As day 2 of Constructionarium Australia’s Victorian Pilot Program commenced, there was much surprise at Kallibr Training centre as stunned Melburnians stared at the sky which had taken on a strange blue hue and seemed to contain a ‘glowing ball of fire’ or blue sky and the sun as we Queenslanders call it.
But enough gentle sparring with our southern colleagues, it’s time to recap day 2.
With deadlines looming and the pressure of a tender mounting, our cohort arrived bright and early for the start of the second day of our program.
In our first session, Harry Hartman and Tanya Barmby took the team through the keys to a successful tender. Packed with practical examples, smart insights and strategies for success, it became apparent very quickly that the gap between success and failure can be wafer-thin. At the heart of the message was ensuring that you build strong relationships through the process, ask informed and honest questions to uncover what a client really requires and to ensure the appropriate balance between requirement, cost, constructability and outcome.
Arcadis’s Zubair Syed joined the team mid-morning to talk about all things bridge design and engineering. With a wealth of global structural engineering experience, Zubair along with colleague Ash Pender were the lead designers on our Victorian Bridge Structure. Charged with creating a structure that would mimic the challenges of a major project, provide a challenging build, multiple potential construction options and ultimately be a safe structure, we cannot thank Zubair, Ash and Arcadis enough for their support. Our Victorian Bridge ticks all the boxes of our brief and will pose a fair, yet challenging projects to be the centrepiece of our activities in Victoria. For the first part of the day, Zubair was on-hand to offer his expertise and understanding of the structure, answering RFIs from both tender teams and providing insights for the teams to ponder rather than solutions for them to run with.
As the team progressed with their tender development, it was up to our communications professionals to insert a little real-world practicality into the day. We informed both teams that the ‘media’ (James and Tanya) had received wind of the project and were coming to the site. As a matter of urgency, their respective bid managers were required for interview within the next 5 minutes; live, on camera and for the world to see. Credit, where credit is due, facing up to a press gallery, is never fun and for a brief moment, it was clear to see the panic on the faces of both teams. With a deadline looming and pressure mounting it was also the last thing the teams needed, but like all the challenges they have been set so far, they stepped up and got on with things.
Representing Team A was Mohamed Ahmed and Team B was Brooke James. Neither had faced the media before, both were nervous, there were a few butterflies in their stomachs and perhaps a desire to be absolutely anywhere else on the planet. So how did they get on? Watch their interviews below.
Mohamed - Team A
Brooke - Team B
For our Lunch and Learn, Zubair was joined by Ash Pender for a session on the design intent behind our Victorian Bridge as well as a masterclass on bridge design from across the globe. Packed with examples of the good, bad and in some instances rather terrifying the lunch and learn was a fantastic example of sharing knowledge and fostering understanding of the realities and practicalities of bridge design and construction.
The early afternoon was spent with our good friends from Bentley for further training on their Synchro Perform System. Focussing on implementing the software into a tender and then the practicalities of utilising the platform for progress and cost control, it was another invaluable session for our cohort for whom budget, schedule and delivery management are areas they have largely not experienced before. And with success being determined by the delivery of their structure on-time and to budget, it was a timely reminder about the commercial focus required to deliver works while ensuring the sector’s ongoing sustainability.
And then something special happened. Mid-afternoon approached and after a day of rapidly gathering information, working on a tender, leaving their comfort zone and with looming deadlines, the energy in the room had a bit of a slump. How would the team react? Caffeine? A sugar hit? A quick power nap? Nope, none of the above. Instead, our team headed out to the site for some impromptu movement, stretching and rejuvenation exercises. In a completely spontaneous moment, everyone participated, and you could feel the entire cohort’s energy shift. To those of us observing this small action highlights the power of Constructionarium Australia, as an entire group of people working together and caring for themselves and each other to ensure that they perform to their best abilities. It’s still early days, but their ability to form a strong team is something which indicates that there are good things ahead for this cohort.
Rejuvenated and refreshed, our cohort headed back to their respective site offices to work toward their first major deliverable. Due at 5pm, their Procurement List is the first stage in their tender submission. Once complete its then just the simple matter of putting together their tender document and presentation ready for tomorrow’s noon deadline. As you read this blog this evening, take a moment to think back through your career and the night before a tender was due and spare a thought for both teams as they prepare for tomorrow.
