designed metric, a galvanizing effect occured to
Philosophy
managers of small and medium sized jobs. They felt
more confident to do metric projects, with x or y project
These three pages give our ideas on successful
going well in metric.
conversion while minimizing any costs involved.
Combined Buying Power With major projects being
There are 5 priority actions, ranked by importance:
done in metric, local suppliers are more willing to make
changes to supply metric products. Some suppliers were
1.
M60
reluctant to go metric without indication it would be
2.
Strong Communication
worth it. With M60, this project block is often enough to
3.
Professional Rounding
show a sustained market.
4.
Metric Codes and Criteria
5.
Partnering with the Construction Community
This block can establish metric product availability, and
lower order quantities. Ex, if a medium project needs
1. M60
200 pieces of metric product x, some firms may not
supply it. However, with 200 now, and another 4000
M60 is the most important action necessary for metric
documented through M60 over a few years, views may
conversion, and takes the most courage to implement.
change considerably.
In many documents read, we have not seen a simple
To gain this same amount of buying power, an
definition of success, of when an agency is metric.
organization may have to select perhaps 50 or 100
projects of smaller construction value, by far the more
This formula mirrors our progress.
difficult route to becoming a metric organization.
M60 means "metric on 60 % of design this year".
On The Job Training M60 can make the organization
metric as it brings the best metric training to the
With 60 % of design in the current fiscal year being done
organization at about no cost. While only ten or fifteen
in metric, we feel all necessary momentum will be
staff run metric projects, we found many other people
generated to permanently sustain conversion.
and divisions involved at stages (ex, reviewing designs
or estimates, or in technical meetings). This framework
Example: A certain region, in this fiscal year, has 300
introduces others to metric. Drawings, specs, estimates,
design projects, total of about $ 100 million.
appear in near finished format, developed by familiar
faces, which enhances confidence.
If 60 %, or $ 60 million, is designed in metric, the entire
organization will move to metric, and rapid development
A pool of metric experts is formed, the knowledge base
of group confidence takes place.
grows quickly, and guides the organization.
We select design as we view it as a largely irreversible
Automatic Infrastructure When an group as ours simply
process, without significant cost after a certain point. 60
decided to be metric, to meet M60, automatic needs were
was used since it represents a majority of the work.
created for specs, criteria, codes, training devices, and
other parts of metric infrastructure. Priorities are soon
The implications of this statement are significant.
established. (ex, What specs to convert? This answered
by seeing the 120 or 150 needed by the M60 program) A
Fewer projects can be selected as metric projects
program becomes prepared for 100 % metric design.
As few as 10 or 20 projects could combine from the
Items not needed by an M60 program may never have to
design program can meet this M60 threshold. Then it is
be converted.
possible to work with a small group of architects or
engineers who will run comparatively few projects, yet
Partial Conversion Some will not wish to be a part of
this engine will convert the entire organization. These
conversion. M60 allows projects to be developed in old
people should generally be willing to work in metric.
units, for an interim period, if truly necessary.
We recommend that the M60 program be made up of
In summary, we feel an organization can go metric
medium to large size projects, the larger the better.
almost surgically, highly successfully, by deciding to be
metric, and meeting M60 in this fiscal year.
Anchor Effect This 60% block formed an anchor for our
conversion effort. With many major projects being
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