You are viewing our website as a(n)
 Sign In
Join Now

Consulting & Project Management

  1. Home
  2. Services
  3. Consulting & Project Management
Let's Work Together
Rebecca Szilagy
Rebecca Szilagy
Carl VanderZee
Carl VanderZee
Doug Ransom
Doug Ransom

How Can Our Consulting & Project Management Team Help Your District?

What delays your projects? Do you face unexpected or hidden costs? Do project outcomes readily align with your teaching and learning goals?

We offer a hands-on, full-service approach to bid, budget, and project management that supports meaningful technology innovation for satisfied teachers and students. All through a combination of streamlined and efficient virtual interactions and on-site support for the most imperative tasks.

How Can We Help?

Budget Management Details

We support completion of the budgeting process virtually as articulated here:

Your CBD budget expert meets with district leadership over secure video or audio connection to define overall budget and funding source(s) (bond, sinking fund, general fund, grant etc).

Cash flows are defined to identify approximate availability of funds to complete project work.

An assessment of the District’s needs is gathered through meetings with stakeholders.

Inventory and documentation of existing systems is gathered to assess relative age of and usable life span of equipment to determine plan for re-use or replacement.

Projects are defined and placed on an approximate schedule by order of importance, need, and budget constraints.

Budget is monitored and maintained as projects progress to adjust to new information and needs.

Annual check-up meeting with your CBD budget expert to discuss any necessary adjustments to the current budget work plan.

Bid Specification Development Details

We virtually support the bid specification development process in the following ways:

Your CBD Design Engineer/Project Manager meets with project stakeholders over secure video or audio connection to kick-off the project and begin the creation of your customized Bid Specification.

During this initial comprehensive meeting, the following topics will be covered:

  • Introductions
  • Scope of project
  • Existing systems, need, desired equipment, intentions, etc.
  • Existing documentation. Building maps, square footages, current loads, existing equipment inventory, photos, etc
  • Bidding and approval process; who are the players involved, finance/eRate/facilities, board meeting dates, public posting, etc.
  • Discuss schedule; draft documents, pre bid, Q&A, bid opening, work begins, work commences.
  • Identification of any construction projects that may impact schedule.

Your CBD Design Engineer/Project Manager will create a First Draft of your customized Bid Specification Document and review the document with you.

Your CBD Design Engineer/Project Manager will create a First Draft of your customized Bid Specification Document and review the document with you.

Bid Administration

We virtually support the bid administration process in the following ways:

CBD will provide guidance to the District for posting the Bid publicly.

Your Bid will be posted on our website and distributed via email to our vendor list, giving you access to a large and robust network of potential qualified bidders.

Your CBD Design Engineer/Project Manager will host a virtual pre-bid meeting to review scope and sequence of the project and answer potential bidder’s questions.

CBD will gather and respond to any questions from potential bidders. Q&A document will be created and distributed.

CBD will prepare any edits or revisions to the project in Addendum documents as needed. Addendum documents will be created and distributed.

Your CBD Design Engineer/Project Manager will host a virtual public bid opening to record and formalize the public bid opening process. CBD will distribute bid opening results if desired.

Bid Review and Recommendation

We virtually support the bid review and recommendation process in such ways as the following:

After bid opening, CBD will organize supplied bids for review. This entails a detailed review of the proposed equipment and services to verify all project goals are met.

Bids are equalized to allow for adequate comparison. Alternate configurations are reviewed to evaluate the cost/benefit relationship between competing solutions.

Your CBD Design Engineer/Project Manager will host a conference call with you to review the bid summary and coordinate post-bid interviews. Post-bid interviews are scheduled and are held via conference call with the Owner, CBD, and the bidder.

After interviews are conducted, a meeting is conducted to assist with bid selection. CBD creates Board Recommendation documents for you to present your recommendation to the Board or district leadership.

CBD will provide letters of communication to bidders that were not selected for the project and provide Purchase Order instructions to execute the contract and T&Cs with the awarded contractor.

Project Management

We virtually manage projects and the complete implementation process the following ways:

Your CBD Project Manager hosts a virtual project Kick-off meeting with you, your contractor, and all other involved parties to ensure that the project’s scope, schedule, and budget is understood and agreed upon by all.

Your CBD Project Manager will host weekly virtual progress meetings.

Your CBD Project Manager will be available for remote attendance for the following: Site visit work inspections, progress checks, construction coordination meetings, Owner/Architect meetings.

Project work is tracked financially via tracking tool/change order/allowance process.

Payment applications are reviewed and approved as necessary to correlate with project work.

Project is tracked until project closeout when all deliverables have been provided (as-built documentation, training, etc.)

HERE'S WHAT OUR ADMINISTRATORS SAY

I have had the privilege of working with Communications by Design for 10 years. We have been able to accomplish things on very tight timelines because of their experience in project planning, bid construction and project management. This has been true for every project we have done in conjunction with Communications by Design, with all projects finishing on time and under budget.
Director of Technology | Plainwell Community Schools
Our bids have been very professional, and increased competition with vendors lowered the price of the contract overall, saving us hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Technology Architect | Grand Blanc Public Schools
I wouldn’t hesitate to say that they’ve become a leader, and at the end of the day, you get the best technology initiatives for the funds you have available, without question.
Executive Director for Business | Kentwood Public Schools
Previous
Next

Request a Connection Session

Complete the form below to specify your needs and preferred method of contact. Upon receipt, we will reach out to you promptly as indicated.




    Shopping cart0
    There are no products in the cart!
    Continue shopping
    0