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25 <br />In recent years our offices have pioneered the use of project websites for collection dissemination of information <br />about each project. Establishment of such and Internet site, which always includes appropriate levels of security, <br />permits all team members to communicate and reach project information instantly. Further, the added process <br />allows the completed project to be of the greatest possible value as it relates to money spent for facilities <br />received. Timely value engineering is very much part of our cost estimating philosophy. This reduces the need for <br />untimely changes and expensive Change Orders. <br />Our scheduled weekly project meetings to review project progress and anticipate future project challenges <br />keeps our Municipal projects on schedule. Our multiple progress cost estimates keep our design in line and <br />reinforce decisions that result with projects consistently completed within budget. Our project management <br />system(s) incorporate(s) a very sophisticated scheduling/ time management module that allows us to properly <br />deliver multiple projects in a concurrent manner. <br />Because of our internal scheduling discipline and our understanding of the scheduling imposed by regulatory <br />agencies, we are able to establish a key date schedule for all our projects that includes time for cost estimating, <br />quality control and thus successful schedule control. Our project schedules are developed using “Microsoft <br />Project” on an individual project basis and further, are coordinated between projects to remove conflicts in <br />delivery. Because the Firm is organized into five (5) studios, the studios may work individually or unite at times <br />based on scheduling needs. <br />Studio Directors for municipal projects, all of whom are registered architects and, in this case, a partner of the <br />Firm, are personally responsible for quality control. They will lead a project from inception through certificate of <br />completion, maintaining continuity and cohesiveness between the Owner, our staff, our consulting engineers and <br />ultimately, the Contractor and his sub-contractors responsible for project execution. This commitment to constant <br />leadership promotes efficiency and delivers quality projects on time that are precisely responsive to Owner <br />requirements. <br />Over time we have clearly learned and, therefore promote that project scheduling and costing is critical to <br />quality control. Ultimately, the Studio Directors control the project schedule and thus deliver on time and on <br />budget. <br />Virtually all equipment and facilities required by a large, state-of-art architectural practice are provided in-house, <br />including large-scale plotting in color and black-and-white, high-volume color and black-and-white printing and <br />binding, scanning and photographic facilities. Teleconference and video conference are used regularly, both in <br />house and with clients, via both telephone and Internet platforms. <br />In recent years our offices have pioneered the use of project websites for collection dissemination of information <br />about each project. Establishment of such and Internet site, which always includes appropriate levels of security, <br />permits all team members to communicate and reach project information instantly.