John hosts Taimoor Khan, Vice President of Preconstruction at Satterfield & Pontikes and adjunct professor at the University of Houston. Taimoor has a passion for innovation and is an advocate of exploring construction technologies and growing the next generation of preconstruction professionals. He is an experience leader and has developed successful tactics on how to grow and retain younger generations getting into precon. On this special episode of Precon Geeks, John and Taimoor...

On today's episode of Precon Geeks, John answers questions that we often get. 1. How do I break into precon and become an estimator? 2. How often should I be asked to "excatimate?" 3. What is a cost database and what is the value in them? 4. Is there a future in estimating? John uses his many years of working as in estimator to answer these frequently asked questions.

John co-hosts with Frank, one of the members on John's team at Beck Tech and they discuss why it is important to stop embracing the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mindset. Many industries are reluctant to change with construction being notorious for being REALLY reluctant to change; however, to keep up with your competition you need to be innovative. In this episode, you’ll hear the benefits of upsetting the status quo and the good things that can happen when you shake things up.

What happens when you give four ex estimators a microphone and rapid-fire questions? They get real. John hosts Beck Tech employees who in their past lives were in precon and then asks them the tough questions. They give the answers you wish you could say out loud. John asks: What do you do to scare someone up when you get a bid that comes in screamingly low? What is one task you hate that you'd never tell your boss? What's the best way to find new work? What do you do if you...

John hosts our own Yoda, aka Doug Maiden, who, if you didn't know, in his previous life was an architect. The two discuss how precon can help design through the early stages of a project.

Innovation is our mandate. It is one of our core values. It is way we are here. Our founder, Peter Beck, formed Beck Technology because he knew innovative technology could fix the many problems we face in construction. We are passionately working on solving preconstruction problems through innovative technology every day. But those solutions don’t just come out of thin air. It takes a lot of work. Beck Technology's Innovations Lab is what drives these innovative ideas. Through the lab, we...

John hosts our Chief Technology Officer, Michael Boren to talk about the current landscape in construction right now and how that is going to affect precon trends in 2024. With our fingers on the pulse of what general contractors are doing and what they are preparing for, Mike predicts that because of wider adoption of tech, GCs will shift their focus into markets and regions where they haven’t traditionally been. He also says that there will be wider use and expectations of use of AI in...

In the continuation of this series about the “fourth Industrial Revolution” in construction, John and Jeff talk all about data. What is big data? How can we use it? How do we gather it, aggregate it, and what are the benefits of leveraging our data? You don’t want to miss the second pard of this series!

In this first of a 2-part series, John sits down with construction tech evangelist and host of the ConTechCrew podcast, Jeff Sample, about the digitalization of construction and more specifically the use of tech in preconstruction. In this week’s episode, John and Jeff focus on automation, how tech is making the precon process easier, and how precon teams can utilize data to make better decisions and build better buildings. Don’t miss the second half of their conversation by tuning in...

John hosts Johnny Maghzal, Product Development at Beck Tech partner, Togal.AI takeoff software. Togal artificial intelligence takeoff software is processing building plans and interpreting them with 97% accuracy producing 80% faster takeoff. With its integration with our construction estimating software, DESTINI Estimator, we’re truly pushing the boundaries of construction technology and what augmentation and AI can do for precon teams. In this episode, John and Johnny discuss what...

It is no secret that Precon Geeks is brought to you by Beck Technology, developers of the best construction estimating software (in our humble opinion) and as a preconstruction technology company that also invests in software for us internally to work efficiently, we understand the investment you’ve made when your purchase new software. In this episode, John hosts our own Learning and Development Lead, Allison Lewis, to talk about the best practices your precon team can implement so you get...

For those general contractors wanting to grow, what do you need to do to be able to be considered for those larger projects, especially if you don’t have larger projects on your resume. John hosts Grant Stucker, Beck Technology Strategic Account Executive and former Senior Estimator and Preconstruction Manager so the two can use their past experiences to discuss how they’ve been able to win larger projects and expand into new markets. What can you do to differentiate yourself to compete?...

The way your client talks about their project is largely based on the experience you provide them with. Precon is their first impression. Estimators aren’t just number crunchers; they are also relationship builders. Your role in providing an exceptional client experience shouldn’t be undervalued. Tamara Altom, Project Estimator at Benchmark Construction, joins John on this episode of Precon Geeks to discuss how precon teams can develop a successful relationship with clients. Tamara says...

At Beck Technology, we are dedicated to creating the best experience for our customers. We are truly working to help precon teams make the world a better place and listening to what our customers need from our precon software is a huge part of that. We’re excited to share our latest offering for DESTINI Estimator and that is our packaged assemblies. We know that implementation takes a lot of hard work, and most estimators are eager to get into a new efficient system without much lag time....

John announces Pamlico’s strategic growth investment in Beck Technology and introduces Norbert Orth as CEO of Beck Technology. Norbert will work side by side with Beck Technology President, Stewart Carroll to accelerate the DESTINI suite of preconstruction of software and how the company will grow. These three precon geeks discuss how this investment will benefit Beck Technology, DESTINI Estimator and DESTINI Bid Day, and our customers.  

We have some exciting news! Push play to hear what's coming....

It might come as a surprise but the subreddit for estimators is a great channel for precon folks to anonymously ask the tough and not so tough questions about estimating and precon life. In this week’s episode, Suzanne asks John for his expert advice on some of the issues estimators are running into lately. To read more about preconstruction and estimating salaries, read our blog post: Preconstruction and Estimating Salaries (beck-technology.com)

What does it mean to be a partner? Is the word meaningless? How do you make your software vendor work for you? John hosts Frank Dickenson, Customer Relationship Leader at Beck Technology, to discuss getting the most out of your software vendors. For more resources on vendor/buyer relationships, read the following blog posts:  Why You and Your Software Vendor’s Culture Should Align (beck-technology.com) How to Spot a Bad Software Vendor (beck-technology.com) The Top 3 Things You Want...

Beck Technology’s Precon World 2023 was held at the House of Blues, Dallas, Texas on Friday, October 13th. The event is for preconstruction professionals to get together and network, learn about the current and future of precon, and advance their knowledge of the DESTINI platform. This year, our host of Precon Geeks, John Reich, along with Grant Stucker, MC’ed the event. On this episode of Precon Geeks, John and Grant talk about their biggest takeaways and how the presenters at Precon...

As the Precon Geeks are getting ready for their first in-person appearance at Precon World 2023, we revisit our interview with Beck Technology’s President, Stewart Carroll. In this episode, Stewart talks about the vision of Beck Technology’s founder, Peter Beck, to revolutionize the construction industry through technology. Stewart talks about the state of preconstruction today and how the future is shaping up for precon teams and construction.

How do we solve this? John hosts two titans of precon to take sides on using BIM for preconstruction. Based on a Beck Technology blog post, Jan Beran and Brent Pilgrim talk about how we can instill confidence in the model to standardize using it in precon. To read the pros and cons of BIM, click here: BIM Pros and Cons (beck-technology.com)

Calling all the precon ladies! Today on Precon Geeks, preconstruction podcast, John hosts a panel of women working in construction. Is construction a ‘good ole’ boy’ club? Have things changed? In this very special episode, Jennifer Siehling from The Beck Group, Kalie Ward from Truebeck Construction, and Summer Brittain, Head of Services at Beck Technology talk about their experience in the construction industry, how to attract a diverse workforce, and what they love about working in...

On today's episode of Precon Geeks, we host Beck Technology's Head of Marketing, Julie Huval, where she reads letters from precon folk who are seeking advice on how to handle some challenges at work. John offers his sage advice on how to handle common problems in precon.

More and more companies are requiring people to return to the office. Since precon is a professional service and is 95% digital in nature, why do we require butts in seats?   Some firms believe it’s unfair to the field guys to let precon folk work from home. But that is a very limited view. There are pros and cons to a hybrid or remote work environment. John hosts Beck Technology Chief Technology Officer Michael Boren and the two discuss the realities of preconstruction teams working from...

What are the benefits of letting your team come up with new ideas and try new things? How do you institutionalize innovation in your company? John hosts Michael Boren, Beck Technology’s Chief Technology Officer and they talk about what innovation means and how innovation can help you grow your business.