Competitive Advantage

A contractor’s market strategy is the most highly leveraged decision leadership can make.

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Quote: If you don't have a competitive advantage, don't compete. Jack Welch Retired Chairman and CEO of GE.

Getting this right then executing effectively can easily have a 2X+ positive impact on earnings over the next 5.

  • Identifying market(s) and customers that will be growing over the next 10+ years.  
  • Developing operational capabilities and capacity that adds maximum value to these customers while being difficult, time consuming or costly for competitors to copy.  
  • Building advanced preconstruction services integrated with aggressive business development to identify projects and customers well before anyone else even has a chance.
  • Where possible including operations and maintenance services to the project after the construction phase including special projects and service work. 

General Electric consists of many individual business units each with P&L responsibilities and expected to work together.  Many contractors are structured in a similar way. 

Their management training program teaches people how to run businesses - how to compete.  

“If you don't have a competitive advantage, don't compete.”

Jack Welch; Retired Chairman and CEO of General Electric

What is your competitive advantage today?  

What will your competitive advantage be tomorrow? 

What are you doing to hold onto your current advantage and prepare for tomorrow?




Prepare Your Business - People
Your people are your business. This is especially true for contractors where nearly 100% of competitive differentiators are the experience of your people. Now we are faced with lots of unknowns and yet we must act decisively.
CMAR - Strategic Market Choices and a 3-Part Approach
Being truly competitive (or not having to compete at all) with the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) project delivery method requires advanced business development and preconstruction capabilities.
Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act (The OODA Loop)
The OODA Loop is a decision-making framework originally developed for the military to make agility a competitive advantage. The focus on fast, localized decisions in rapidly changing environments aligns well with construction projects and businesses.