133 lines
4.4 KiB
Markdown
133 lines
4.4 KiB
Markdown
---
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id: 2026-02-27T13:58:30-0500
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title: 2026-02-27 13:58:30
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tags:
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- status/draft
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- occupational
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daily: "[[2026-02-27]]"
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date-created: 2026-02-27T13:58:30-05:00
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---
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# 2026-02-27 13:58:30
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## Conversation Regarding ConEst Pre-Takeoff Email Template
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A conversation with a peer via Microsoft teams
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regarding [[conest|ConEst]]'s
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recent implementation of [[conest-pre-takeoff-email-template]].
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### Peer @ 13:42
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> _A screenshot of the new Pre-Takeoff email template._
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> _The fields "Breaker Types" and "AIC Ratings" are highlighted._
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At what point is it no longer spoon feeding
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and instead should be considered fully chewing and digesting?
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What is the purpose of such information?
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What does procurement do?
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What does operations do?
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I have no involvement whatsoever in the decision making
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of these very specific lines
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or how they are applied to the job;
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my takeoff is in no way affected or altered by this.
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Why, pray tell, the fuck,
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do I need to tell someone else this information?
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If I am expected to supply this information,
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should I not also check and cross reference quotes?
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I want to hear from the electrical contractor
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who has built a multi-family residence
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where bolt-on breakers were specified for unit panels,
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submitted, approved, ordered and installed,
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never being mentioned in a VE.
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### Me @ 15:15
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I thought you'd have a fun time with some of those.
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At least you and I had seen the words before,
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imagine the rest of us.
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I've heard other estimators say it shouldn't be our job
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because it doesn't affect our takeoff,
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but I think that's misguided.
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It could be said that it's always been ConEst's purpose
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to check [[pdi-bid-estimating|Bid]]'s work _generally_, even outside of takeoff,
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only until now, the things we considered important enough to check
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have happened to line up with takeoff.
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They (whoever _They_ is) want Bid to handle more volume,
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which requires that Bid spend less time on a single estimate,
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which requires ConEst to pick up slack to maintain the same rigor.
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Regardless, it is totally reasonable to be upset
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that their was no training (or even warning) prior.
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***
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> If I am expected to supply this information,
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> should I not also check and cross reference quotes?
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This is my gripe too.
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Let us check required manufacturers for wire and cable, sure,
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no one else could reasonably be expected to if not us or Bid,
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but Procurement has to check gear specs already,
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and ConEst doesn't have the experience necessary
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to make the redundancy cost-effective.
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My 100% baseless speculation
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is that ConEst has recently been blamed for losses
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(very easy to do:
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"ConEst was looking at these specs for two weeks
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and they didn't say anything")
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and rather than argue the point,
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our plan is to ensure that we have written record
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that we made Bid aware of significant issues.
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Poor plan in my opinion,
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since it's foolish to expect nothing will be missed,
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and we are _taking responsibility_ where we thought we had none before.
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### Peer @ 15:36
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Poor plan indeed.
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From the perspective of someone under a Senior
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who, after the initial meetings regarding this template,
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stated it was "about some email shit"
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I see this as poorly implemented.
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I believe some basic and general education
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about each line should be put into place,
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to help those of us that are unfamiliar with these things.
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For example, the original template states
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'Generator: Acceptable manuf., enclosure specs,
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sound rating, remote tank & size, load banks.'
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My issue is with the vagueness of 'load banks.'
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Not the only instance, but quite annoying
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as some may not have any idea what a load bank is,
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how it is incorporated into a system, or, most importantly,
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what information the template is asking of you.
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> They (whoever _They_ is) want Bid to handle more volume,
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> which requires that Bid spend less time on a single estimate,
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> which requires ConEst to pick up slack to maintain the same rigor.
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Where does this come from?
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### Me @ 15:53
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More baseless speculation.
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I'm assuming that there's a legitimate reason
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to pass this responsibility to ConEst,
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rather than just the natural preference for least effort.
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My experience was the same as yours,
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what I sent was quite different from the template.
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It had to be for the job I used it for,
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but I don't expect most will be easier.
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I'll forward you it, but the source
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(the cooler version) is at
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"zmVault/timestamped/2026-02-11_12-12-16.md"
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Bid reacted exactly how I said they would,
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that it was way too much information.
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