Success in the face of danger: +: BY KEVIN ANWAY

Design-Build | Cepheid

MacDonald-Miller is routinely presented with design and construction challenges, and we consistently rise to the occasion. And every so often something exceedingly unique presents itself, and our team warmly welcomes these types of challenges (or, opportunities, as we like to call them).

One of our exceptional customers is Cepheid (Nasdaq: CPHD) – a leading molecular diagnostics company that is dedicated to improving healthcare by developing, manufacturing, and marketing accurate yet easy-to-use molecular systems and tests. In 2012, they asked us to design and install an Acetonitrile liquid delivery system for uniform distribution to synthesizers throughout their Oligo lab.

This was a challenge not to be taken lightly, as Acetonitrile is an unstable, highly flammable, colorless, poisonous, water-soluble liquid, with an ether-like odor. It’s used chiefly in organic synthesis and as a solvent, and is more commonly known as Methyl cyanide or

HIGHLIGHTS

P2 When being zoned out is a good thing

P4 Now in 3D… and now a model for success

P6 Instant action, immediate response

FACESIN THE

FIELD

Cyanomethane. As you would imagine, many risk factors had to be overcome in the design of this liquid delivery system.

Tackling the challenge head on, and of course with all necessary caution, Chris Lee designed a Teflon lined piping distribution system that took into account all risk aspects and met Cepheid’s delivery system needs. The system he developed

They’re dedicated to us, and to our country. : +: BY BRIANNA REICHELT

Introducing “FACES IN THE FIELD”

All MacDonald-Miller employees share a common trait. They are loyal folks, committed to continually making our company better. Yet we feel it’s important to highlight a special group of employees – those who also committed part of their lives to the U.S. Military. Over 14% of MacMiller employees have :.

:.CONTINUED ON P3 “FACES IN THE FIELD”

collects waste products from synthesizers and stores them in dual 1000-gallon outdoor tanks for recycling. Multiple alarms, electrical grounding, and safety features were built into the design.

Mascott Equipment Company provided the main components of the system, and their control panels form the backbone of the built-in control and safety features. The work was checked and stamped by a process engineer at

Process Plus in Cincinnati, Ohio, a company that specializes in chemical distribution systems of this type. This high-risk project was a success due to the expertise and collaboration between Pattison General Contractor, MacMiller, Mascott, and Process Plus. It is likely the only Acetonitrile delivery system in the entire Puget Sound area. This is a great example of a major MacDonald-Miller asset: thoroughly assessing a unique situation, and developing an innovative solution that sets a new standard.

PAGE 1

C2H3N

PERSPECTIVE

It is likely the only Acetonitrile delivery system in the entire Puget Sound area.

VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 1 | APRIL 2013

The Perspective is back and with a fresh new look! Thanks to all who contributed stories to the first re-issue and a special thanks to Nicole Martin who is “project managing” the Perspective’s quarterly publication. As you can see we have plenty to talk about at MacDonald-Miller, from technologies we are leveraging for design, fabrication, and measuring building energy performance, to the people that make it happen.

This first three months of 2013 have been filled with activities around improving our communications and handoffs between departments within our business units. At times it has felt like a tsunami of meetings and action plans – only to have to still get the daily business done for our customers. The positive energy toward making our company even better has been nothing short of heroic. Even so, it’s a great time of year to do this self-improvement work and get ready for what promises to be a very busy 2013, with a new round of projects getting underway this summer and fall.

Stay safe and hang on tight it’s going to be a great year!

P.S. If you have an article and/or pictures that might be interesting for the Perspective please send them to Nicole for consideration in future issues. We’ve got a new perspective!

When being zoned out is a good thing: +: BY LAUREN ARMSTRONG

The benefits of Zone Organization and Service

Many characteristics of MacDonald-Miller set us apart from the competition. And among our greatest strengths is MacMiller’s physical presence within its service areas. We are using this strength to enhance our customer relationships. An impressive illustration of this approach is how our service group is divided into geographical service areas or zones. The benefits of this “zones” scenario are invaluable:

A service technician who lives in a particular service area is able to respond to emergencies faster and be onsite in less time.

Service sales and operations are able to be more “present” in their communities. When asked by a client, “where’s your office?” the answer is usually “right down the street” or “ten minutes up the freeway.”

A client may or may not ever visit the Tacoma, Everett, Bellevue or Portland office but they know that if they needed to, resources are nearby.

Division into zones also allows for increased opportunities to create connections and enhance business intelligence. In the North Sound, Business Development Manager Greg Galusha and Service Area Manager Eric Sundby demonstrate one example of this in their participation in the Snohomish County Economic Alliance.

Working in this zone approach clearly builds both current and future relationships. We are able to serve customers more efficiently than the competition, acknowledge that we’re part of the neighborhood, and generate new leads as a result of being tied into other economic forces within a community.

Gus Simonds President

ZON

ED

EVERETT TACOMA

PORTLAND

:. served our country, representing every branch, including the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard. From deployments in Afghanistan, Vietnam, Iraq, and Japan, to Germany, Panama, Korea, and Somalia, they have proudly worn the uniform worldwide. Tours have included Operation Enduring Freedom, Global War on Terrorism, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, and many more. Whether it was as an Engineer, Attack Helicopter Pilot, Heating Systems Specialist, or Drill Sergeant, all of these veterans have played an integral part in protecting and serving our country.

It’s an honor to work side-by-side with such exceptional people, as we are forever grateful for their service.

These veterans indeed deserve recognition; so this year every issue of Perspective will highlight a different “face in the field” to share a bit of that soldier’s story with you. In this issue we are saluting Kris Zucconi, so be sure to shake her hand if you ever cross her path.

Kris enlisted in the Montana National Guard in 1985, and after Basic and Advanced Individual Training she transferred to Active Duty, stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas in the 2nd Armor Division. Kris’ skills became readily apparent, as her assignments spanned an array of impressive roles. She worked as a Tank Turret Mechanic/NBC-NCO repairing electronics, laser systems, turret controls, and fire mechanism on the M1 Abrams Tank and other track vehicles. She also ran the Nuclear Biological and Chemical room.

Kris’ talents went beyond the technical, and she was also able to showcase her incredible athleticism. She played for the post’s racquetball and softball teams, and in 1988 made the All Army racquetball team. Participating in the All Services Tournament, Kris placed 4th in the Women’s Open Division and 3rd in the Women’s Doubles Division.

After her Active Duty Tour ended in 1990, Kris reenlisted in the US Army Reserves and served until 2008. There she served as a Personnel Specialist/Human Resources Supervisor, a Basic Training Drill Sergeant, Drill Sergeant Leader, Assistant Commandant of the Drill Sergeant School, and honorably retired as the Division Headquarters’ Senior Security Officer and Operations of NCO.

Kris’ varied positions in the military afforded her a set of invaluable skills. In addition to the technical prowess she developed, she also learned how to successfully adapt, and embrace, an ever-changing environment. The entirety of her military experience has undoubtedly played a role in the success she enjoys in her current position of Sales-Maintenance Account Executive at MacDonald-Miller. For Kris, her service in the Army was truly an honor, as she shared, “The entire experience certainly was

incredible, and of course it had its ups and downs. It may not have always been fun… but every time I put on my uniform I smiled,

and felt proud to be an American.” And all of us here at MacMiller are certainly proud of her, too.

FACES IN THE FIELDCONTINUED FROM COVER

US ARMY

E8 – Master Sergeant

K

PAGE 3

Kris Zucconi

ANTHONY WHITE, NAVY • BOB LYDEN, NAVY • BOB NEWMAN, MARINE CORPS • BRETT BUTLER, COAST GUARD • CASEY WILLIAMS • CHRISTOPHER KEENAN, ARMY • CLAYTON PARKER, NAVY • DAN BARNES, ARMY • DAN FREYLING, MARINE CORPS • DANIEL BRAYTON, NAVY • DARCY CHRISTENSEN, AIR FORCE • DAVE GEHMAN, NAVY • DAVE HERR, AIR FORCE • DAVID BECKSTROM, NAVY • DOUG THOMPSON, NAVY • EDWARD MCQUOWN, MARINE CORPS • ERIC GILBERT, NAVY • FRANK WORSING, NAVY • GARY HUFF, COAST GUARD • GARY LARKIN, NAVY • GARY WALLACE, AIR FORCE • GUY FORSLING, MARINE CORPS • JAKE WOELKE, NAVY • JASON LOUGHEED, ARMY • JEREMY RICHMOND, NAVY • JIM RAABE, ARMY • JOE EARL, MARINE CORPS • KRIS ZUCCONI, ARMY • KYLE INGLE, NAVY • LARRY HARBISON, ARMY • LES KLOPP, AIR FORCE • LINDSEY ANDREWS, NAVY • LYLE SCHRAMM, NAVY • MARK PUZON, AIR FORCE • MARK TESSANDORE, AIR FORCE • MATT BARNES, ARMY • MIKE KUNKEL, MARINE CORPS • MIKE MORCEAU, NAVY • MIKE PINCHIN, ARMY • PAUL DEINES, ARMY • R. JOEL PEARSON, MARINE CORPS • RANDY WRIGHT, ARMY • RICK WARDROP, NAVY • ROB ESTES, ARMY • SCOTT GIDEON, MARINE CORPS • SETH HENDERSON, ARMY • SHEIK HANIF, MARINE CORPS • SKIP SOUCY, AIR FORCE • STEVE HARGROVE, ARMY • STEVE NICHOLES, ARMY • TIM ANDERSON, NAVY • TOM ALBERS, ARMY • VIC ANDERSON, ARMY

our veterans…

The use of 3D modeling in our industry is nothing new, but doing it efficiently with the constraints of a very tight budget, structure, and “fast track” timeline has been a bit elusive…until now. MacDonald-Miller developed a way to employ our state-of-the-art 3D design software using our Autodesk Integrated Database for The Polyclinic which was our first project using this new process.

The approach was applying a true integrated process that leverages our MacMiller original

design documents through estimating, detailing, shop fabrication, and ultimately accurate as-builts. The power in the use of the original documents through the entire process results in a truly LEAN approach.

This innovative process was executed successfully under tight constraints, with the

Now in 3D… and now a model for success: +: BY STEVE AMANN

The Project Design-BuildDB

The Polyclinic at Madison Center, Medical Office Building Seattle, Washington

THE STATS

CONTRACT $6,680,000

AREA 204,000 SF

SYSTEMS Energy efficient fan powered variable air volume terminals with electric heat

SPECIAL NOTES Fast track 6-month schedule from construction start to move-in

ability to accommodate owner design changes during construction without impacting costs or schedule. The full integration model greatly streamlined the production process, allowing the project to be completed on schedule and under budget. It’s a platform that sets a solid precedent for all future projects that strive to utilize 3D modeling software.

the team The Polyclinic | OWNER Mithun | ARCHITECTS MacDonald-Miller Facility Solutions | ENGINEER

Sellen | GENERAL CONTRACTOR MacDonald-Miller Facility Solutions | MECHANICAL CONTRACTOR

The Polyclinic at Madison Center was the first project using the integrated production

process and it was highly successful!

PROJECT HIGHLIGHT

Looking beyond the bill: +: BY JEREMY RICHMOND

Utility validation and reporting rockets to the cloud

Utility Validation is an essential procedure. When Chief Engineers and Property Managers review their utility bills they normally focus on one thing – whether or not the bill was lower than the previous year. This approach is the most common mistake when it comes to reviewing the utility bills. What’s often overlooked is what happened to the occupancy of the property during that time, or the year’s weather patterns. Utility Validation has many different aspects that can benefit the property. At MacDonald-Miller we focus on analyzing the property’s utility bills and normalizing them against the weather and occupancy. This gives us an “apples to apples” comparison. To get a true determination of whether the improvements made had an impact, you must measure at the meter.

The utility analytics we use for our measurement and verification is becoming easier than ever for our clients to grasp. In the past, we’ve had to wait to get the utility bills in our hands and then manually input them into the software. But now there’s an exponentially more efficient approach: we’re taking it to the cloud. We’ve partnered with Iconics – a leading developer of building automation integration and Microsoft Sustainability partner of the year for 2012 – to develop a web based portal for our clients. This opens up a plethora of opportunities for us and it gives maximum flexibility to our clients. This new web portal grants the ability to obtain information directly from our clients without the hassle of printing, scanning and emailing. And, thinking of future usages, we’ve set up the software with the capability to automatically receive the required utility information electronically directly from pulse meters on site and from the utilities.

We’re doing great things here in BPG with our energy group to enhance the customer experience and streamline our processes. Stay tuned for our next big opportunity, the Integrated Building Management System!

Raising the bar, raising the grade: +: BY JIM WEST

Our Mac-Safety Transition

In an industry such as ours, safety is obviously top priority. At MacDonald-Miller, although we are indeed an industry leader when it comes to safety, we consistently assess our safety program to make it better. This is an area where you simply can’t rest on your laurels. There are always new ideas, innovations, and processes to make all facets of onsite and offsite work locales safer.

In our ongoing efforts, we are transitioning from a management directed reactive system to a more pro-active employee involved system. It is part of a long-term process to evolve our safety culture – because just like all other processes in an organization, safety must be constantly evaluated and improved. This type of shift can take a decade or more, and we are starting with an educational process using objective surveys.

The new construction group was the first to get involved in this new plan, and it has worked very well. Under this new approach, last quarter most job sites were receiving “A” grades. Additionally, Special Projects Tenant Improvement has been gradually getting a taste of the new system and adapting. Sheet Metal workers in the construction group have taken the lead in objective indicators with more than half receiving “A” grades on a regular basis. The service department and manufacturing sections will be next in line to receive objective indicators and move forward in this transition.

The leaders in our safety efforts were initiated into the new process by attending our OSHA 30 class. While it’s only 30 hours of training, it’s enough to transform workers and foremen into safety leaders for their respective groups. We’ve trained well over 150 of our workers in OSHA 30, and that number just seems to be growing. This is a testament to our worker’s commitment to safety, and to our management focus on safety leadership in our industry.

PAGE 5

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0001010001

the cloud

Thank you for all of your help in voting

in the Honeywell Momentum Mania Contest.

We are proud to announce that MacMiller took

home first place for our work at the Washington

Athletic Club! Thank you to all who were a part

of the team that worked on this project, we

recognize that you played an integral part in

contributing to this success! For this project the

carbon equivalent reduction of the consumption

savings is 1,058 metric tons per year or 190 cars.

Remote Entry, Autodesk® Integrated Database, and Shop Manager

Imagine the scenario where you sit down with your client and quickly generate an order electronically while they’re right at your side. Then, imagine being able to send this file straight to the fabrication shop, where, once opened and processed at our Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) Station, we can send you an estimate to fabricate the order. The only thing left for us to do is hit the “go” button. This is only one of the many benefits that our new Remote Entry Program can provide for our clients.

The Autodesk® Fabrication Remote Entry Program is functioning today due to the hard work of many folks (Joe Kuhr, Gene Kuhns, Greg Haney, Jim Muller, Rory Olson, just to name a few) in our MacDonald-Miller family that put in the time and effort to populate what we call the Autodesk® Integrated Database. This database contains all of the hidden secrets for how MacMiller budgets, designs, details, and fabricates our systems. This is huge – because now our estimating, engineering, and fabrication databases are from the same platform and all speaking the same language, whereas in the past, information was lost in translation between the various groups.

The Remote Entry Program allows our field foreman to generate hand take-offs in the same electronic format our engineering and detailing departments utilize when sending production packets to our shop. The default settings in this system align with MacMiller’s wheel house production. It predetermines the types of connections, gauges of metal, and seam types to allow us to be the most competitive in our industry. This program helps reduce, if not eliminate, the variation in how our ductwork

gets ordered. Since we’re asking for the specific pieces of information needed to fabricate the ductwork in the correct format upfront, we minimize the number of “touches” required just to process the order.

We’re doing this not only to create a more visual tool for our field to use when ordering material, but also to allow our shop to better understand the amount of time and material required to complete these orders. The shop uses background information contained in these electronic files to forecast their workload requirements.

Through the use of an in-house program called Shop Manager (built by our own Jim Muller), we can better understand our manpower requirements in the shop. We can also extract enough information out of the file to tell us which fabrication line (Round, Square, Welded, Oval, Misc) will need more manpower to pull the work through the shop.

Instant action, immediate response: +: BY MARK KREWEDL

Where are we headed with all of this technology? In short, we’re headed for larger, more consistent volumes of work. We’re headed towards a system that will grant smaller firms without fabrication capabilities the opportunity to order direct from our fabrication shop to meet their needs. We’re headed towards a future where a client’s custom built fittings could be ordered directly through the internet. We’re headed to more accurate real time estimates that can be generated while your client sits next to you in a project planning session. We’re leading the pack in this realm of technology. No one else in the Pacific Northwest utilizes this type of technology to the extent that MacMiller has deployed. With innovations like these, the future at MacMiller is poised to be more successful than we ever imagined. So get on board and enjoy the technology ride!

Current use of the Remote Entry Program

No one else in the Pacific

Northwest utilizes this

type of technology to

the extent that we are

currently using it.

SH

OP

MA

NA

GE

R

Standard productivity matrix leads to real-time project feedback

Feedback is an essential part of any project life cycle. We’re all aware that the job doesn’t cease when the books are closed – there is still much learning to be done. Closing out a project in the most beneficial manner, one that aids our company as well as our customers, will only serve to make future projects that much more successful and relationships that much more fruitful.

In the case of our projects, the closeout process can elicit extremely valuable feedback. Did the system perform as designed? Did you beat the budgeted hours? How many lineal feet of pipe did we install in a day? How many pounds of rectangular duct did we fabricate per hour? Was the customer satisfied? This is where the “Real-Time Project Feedback Cycle” comes in. The goal is to acquire feedback information throughout the life cycle of the project as it happens, not wait until the end as relevant info can be lost or become outdated due to project duration. For example, a new construction project can take 2 or more years to complete, and during that time frame we can repeat similar challenges on other projects without the insights gained from a real-time feedback cycle.

If there were indeed issues, the goal is to figure out how to prevent those events from

PAGE 7

happening again. In addition to the feedback questions above, this is also the time to survey departments – which can include engineering, production, commissioning, project management and sales – regarding any issues. We can ask the relevant questions, e.g., “Was access to the building adequate?” or “Was the project schedule clear?” The feedback cycle is intended to draw focus on the problem, not the person. Ironically, the synergy of the conversation often produces “unsolicited ownership.” As people talk through the conflicts, they begin to see what missteps occurred, possibly own some of them, and realize how they can be a part of the solution.

We have a wealth of learning opportunities available through lessons learned by every individual who participates on the jobs we perform. Knowledge that relates to productivity stats and customer satisfaction are all key in our ability to consistently provide our customer with the best product possible. Company wide, many departments are embracing this process. It’s part of the desire to more accurately assess the level of success of a project, as well as identify, address, and remedy any issues that came to bear during that specific project. A dedicated Value Stream Mapping Lean Team is currently working on establishing a plan to standardize the feedback cycle process and productivity measurements; the scheduled roll out is in May.

Real-time feedback is a real advantage: +: BY MARIA BOYER & KEVIN WILDER

We have a wealth of learning

opportunities available through

lessons learned by every

individual who participates

on the jobs we perform.

feedback cycle

The Estimating Team is actively stepping

outside its virtual world to perform job

walks and shop reviews to gain a greater

understanding of the constructability

challenges and to stay current with the best

practice installation methods deployed. The

goal of these walks is to educate, train, and

align our estimates to our actual performance.

The real-time project feedback cycle is also, of course, a forum to discuss what went right and a place to acknowledge the team’s efforts. The result is a refining of the process and a proactive approach to how we execute our work. As a team, this is another way we can continue to improve our company as a whole.

COMMISSIONSYSTEM

TURNOVERTO OWNER

FIELDINSTALL

FABRICATE

DETAIL

ENGINEER

ESTIMATE

SERVICE

WARRANTY

SALES

VIRG IN IA MASON

VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 1 | APRIL 2013

P1 Success in the face of danger

P1 Faces in the field

P2 When being zoned out is a good thing

IN THIS ISSUE

PO Box 47983 Seattle, WA 98146

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE

PA I DSEATTLE, WA PERMIT #1578

macmiller.com 1-800-962-5979

SEATTLE EVERETT BELLEVUE

TACOMA PORTLAND EUGENE

P4 Now in 3D… and now a model for success

P5 Raising the bar, raising the grade

P5 Looking beyond the bill

P6 Instant action, immediate response

P7 Real-time feedback is a real advantage

PERSPECTIVE