Ernie Maschner
Supply-chain challenges are certainly nothing new, but they’ve grown increasingly complicated over the last few years. Today we discuss how you as a contractor can approach these challenges whether you’re working on a local and global scale.
We get several helpful supply-chain insights from our guest Ernie Maschner. Ernie has been an influential presence in the construction industry for more than 30 years. He now works as a VP with Victaulic, a manufacturer of engineered couplings and valves. Ernie is also involved with a few industry organizations that seek to address global supply chain issues.
Here are a few of the things we touch on in our conversation:
The importance of communicating with all supply-chain parties as early as possible
Industry organizations that seek to help contractors navigate today’s supply chain challenges - Ernie refers to these three: The Construction Industry Institute, The Design Build Institute of America, The Water Collaborative Delivery Association
How human, political, and social dynamics affect the supply chain - For example: Why does the availability of asphalt in Brazil follow a two-year cycle? Ernie learned the answer while working on projects related to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
How some progressive contractors write up contracts that allow for the increasing unpredictability of markets
A $50 billion (yes, billion) modular construction project in Kazakhstan that involved modules the size of small hotels
The cultural factors that affect people’s attitudes toward prefabrication and modular construction
Ernie’s megaphone message: We need to work together in a fair way. Collaborative project delivery produces better results in the end.
