Achieving Greater Project Success Through Pre-Construction Planning

September 18, 2026

Stop firefighting and start winning with a proven pre-construction planning process that boosts profit margins by 23%.

What if you could turn a -3% loss into a 23% profit simply by planning differently?

You know how to get the job done. But too often, you are forced to react to problems that should have been solved before the first shovel hit the ground. This course gives you a formal, proven process for planning every phase of your project—from bidding to execution—so you can stay ahead of the curve.

Why this matters: A landmark study led by Dr. Awad Hanna found that projects using a formal pre-construction planning process achieved an average profit margin of 23%. Projects that were poorly planned? They lost 3%. With labour shortages, tight deadlines, and rising material costs, Ontario electrical contractors cannot afford to leave profit on the table. This course gives you the tools to plan like the top contractors in the country.

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You will learn how to:

• Complete a pre-construction planning self-assessment for one of your current projects, identifying the specific gaps between your current process and the formal model.
• Draft a tailored pre-construction checklist for a project you are bidding on, using a template of over 70 activities organized by project stage and risk level.
• Structure and lead a turnover meeting agenda that ensures estimators, project managers, and field supervisors walk away with clear, aligned expectations.
• Build site logistics, material handling, and sequencing plans that reduce waste, minimize crew downtime, and keep your project on schedule.
• Apply the Planning Effectiveness Scorecard to measure your planning performance against industry benchmarks and identify priority areas for improvement.
• Create a personalized action plan for implementing formal pre-construction planning in your firm, starting with your very next project.

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Ideal Audience: Project managers, estimators, field supervisors, and owners of electrical contracting firms. 

Date: Monday, October 19, 2026 | 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM

Where: ECAO Office, Toronto (in-person)

Cost: $1,099 (tax included)

Your Guide: Dr. Awad Hanna – Ph.D., P.E., NAC, Boldt Company Professor and Chair of the Program in Construction Engineering and Management at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is the most cited researcher in construction productivity and has taught thousands of seminars worldwide.

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Need to Know:

• What to bring: Laptop (optional). Session includes course materials, breakfast and lunch, and parking.
• Payment: Online via PayPal or Invoice.
• Cancellation: Full refund with 4+ weeks’ notice; 50% refund with 2–4 weeks’ notice; no refund with less than 10 days’ notice. Substitutions are allowed at any time.
• Accessibility: For information about the accessibility features of our office, please contact ECAO’s Learning & Development Coordinator, Témoc Vega, at tvega@ecao.org.