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The NEC Project Approach

NEC Advantage

  • Big Company Capabilities, Small Company Feel
  • Highest quality local subcontractor base to draw from resulting in most competitive pricing while maintaining quality
  • Established relationship with RIHousing
  • Experienced, friendly project team with strong communication skills from top to bottom - You will like our people!
  • Corporate commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion across all facets of our organization
  • Advanced leadership experience in driving pre-construction design and build activities to set this project up for success
  • Passionate commitment to safety, quality and respect
  • Skilled logistics planning in active shopping centers with oversight from our in house Director of Safety
  • Embracing a collaborate partnership
  • Bonding Capacity in excess of $80MM

 

 

 

Commitment to Quality

Our QA/QC program maintains high-level expectations of the quality of work and execution of the project design. Weekly meetings focused on QA/QC will mitigate potential design issues and punch list items in a proactive approach at each phase of construction.

Project Approach

Process largely determines the success of any project. The NEC approach to any construction project is rooted in meticulous planning, innovative problem solving and a commitment to excellence. We begin with a comprehensive assessment of the project requirements, followed by detailed planning and ultimately successful project execution. 

Project Partners

New England Construction has a robust subcontractor pre-qualification program. Our process ensures that only the most qualified, reliable and cost effective subcontractors are selected for our projects. 

Project success is directly tied to the quality of our selected project partners. NEC is dedicated to utilizing local and diverse subcontractors on every project.

Local Relationships

New England Construction is nimble and can navigate the union/open shop local Rhode Island subcontractor market appropriately to ensure the project runs in harmony between all trades. With over 39 years of successful projects in Rhode Island, specifically in Providence, we have established a well-rounded network of local subcontractors who will work with us on a proactive approach to procurement.

  • The estimating department targets local subcontractors within the BuildingConnected software within a radius of 25 miles from the project. 

  • NEC is intentional in the selection of the company's location when requesting pricing. Our 39 years of experience as a Rhode Island based contractor has allowed us to develop a wide variety of relationships with vendors and subcontractors within the state. 

  • The estimating department is dedicated to utilizing resources within our organization for targeted outreach and relationship building opportunities with Rhode Island based subcontractors. We perform this outreach to qualify new subcontractors within Rhode Island for a specific project.
Diverse Supplier

NEC encourages diverse participation through selection of qualified subcontractors with WBE/MBE designation. New England Construction employs these efforts in our diverse supplier selection process. 

  • NEC utilizes BuildingConnected bidding software to identify and categorize WMBE designated subcontractors. 

  • The estimating team identifies, performs targeted outreach and collect pricing from WMBE companies to determine the most cost effect approach to the project while meeting the target goal of 10-25% WMBE utilization. 

  • The NEC estimating team performs targeted outreach and vetting of WMBE subcontractors using the BuildingConnected and other databases to request pricing and gauge interest in this specific project.

  • The NEC estimating team can offer training and support for WMBE subcontractors on our bidding process, contract requirements, and project specifications. 

  • We leverage our local relationships with MHIC and RIHousing to continue to add to our prequalified pool of WMBE subcontractors. 

  • The NEC estimating department can  provide a Good Faith Report to quantify the outreach performed by the team to meet the WMBE involvement on projects which require a specific percentage of WMBE involvement. 

  • NEC offers a range of opportunities for WMBE subcontractors by breaking down larger contracts into smaller packages.

 

 

Subcontractor Prequalification Process

Our streamlined prequalification process leverages TradeTapp software, allowing us to efficiently evaluate subcontractors based on their financial stability, safety record, past performance and compliance with regulatory requirements. 

The subcontractor is re-evaluated during buyout and award as a second look to ensure the team is the best fit for the project. The proactive approach enables us to build a network of trusted, local subcontractors who meet our stringent standards of quality, safety, and reliability, ultimately enhancing the success and efficiency of our construction projects. 

All subcontractors with contracts greater than $750k will undergo an enhanced project specific approval process beyond our standard practice. 

Schedule

Validating the schedule will be our first priority as we immediately confirm turnover dates that take into consideration design and permitting the project. 

We will employ scheduling mechanisms and techniques that will ensure an effective, well–paced preconstruction and construction phases while meeting all expectations for functionality and quality. We will create a work plan that ties to the risk and decision matrix.

We utilize “Pull Plan Scheduling” which at its core is a visual way to schedule that makes it easier for the general contractor to make changes and invite subcontractor buy-ins. This is one of the first activities that takes place as a full project team and it is time well spent. By involving subcontractors in the scheduling process while they are gathered in the same place, it creates an environment where schedule driven conversations occur. This exercise generates conversations about when one contractor should start and the other should stop or even how to phase multiple trades that are working in the same area. All subcontractor feedback and contributions are posted on the “pull plan board” thus generating buy in to the schedule which absolutely results in a higher probability of accuracy.

Critical–path decisions are addressed and commensurate with the schedule by drafting an agenda for each team meeting, outlining milestones and action items. We emphasize focused discussions with the project committee and stakeholders to appraise options and confirm that time is focused on pursuing appropriate solutions. This procedure assures that the client team and design team members are accountable, focused on individual tasks, and aware of timeliness surrounding their decisions.

Once underway our Team is vigilant about actualizing the schedule weekly.   Ensuring schedule adherence means having a full understanding of all the required activities and confirmation that they are executed!  It is important to know at all times where we stand in relation to where we planned to be.  Schedule and budget control are directly tied to each other and our Team has the tools in place control the schedule and subsequent cost management.

Preconstruction Plan

We are excited for the opportunity to be involved in this exciting project. The NEC goal for preconstruction on this project is proactive planning for milestones and scheduling. With our experience in Multi-Unit projects and our knowledge of requirements, the NEC team is prepared for the successful start up of this project. 

Permitting

New England Construction will provide oversight throughout the permitting process. NEC's team has a vast portfolio of construction experience in Rhode Island and Providence as well as experience building affordable housing and multi-unit projects. 

NEC will assist with all permitting for the project starting with the initial Building Permit application completed with the Final Certificate of Occupancy. Our team will develop a permit matrix listing all required permits and approvals and assign the responsible person to each one. 

Logistics Planning

The NEC project team will evaluate the requirements of execution for the construction phase of Parcel5 and develop a full logistics plan.  This process will involve detailed scheduling and strategic site management allowing the project team to optimize the flow of resources. 

The effective logistics planning for the Parcel5 project will help to minimize delays, monitor site costs, and enhance safety by anticipating potential challenges and developing contingency plans.  The logistics plan will aid in maintaining project momentum, ensuring that each phase of construction progresses smoothly and efficiently toward successful completion within the project schedule.

Procurement

Efficient procurement procedures are essential to the success of the Parcel 5 project. The experienced team of professionals at NEC is well versed in the needs of foresight in project procurement. 

Our process begins with identification of the project requirements and specifications.  The project management team will evaluate the subcontractor proposals and negotiate terms to solidify the best value while discussing the availability of necessary materials and equipment described in the project documents. The project schedule, subcontractor proposals, and specifications are reviewed carefully during the procurement process to call out potential issues and place orders in accordance with vendor lead times in an effort to maintain the integrity of the project schedule. 

Effective procurement procedures not only secure high-quality materials and services but also foster transparent and competitive practices during the buyout phase. This approach is developed to mitigate risks, manage costs, and deliver the project on time and on budget. 

Procore

New England Construction will utilize Procore for the project management software on this project. Procore is a user friendly, collaborative project management platform designed to streamline communication between all team members, provide live time updates of project status, and document all information in one organized location. The program is cloud based and accessible wherever there is internet – at the office, at home, or on the fourth floor in one of the units we are building.

Procore allows the team to quickly create RFIs from marked up drawings, share new Addendums with subcontractors, manage contracts and finances, and provide daily reports and project updates. There is an unlimited amount of storage for the project and the data that will be available for Operations & Maintenance manuals. Procore’s mobile app makes it easy to view documents in the field, on a walkthrough or remotely. If there is a question in the field, our site Superintendent can quickly respond and access all of the drawings at his fingertips.

Project Benefits include:
  • Increased collaboration
  • Streamlined efficiency
  • Quick responses
  • Accurate live project updates
  • Real time visibility into the projects health
  • Increased accountability for the team
  • Reduces risk
  • Cohesiveness between the field and the office

Budget & Cost Management

NEC will dedicate a Project Manager who will be the common conduit from which information flows throughout the preconstruction phase. In addition to serving as the primary point of contact for the Owner Group and all involved design consultants, they will manage the subcontractor agreements on the project and be responsible for updating the master project schedule. The Project Manager will also keep the Owner Group apprised of all aspects of the budget and any potential cost impacts to the project. By onboarding your builder early, changes are minimal. The preconstruction effort and collaboration by the owner, architect, builder, and all consultants minimize the risk of changes. In the case of an owner-directed change to the program, NEC will quickly evaluate and communicate all potential cost and/or scheduling impacts. We are a relationship-focused firm with a reputation for being fair and equitable in all of our relationships. We will leverage our subcontractor relationships to negotiate a fair price. Our primary objective is to treat our client’s money like it is our money. We maintain a change order log and potential change order log that is updated weekly.

We will give careful consideration to project cost versus construction cost in order to make sure that both meet the overall project budget. As a merit shop, we have the flexibility to address this by using the proper subcontractor in each trade regardless of union or non-union status.