building a corporate headquarters that will attract and retain quality employees can be challenging. But should it also include a branch? It depends on your goals. Are you renovating an existing building or building new? Are you locating the HQ in a specific area to attract members? Or management/staff? Renovating or New Building If you’re renovating an existing building, space may be at a premium to accommodate each department and provide adequate amenities for employees. If that’s the case, including [...]

What does an environmental Graphic Designer Do? By Michael Weiman, Environmental Graphic Designer, DEI Incorporated I have been a graphic designer for over two decades now, and I always find it funny that people don't know what I do for a living. Most think I make logos all day or just get to doodle. I have watched my parents introduce me and try to tell others what I do, and they even get it wrong sometimes. So, what does an environmental graphic designer do? Yes, I do get to doodle sometimes, but an environmental designer does a lot more. [...]