CSI Cincinnati
The Construction Specifications Institute
The President's View
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Beverly Jacquez, CSI, CCS, LEED AP |
Most success depends on colleagues, on the team. People at the top have large egos, but you must never say 'I': it's always 'we'. - Frank Lampi (former chairman of Bovis Construction Group, 1986-1999)
Hello again, construction professionals! The year has certainly gotten off to a good start after our January “Taste of CSI - Cincinnati Style” member recruitment event! Guests traveled from table to table to learn what CSI is about and how it benefits construction professionals. The Cincinnati style food- Skyline cheese coneys, Montgomery Inn barbeque, Graeter’s ice cream, and Servati’s cookies made the evening as tasty as if was informative. Spirits were high as spirits were also shared, including Meier’s wine, Hudepohl beer, and even a martini bar. The success of the program was due in large part to Alan Frost and Mindy Dever from our membership committee, who put in many hours coordinating every detail to ensure both CSI and Cincinnati were highlighted appropriately. Thanks, guys! Let’s do it again next year!
The success of any event or project depends immensely upon how well the “players” work together, and how efficiently they execute the “plan.” This is true for events like January’s meeting, and it is especially true for construction projects. Project delivery is influenced by many factors, and the players are right at the top of the list. But there can be many players on a project team, and many ways in which a project can be delivered. Before the project begins there needs to be a clear sense of direction to prevent chaos. Our February meeting will help to shed light, and direction, to the various aspects of project delivery and help to decipher how the project delivery method is determined. In a panel discussion format, experienced project managers from architectural firms and construction companies will share their knowledge and answer questions about what it takes to complete a successful project. Bring your questions and share your comments as we meet to “talk shop” about project delivery. Learn from the best and expand your vision of the construction horizon as you enjoy a great meal at a table with your peers. Engaging and educating construction professionals from every facet of construction is what separates, and elevates, CSI from other professional organizations. I hope you join us for our February meeting to share a bit of your expertise as well!
There are many exciting things going on in construction today. Whether it is BIM, Sustainability, Integrated Project Delivery, or specifications, what affects one affects them all. CSI focuses on every aspect of construction, not just specifications. CSI was critical in developing the Unified Drawing System, a major portion of the National CAD Standard. It was also CSI that developed standard “spec-data sheets” for construction products, making the research and comparison of construction products much easier. CSI developed Omniclass, now used in BIM models worldwide. MasterFormat, Uniformat, PageFormat, and SectionFormat are all standards that CSI has developed to make construction more efficient during the design and building process. CSI has been instrumental in developing the International Framework Dictionary, which is necessary to ensure that BIM models communicate effectively across the globe. Through coordination with construction professionals from every industry that has anything to do with construction, CSI makes order out of chaos and advances the science of building and design.
Bev
Beverly Jacquez, CSI, CCS, LEED AP
“Of all the things I've done, the most vital is coordinating the talents of those who work for us and pointing them towards a certain goal.” - Walt Disney
