Webinar Resources

Date: Thursday, June 13, 2013
Time: 1:00-2:15 PM Eastern / 12:00-1:15 PM Central / 11:00-12:15 AM Mountain / 10:00-11:15 AM Pacific
Earn 1.25 AIA/LUs
Registration: Registration is free, but required.

Description:
The purpose of this presentation is to present the process of project work planning and the elements of a good plan. All projects, large or small should have a project work plan and certain characteristics will be common across project size and scope. The use of the appropriate level and number of tasks in a plan is discussed.  The approach is to simplify and produce project work plans that serve the project team, not to produce plans that must be served.

Learning Objectives
After participating in this webinar attendees will:

1. Understand the benefits of project work planning;
2. How to create the project plan and understand the roles and responsibilities of project team member;
3. Understand and apply the principles of top-down, bottom-up and combination plans and budgets, and
4. How to monitor the plan and what are the root causes for plan adjustments.

Project Management Series: Accounting 101 for Project Managers
The purpose of this presentation is to provide a basic understanding of accounting principles used by the architecture and engineering industries. This is accomplished in the webinar format utilizing definition or terms and examples of accounting documents and reports. In addition to Project Managers having this basic understanding, it is best that everyone in a firm understands key financial metrics and business indicators. This will provide a resource to help manage projects more successfully and connect project management with firm business management on a common platform.

Presenter:  Stephen C. Evans, AIA, Owner, Stephen C. Evans Consulting, LLC
Presented:  MaY 16, 2013 | Webinar Resources:  PDF, Q&A Log and Youtube

More Wisdom for the Ages
Have you ever wanted to get advice on your toughest business development question? Well, now is your chance. Until March 10th, submit your questions (see above). Karen Compton, presenter of last year's webinar, Best Practices in Business Development, will present part 2 of our highly attended webinar by taking YOUR business development questions and concerns and offering real world advise on everything from trends to managing partners' impassioned pleas to purse everything!

Presenter:  Karen Compton, A3K Consulting, LLC
Presented:  March 28, 2013 | Webinar Resources:  PDF, Q&A Log and Youtube

Opportunities and Understanding for International Practice
Is your firm working internationally or does it want to begin or expand services in other countries? Firms of different sizes are increasingly finding opportunity’s abroad and experiencing the rewards, challenges and risks found in the global arena. This webinar will highlight the recent research conducted by The Design Futures Council on the significant growth and opportunities that US based practices are enjoying in the international market place. Additionally, Thomas Fridstein, FAIA will share his insights and experience in setting up a successful international practice.

Presenters: Doug R. Parker, Managing Principal, Greenway Group and Thomas K. Fridstein, FAIA, Executive Director, Cuningham Group China
Presented: January 8, 2013 | Webinar Resources: PDF, Q&A Log, and Youtube

Best Practices in Business Development
The fiscal year is almost over and as firms begin to set their sights on the New Year, we must ask ourselves, “What is our business development (sales) plan?” With time being short and money being shorter, the new fiscal year brings with it both challenges and opportunities. The economy continues to pose challenges for many firms, but new emerging markets, new funding mechanisms and changes in policies also represent new opportunities!

Presenter: Karen Compton, Principal, A3K Consulting
Presented October 18, 2012 | Webinar Resources: PDF, Q&A Log and Youtube

Human Resources: Creating the right workforce for your future
Do you have the right team in place to ensure a successful future for your firm? Creating a great team is not an accident but a deliberate intention executed with discipline. We all know the cost when we hire the wrong people—the time and money invested and lost—but you also lose opportunities, reputation and experience significant gaps in project performance. This session contains three parts: 1) The impact of a great work environment on attraction and retention of top talent. 2) Best practices in hiring and development. 3) Developing a high performance team.

Presenter: Sandy Blaha, President, Sandy Blaha Performance Consulting
Presented June 28, 2012 | Webinar Resources: PDF, Q&A Log and Youtube | Human Resources Workbook

Beyond Marketing: Social Media for Recruiting and Retention, Research and Development, and Knowledge Management
Knowledge Architecture recently completed a study on social media activities of over 250 of the largest architecture and engineering firms in North America. Over half of the architecture and engineering firms we surveyed are actively using social media. Of those firms, almost all of them were using social media to market their firms, which did not come as a surprise. However, we were surprised by the number of firms who were using social media for purposes other than marketing, such as recruiting and retention, research and development, and knowledge management. This session will contain three parts: 1) Presentation of research findings 2) Discussion of key insights and trends yielded by our research 3) Presentation of case studies which indicate where social media is heading for architects and engineers.

Presenter: Christopher Parsons, Founder and CEO, Knowledge Architecture
Presented March 22, 2012 | Webinar Resources: PDF, Q&A Log and Youtube

Architecture/Engineering Industry Consolidation
The economic downturn and credit crunch has had a significant impact on global mergers and acquisitions. This session will review the impact on industry consolidation trends and how design firms can best position themselves to successfully close deals in the new environment, whether they are buyers or sellers. The program will consider valuation and deal structure as well as market positioning. There will also be discussion of the underlying business and corporate organizational factors that impact value that can be managed and evaluated when pursuing M&A deals. Presented December 8, 2011. PDF and Youtube

Best Practices in Competitive Intelligence
This webinar is a collaborative effort between SMPS and PMKC. The content in this webinar is based on a White Paper funded by the SMPS Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization established by the Society to promote research and education that advances the body of knowledge in the field of professional services marketing, which was authored by the presenter. The Society for Marketing Professional Services (www.smps.org) represents a dynamic network of 6,000 marketing and business development professionals from architectural, engineering, planning, interior design, construction, and specialty construction firms located throughout the United States and Canada. SMPS’s mission is to advocate for, educate, and connect leaders in the building industry. SMPS is the only organization dedicated to creating business opportunities in the A/E/C industry. Presented November 16, 2011. PDF and Youtube

Client Research: Debunking Myths and Maximizing ROI
If you don’t ask, you don’t get!’ This truism is particularly relevant in client research. There’s so much valuable information to be gathered, but few firms/individuals have the knowledge base and skills set to ask the right questions, of the right people, at the right time. In this webinar, we'll explore four types of client research: client/prospect perception studies; continuous client monitoring; project satisfaction surveys/interviews; and reference validation. With an eye towards ROI maximization, we’ll also address: When should firms employ each of the four tools? How can firms leverage the data yielded in real time to address problems and seize opportunities? How can firms use the data to modify their positioning and business development strategies, as well as their project delivery process? Presented October 13, 2011. PDF and Youtube

Escaping the Walmarting of Design
This program explores the commoditization of pricing in the design sector – the Wal-Mart effect. In simple microeconomic terms, if the total number of design firms has been going down since 2001 and the numbers of new designers entering the field from college is also going down, when demand stays constant why aren’t fees going up? The presentation presents statistics on trends in the design sector, explains the strategic pricing strategy that puts designers at risk of commoditization, and explains alternate methods of pricing that are available to price services based on the value to the client. Presented September 22, 2011. PDF

Effective Ownership Transitions
When planning an exit strategy and ensuring the continuity of their firms, many owners of architectural firms wait too long to implement an effective succession plan. This webinar demystifies the process and shows you how to develop a timely ownership and leadership transition plan that supports your personal and strategic business goals. This webinar also shows you how to: develop criteria for and identify future owners; package your firm for either an internal or external sale, approach future owners and prospective buyers; develop a preliminary valuation; create greater value for future owners, and craft a flexible ownership transfer plan. Presented June 16, 2011. PDF | WMV

179D Tax Deduction for Architects and Engineers
As an architect or designer, you may be entitled to a tremendous federal tax incentive, which was recently extended by Congress. Under the tax code, if you have implemented energy efficient designs for government owned buildings, such as public schools, airports, courthouses, libraries and student housing, you are eligible to receive a tax deduction of up to $1.80 per square foot. Presented December 15, 2010. Youtube

Best Laid Plans
This webinar presents processes for business planning that will help small firm owners manage slow times and prepare for success in the recovery. Participants learn about the major components of a business plan – purpose, marketing, operations, and finance – and realistic procedures for plan development and implementation. The silver lining to the downturn is that time becomes available to reflect on purpose and act on intentions. This webinar helps small firm owners make good use of that found time. Presented February 18, 2009. Youtube

Lessons from the Dog Whisperer: Avoiding the Project Red Zone
Nothing is more draining of your firm's time, energy, and financial resources than a full-blown dispute with a client, contractor, or consultant. It is critical that architects learn to recognize and respond to the signs of conflict escalation before they reach what Cesar Millan, television's "Dog Whisperer," calls the "red zone." Presented December 16, 2008. Youtube