NSCA Releases Labor Installation Standards
Aug 1, 2001 12:00 PM
Labor installation standards for the commercial electronic systems industry have been made available by the NSCA. Reporting on the average time it takes to program and/or install individual components, the report offers the only labor estimation standard for the industry.
Citing his past experiences as a contractor, NSCA executive director Chuck Wilson said that estimating installation hours was always the biggest variable in the bidding process. “It was usually pretty easy to calculate material costs, but it was much more difficult to create accurate labor estimates,” he said. “The Labor Installation Standards report is an excellent tool for companies to benchmark their existing standards. And if they aren’t using any kind of industry standard now, this report would be a great place to start.”
Identifying average programming and installation time, the new standards take into account work conditions that range from normal to very difficult. A myriad of components have been examined under each of the following categories: access control, audio, cabling, CATV, CCTV, clock, fiber optics, fire alarm, intercom and paging, networking, nurse call, equipment racks and cabinets, scaffolding, security and alarm, speakers, and telephony.
The labor installation standards “are very useful guidelines because, while we have established internal standards, it is good to compare with other companies,” said Gary Mesnick, NSCA member and president and CEO of First Signal. “For example, our sales engineers may not always have an opportunity to walk a job before estimating. There may be things they aren’t aware of that would hurt us. [The NSCA’s labor standards] are good for that situation. The information validates what we’re out there doing everyday. It also tells us something about our competitors who are bidding so low. It means their jobs aren’t profitable, and no one can keep that up and stay in business.”
“It gives me a comparison about what other contractors are doing,” said Pat Julian, vice president of AudioVideo Innovations. “For bidding purposes, it lets me look at my own hours in comparison to someone else’s. It’s a really good tool to base how I am pricing jobs,” she continued. In addition to demonstrating strengths and flaws in a company’s present status, the study will also indicate changes to be made in the future. “It’s one more tool to do comparisons,” Julian stated. “This way, I can find out whether I should be charging more or less, whether I am falling into time spans, and whether I can improve.”
The Labor Installation Standards report is a free service to NSCA corporate contractor members. In addition, the NSCA is now tabulating results from the Wage Compensation Survey, which examines salaries for salespeople, sales managers, administration and technical staff. Available only for NSCA members, results are expected in August. For the NSCA member companies that choose to participate, the NSCA Cost of Doing Business survey is another benchmarking tool. This survey offers customized results, comparing financial data to other similar sized companies. Recently mailed out to NSCA contractor members, results for those who participate are expected by the end of the summer.
For more information on the Installation Standards study or any of the NSCA conducted research, contact member relations director Laura Mallicoat at 800/446-6722.
Fall Business Conference Registration Now Online
Registration for the fourth annual NSCA Fall Business Conference, taking place November 7-10 at the Hyatt Regency Islandia in San Diego, California, is now available at www.nsca.org/fallbusinessconference.
This year’s conference focuses on exploring opportunities, managing change and achieving success in the commercial electronic systems industry. Limited to 150 participants, the Fall Business Conference is the premier education event for owners and managers. “This is an exceptional opportunity for top management teams to learn, network and gather the latest information affecting this industry,” said Katie Chism, NSCA director of education. “Attendees are sure to enjoy the keynote speakers, sessions and great networking receptions, not to mention beautiful San Diego.”
In addition to the education sessions and keynote speakers, the Fall Business Conference offers unbeatable networking opportunities. Referring to last year’s conference, Tom Frericks, president of Copp Systems in Dayton, Ohio, said, “It’s good to hear from people facing some of the same challenges because you trust their experiences and can learn from them. I traded cards with several people and really made some good contacts.”
The Fall Business Conference is cosponsored by the NSCA and Systems Contractor News magazine. For more information, contact the NSCA at 800/446-6722 or log on to www.nsca.org/fallbusinessconference.
