Topic
Risk Management
Project risk matrix
September 24, 2014 DAVID BOWCOTTEverybody has a risk matrix these days. Often every major stakeholder in a project will develop their own risk matrix in order to identify, quantify and treat risks. This tool is very helpful, as it ensures proper due diligence around…
Risk and capital: A paradigm shift for capital underwriting?
August 1, 2014 DAVID BOWCOTT“We’ve always done it this way.” That statement represents the death of many a good idea. When the person questioning the way things are done hears those words, they often shrug their shoulders and simply go back to doing things…
Law column: defining risk in construction contracts
April 1, 2014 MATTHEW SWANSON and BILL WOODHEADBeware of what you warrant
Risk Column: It’s about the design
February 1, 2014 David BowcottRecently our construction and infrastructure team at Aon did some data mining in the area of project delays with a focus around Canadian P3 projects. We’re lucky enough to have leading market share within the Canadian marketplace and that allows…
Is there a need to revamp surety capacity measures?
December 1, 2013 DAVID BOWCOTTVital to most contractors’ existence is access to security that guarantees their contractual obligations to their clients. These guarantees take the form of parental guarantees, holdbacks, letters of credit, surety bonds, EDC performance security guarantees, subcontractor default insurance, cash reserves,…
Planning for success
October 1, 2013 DAVID BOWCOTTWhy are we so anxious to get started on our key projects that we are willing to forgo strong planning practices that will almost certainly improve our chances for success? There’s a feeling that if we aren’t actually doing what…
Treating risk before and after
August 1, 2013 David BowcottManaging risk requires imagination and experience. In a lot of ways you’re trying to predict not only the future, but also all the steps you need to take prior, during and after a risk event occurs. This precognitive skill could…
Celebrating failure to manage risk
April 1, 2013 David Bowcott“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that…
IHSA aims to prevent fatalities with Working at Heights course
March 4, 2013 Don ProcterPREVENTING FATALITIES Many construction workers in Ontario die or are seriously injured from falls –often from roof tops. Most of those tragic mishaps wouldn’t have happened if the workers had been in safety harnesses properly tied off at anchor…
The problem with insurance
March 1, 2013 David BowcottSome of you may think there are several problems with insurance, but for the purposes of this article I’m going to focus on one problem that relates to construction projects and the operations of those projects after substantial completion. What…
Suicide bid season is open for business
December 1, 2012 David BowcottSuicide bid season is upon us. This cyclical phenomenon is typically seen when the pipeline of construction projects in the economy start to drop off by a significant level. It is a regional occurrence so far, but even the most…
EllisDon wins first managed services contract
November 16, 2012 On-Site staffEllisDon recently entered new territory, when the company was awarded its first managed services contract for work being completed at PwC Tower in Toronto. The 650,000-sq.-ft. office building is owned by the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation and is located…
CCA announces new guide for cost predictability of construction projects
November 5, 2012 On-Site staffThe Canadian Construction Association (CCA) has made a new guide designed to improve cost predictability of construction projects available on its website as a free download. The document, titled Guide to Cost Predictability in Construction: An Analysis of Issues Affecting…
EllisDon launches Uprising
October 29, 2012 On-Site staffEllisDon has launched Uprising, a crowdsourcing platform that has the potential to revolutionize construction problem solving. Uprising was created by EllisDon to “push problem-solving beyond the boundaries of any one company and into the collective intelligence of the world’s brightest…
Aligning risk perception and reality
October 1, 2012 David BowcottIdeas with Paul Kennedy is a show put on by CBC Radio, and in mid-September they aired a two-part series on risk. The first part of the series focuses on how decisions are made based on the individual’s perception of…
Hot iron
October 1, 2012 Jim BarnesDo thieves think you are an easy target?
Better bids
August 1, 2012 Jim BarnesClarity, accurate risk allocation are keys to effective contracts
Choosing a risk advisor
August 1, 2012 David BowcottChange abounds within the construction industry. Never has your choice of business advisor been so important, and given the increasing level of risk dialogue going on in the Canadian construction marketplace, your choice of risk advisor could mean the difference between losing or winning jobs. Before we…
Preparing for Pan-Am
August 1, 2012 Andrew SnookGetting the Athletes’ Village ready for the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan Games
Advisory panel: Turn Ontario Place into a mixed-use facility
July 26, 2012 Andrew SnookThe final report on the fate of Ontario Place was released today and the message is clear: park it, all year round. Turning Ontario Place into a multi-use site that features waterfront and parkland for the public to enjoy was…