Google Calender Sync

As demonstrated earlier. This will sync your Outlook calendar with your Google a/c Calendar.

You can set permissions for different people depending on whether you want them to see the actual entry or just a 'busy' marker for that slot.

The five minute website - an example of free tools

Here is an example of a website put together in under five minute using free tools. It isn't glamorous or sophisticated and there isn't a gram of Flash to be seen. In minutes a page can be posted for general consumption.

This raises an interesting and very understandable corporate concern - control.

There is a genuine concern that if tools are available to anyone who wants them then who is controlling what they are saying and doing? Who can stop somebody saying horrid things and posting embarrassing photographs from the Christmas party? The free five minute website give you the answer - nobody. By logical extension anyone can do anything and if they are motivated enough they will do it anyway in under five minutes.

We must to remind ourselves that we are using the web to make things better, not to stop people griping when we make things worse.

unsheffield

I'll probably be attending some of this event. I hear that the geek will inherit the earth.

Open source project management; a brief response (because I had switched off new post comments ;)

Andrew, you've raised some really important questions about what people actually get out of the tools that they are using and MS Project is a good case in point. Bloatware is a term that is used too often in my opinion because it of uses on the tools rather than the output. But it crystallises the issue nicely. I have no idea how H&P implement and use MS Project but it is a good case in point to discuss the topic of collaboration in general.

MSP is HUGE and EXPENSIVE to implement and train up for. I've used it on and off since the 90's and despite persevering I now find that I can't justify the energy that it absorbs. The future for now does seem to be applications that integrate simply into (browser) platforms like Internet Explorer, Chrome and to a lesser degree FireFox. MS and Google seem to have applications in their sights in the way that Apple App's have revolutionised handheld computing.

There is an important question to be asked with every so called solution; Why are we doing this?

So you need to ask why you are using MS Project, and I'd suggest that it being a de-facto standard isn't a good enough answer to prevent you looking at other solutions.If a single member of the project team doesn't use it as fully as everyone else then its strength fails at the weakest link.

A paper and pencil diary and task system might be the answer if a project/ construction/ design/ cost manager is the only person using it. If the MSP gannt charts never really leaves his desk for any constructive purpose then you are probably wasting time and money, making you less efficient than if you ditched it today. It might be more productive (and much cheaper) to buy a few dozen copies of Dave Allen's Getting Things Done.

That's not to say that you should throw the baby out with the bathwater but project information is no use if it isn't of some use to more than one person. Shared and open use of the tools encourages collaboration with the information. Collaboration encourages the best solutions. The best solutions encourage excellence and usually profit! We all like profit. :)

Open source project management tools the way forward?

We've just spent a load of cash retraining contracts managers on the use of MS Project. Every time we do a quality based tender submission we get asked to show how we develop and update programmes. But how many contractors actually update all their programmes on a regular basis? The problem with MS project seems to be that you need the software to open it, so how can it be used in a truly collaborative way. After all, collaborative programming and integrated teams are supposed to be the holy grail of continuous improvement (if they're not then tell me what is so I can put it in my next bid). Open source gizmos that interface with MS Project and other applications are being developed, and these must be the way forward. The main criticisms seem to be that they have less functions than MS Project, but my Toyota has lots of functions and i don't use any of them. Shouldn't the main point here be not how flashy your programme is (or could be), but who's actually using it as a useful project management tool. I'd be interested to hear about any contractors currently using open source tools, and on what size of projects.

Economic Impact Assessment Tool

I'm about to attempt an economic impact assessment for a school site we have just finished in Beverley. The idea is that we work out how money going into the project was spent and respent, so producing a multiplied economic benefit. I'm starting by finding out who we employed and where thay worke / live, including subcontractors, and also do some analysis of materials to find out where they were purchased, or even manufactured. This is my first attempt so will probably end in disaster. If i get any good stuff out of it it may be useful to Esteem to show the "Hullness" of its Building Schools for the Future bid

Browne Smith Baker's Carbon Challenge scheme

We've started talking to one of our customers, Pickering & Ferens Homes about developing a standard house type specification. I think this is a great opportunity for us to find out how much a zero carbon Code Level 6 home will cost. I went to a presentation  by local architects Browne smith Baker a few weeks ago and was surprised at how cost efficiently they delivered it - would be interesting to know if anyone has achieved similar results on smaller schemes

Google in construction

Just been talking to Martin at Fairsnape who told me about this story - it looks like they are putting all their drawings on Google docs and saving plenty

Subbies need to get green

A new survey revealed 95 per cent of large construction firms will give preference to subcontractors who can prove their green credentials. 

Imagine this is a news release or tender invitation

This post was typed up on Wednesday and posted automatically on Thursday by the blog at 8:00 am

J Z Flowers

We're looking at ways to measure carbon at our J Z Flowers site at North Cave. Starting with a proposal to use LED lighting. We've commissioned a feasibility study and will let you know the results in due course

Collaborative Information Exchange, Blogging, Twittering

Collaborative Information Exchange

Using a number of online tools we can structure a collaborative information exchange system that integrates simply with your existing tools.

At the most simple level we can quickly host documents online and with some clever tricks we can create questionnaires and surveys that automatically integrate into a spreadsheet. In short it saves huge amounts of time and allows information gathering and distribution to become a creative process. For example, a monthly sub-contractors satisfaction survey can be created and distributed in around fifteen minutes. The responders can complete the survey online using a PC, mobile phone or even an iPod. The results are automatically collated into an Excel compatible spreadsheet allowing H&P to use the data rather than spend hours collecting it. A sample questionnaire for a weekly site safety response has been created will be sent to you shortly. We are able to produce, distribute and report if an anonymised service is required.

Using a few more online tools documents such as specifications, tenders, policies, site rules or anything else that is document based can be posted online for access by anyone or selected user groups. Once again it is quick, easy and cheap.


Blogs

A blog is no more than a very clever pinboard, but its uses and effects should far outweigh its simplicity. There are a few options when it comes to the choice of blog platform but for simplicity, speed and efficiency Blogger by Google wins hands down unless you want to commit to an ongoing technical exercise. Our purpose here is to create a user friendly system that will create a competition beating tool and web profile for H&P, not a constant bill for web design. There are risks of hosting with a 3rd party but Google is unlikely to do anything to upset its customer and making a content backup takes no time at all. Blogger is also the most widely recognised platform and being Google owned it performs well at getting the H&P blogs on computer screens.

Remember, content is king. Your blogs will share information with anyone that has the web address so they encourage transparency, honesty and responsibility. They also provide lots of tiny footprints all over the Internet that will build into a detailed record of how great H&P is.

We can give permissions for multiple bloggers to any particular blog, and comments can be moderated actively or passively. We can also integrate an image solution for photographs. One really neat trick is that a post can be created and posted automatically at a later date which is handy for press releases or tenders. One final tool is that a post can be emailed from anywhere without needing to log on to the Internet.

I'd suggest a 4 line approach to capturing the corporate blogosphere for Hobson & Porter:

1. The first line will be the main corporate blog:

• This is where the news and general day to day stuff will be blogged. It will be the primary resource for information about H&P and what they are up to.
• The marketing department will be the primary blogger but contributions from other staff members would be great.
• Public comments allow first hand feedback on topics.
• It is a 24 hour resource for anybody - customers, media, authorities, the public - to instantly see your timeline.

2. Next we have the site specific blogs:

• Each building site will have its own new blog and the site manager or marketing department will be able to update the goings on.
• In the early days you will be able to post tender notices.
• Once on site it will become a great resource for communicating with contractors en-masse. Imagine it as a notice board in the site cabin where you can tell them about site safety, neighbour respect, upcoming contracts, site opening times, tool box talks, etc.
• You might even find the neighbours posting comments here because it is a great place to tell them (and your contractors) about next week's road closure. Don't be surprised if they have an opinion!

3. One of the most useful will be a supply chain collaboration blog:

• Here is where your suppliers, contractors, merchants, past present and future can get in touch.
• H&P can encourage feedback and you can discuss policies, payments and all the nitty gritty that it is useful for everyone to see.
• New sub-contract packages can be announced here and questions for estimators (and their responses) can be kept in one place that everyone can see at any time.

4. Finally there are special initiatives. These will be ad-hoc and some of them be more permanent than others. Examples might be:

• Health and safety - monthly safety reports, policy updates, newsflashes, accident reports, safety talks, danger reminders, reprints of useful articles, contractor reports. Everybody can see what is happening, nobody can say that they didn't know and everybody is empowered to contribute to site safety.
• The Christmas Party. Everybody will want to check out the arrangements and see what a great time everybody had. It will sneakily get everyone used to checking and maybe even contributing.

Twitter

Twitter is really simple, really effective and takes no time out of your day.

In just 140 characters you can tell your followers your message. It isn't sophisticated, it isn't cultured but it does leave your company footprint all over the Internet with bite sized messages. It is still a bit of a curates egg but the trend for microblogging is set to grow massively and we will see it penetrating deep into everyday life. The first celebrity proposal via Twitter can't be far away. Anybody can become a follower and anybody will.

Combining the blogs with twittering the Internet and real world profile will grow faster than H&P's website alone could ever hope to achieve.


Hobson & Porter's main blog test can be found at www.hobsonandporter.blogspot.com and the H&P twitter is here http://twitter.com/hobsonandporter.

Tony Carroll. 27.5.09
tony@provesta.co.uk

Hobson and Porter of Hull

Welcome to the Hobson & Porter blog.

This is where you can keep in touch with what is happening at Hull's leading contractor. We would love to hear what you have to say so please leave your comments.

As a blog is chronological this is actually the most recent post.

Web Integration & Collaboration - Some structure makes a useful resource

I've written up an introduction and brief for the blogosphere and how H&P can take advantage of tools that are easy to use and cheap to implement.

I'll add you to the file share but I'll post the document to this blog.

News: Gateway stories

When Leon Jameson and his partner Rachael Thompson discovered they were expecting a baby they were desperate to move out of their home in Saltburn Street.

Over-run with mice and with dampness seeping through the building, they knew it wasn't the best place to bring up a child. Now, Leon and Rachael couldn't be happier after moving to a refurbished home on Alliance Avenue, two weeks after the birth of baby Mason.

Leon said: "We had spent quite a bit of money doing up the house in Saltburn Street but it was still damp and we had mice so, by the end, we wanted to get out".

"Our new house is so much better, with double glazing, central heating and modern fixtures and fittings, so it's made a lot of difference. It's so much better than our last place and it really feels more like home."

Forty two properties throughout Newington and St Andrew's are benefiting from internal refurbishment as part of the scheme being carried out by Places for People. Work includes re-plastering, replacing joists, improving electrics and plumbing, new roofs, new floors, installing central heating and double glazing, new kitchens and bathrooms and re-decoration throughout.

Shaun Mitchell lived with his mother Marjorie in a 'two-up, two-down' on Beech Grove and was keen to remain in the area. He and his mother have now moved into a larger property on De La Pole Avenue which has been refurbished to a much higher standard than their old home. "The most important thing for us was to remain in the area because I've lived here all my life and i didn't want to go too far," Mr Mitchell says.

"We were lucky to get a new house close by and it's much bigger, with double glazing and central heating. We've also got a garden, which we didn't have at our old place, so we're very happy."