Brick by Brick Presentation Script

Slides correlate with the Game Play Deck.

SLIDE 1 I’ll introduce you to the game and explain all of the rules, then I'll hand out the game boxes and technology and start the game. I know you’re all excited to start playing, so let’s get started! 

SLIDE 2 You are now members of a general contractor’s construction team. Your project? To build Procore headquarters, pictured here! 

SLIDE 3 Your goal as a team is to complete the project ON TIME and UNDER BUDGET. You have Procore’s project management software at your fingertips and all of the tools to successfully keep track of your project’s health. But setbacks will happen when you least expect them...and the clock is ticking? 

SLIDE 4  You will work on a team of three or four. Team members will take on the responsibilities of a Project Manager, a Superintendent, and 1 or 2 Tradespeople. You’ll have 70 minutes to play this game. Game play is divided into seven 8 minute days, followed by 2 minute nights. The goal of the game is to build the project correctly, on time, and under budget.  We’ll now go through the responsibilities of each role. As we do, think about which role you might want to play today.

SLIDE 5 The Project Manager’s goal is to keep their team’s budget up to date and pay their crew every day. At the beginning of each day the Project Manager will draw a Project Management card. The Project Manager is also responsible for updating the budget to reflect the day’s direct costs, including the payroll amounts listed here. If your team has two tradespeople, you’ll pay the same amount as if you had one tradesperson. The Project Manager is not allowed to build. If you’re the Project Manager you’ll access Procore on a laptop or computer by going to app.procore.com.
 

SLIDE 6 The Superintendent’s goal is to clearly communicate all building steps to their tradesperson or tradespeople. You’ll need to get creative with your verbal communication….because the tradesperson cannot see the drawings! At the beginning of each day the Superintendent will draw a Superintendent card. The Superintendent is also responsible for completing a Daily Notes Log every day. Each log must include a photo of progress and a description that includes the drawing page number that your team reached during that day. If you’re the Superintendent you’ll access Procore on a tablet or mobile device by downloading the Procore App. Superintendents are not allowed to build. So who’s going to build this thing??

SLIDE 7 Tradespeople! Your job is to build the project. Before beginning to build each day the Tradesperson should check with their Project Manager and Superintendent for any unforeseen delays. The Tradesperson is not allowed to see the drawings.
 

SLIDE 8 You may be wondering about some of the words we’re using. Direct Cost? Daily Log? If you’re new to construction or new to Procore, this review of vocabulary will be helpful. 

Part of the Superintendent’s responsibility is to fill out a Daily Log each day. A Daily log is like a diary or journal of significant events, incidents, and progress made on the job site each day. In Brick by Brick, you’ll create a Notes log to document general daily notes and an accident log if any accidents occur on your job site. This image shows the Daily Log tool on a tablet. Click the plus sign in the right-hand corner to add a new Daily Log each day. 

SLIDE 9 An RFI is a Request for Information. RFIs are used in construction to clarify any information that is unclear in the drawings, specifications, or other documents. While playing Brick by Brick, you may encounter an RFI card. If your team draws this card you can use it at any time to communicate together as a team without any role restrictions for 30 seconds. Yes, seriously, just for 30 seconds the Tradesperson can see the Drawings! 

SLIDE 10 Our Project Managers are going to be really focused on their budget. In construction, cost codes are a way to organize costs by the specific type of work that is being done. In the Brick by Brick game budget you’ll see that costs are separated by labor and contingency for unforeseen costs.

A contingency is an amount of money reserved for unforeseen changes in the work or increases in cost. If you have to pay for something that wasn’t budgeted for, you’ll use your contingency budget to cover the cost. Every team has the same amount of contingency.
 

SLIDE 11 Here’s what your budget will look like in Procore. Starting on the left, you can see the cost codes like 01-009 Tradesperson Labor. Next, you’ll see your starting, original budget amount. THis is the amount of money you’re starting with. Next, we have the Direct Cost column. As you progress through the game this column will populate with your costs. Finally we have the Projected over under column. That number on the very bottom, that’s how much money you have left over. By the end of the game you will have spent most of this money, with hopefully some profit leftover!

SLIDE 12 So, how are you going to update that budget?  YOu’ll use the Direct Cost tool! A direct cost is a field cost of a project, like labor, material, and equipment. In Brick by Brick the Project Manager will create a direct cost by clicking on the orange button that says “Add New Direct Cost”

SLIDE 13 From here, there are just 8 simple steps to follow to create your direct cost. First, select the type of cost: either payroll or expense. Next, select a status of pending.  Then, click Add line. If you’re paying payroll, you’ll want to add three lines, one for each team member that you’re paying. Next, select the budget code for each line, write a description of the cost, type 1 for the quantity, and add in the unit cost, or how much the item costs. Confirm the total cost and click Save. Be sure to then navigate to your budget to make sure that the direct cost hit your budget properly. If it didn’t, you can navigate back to the direct cost tool and edit as needed.

SLIDE 14 Okay! That’s enough vocabulary to get you started. Once we get going, each new day will begin with the Project Manager of each team drawing a Project Management card and the Superintendent of each team drawing a Field Event Card. Read the cards aloud to your team and follow the card’s instructions. Once the cards have been read the Superintendent will navigate to the drawings and begin communicating the building steps to the Tradesperson. The Project Manager will begin the process of updating your team’s daily budget. 

Each day is followed by a 2 minute night. Time to rest! Well, for some, maybe. The Project Managers and Super can use this time to complete any unfinished daily tasks like paying the crew or completing the Daily Log. Building is NOT allowed at night unless the Tradesperson is paid overtime. 

SLIDE 15 So, what’s Overtime Pay? A team will decide together if they want to keep building during the night. Think of this as a strategic move that can decrease the time to complete your project….but you’ll have to pay for that extra time! If your team decides to have their Tradesperson work at night the Project Manager will update their Payroll Direct Cost for that day to include an extra $300 of overtime pay, for a total of $500 for the Tradesperson’s labor for that day. Other roles are not paid overtime pay. 

SLIDE 16 Okay, you’ve heard all of the rules now...so who thinks they’re going to win this thing?! To win, your team must complete the project according to the drawings, finish on time, and under budget. If you finish first, second, or third, shout it out! You’ll receive a bonus!
All teams that have a completed project by the end of the 7th night will have their building inspected by the game facilitator. If it’s determined that your project was built incorrectly or does not match drawings, a penalty fee of $500 will be applied to your budget. You have the exact amount of pieces you’ll need to complete the project, so if you have extra pieces….you’ve built incorrectly. All teams that finish their project on budget will receive a bonus of $500. If it is determined that your team did not complete their daily budget requirements correctly a penalty fee of $500 will be applied to your budget.

The winning team is the team that has the highest amount in their projected over/under budget column after all bonuses and penalties have been applied. Every team that still has money leftover is still in business - and that’s definitely something to celebrate!

SLIDE 17 Okay, we’re almost ready to start playing.  Now, get into your team of three of four. Once your game facilitator has handed our your game boxes and technology, remove all game box contents and game cards.  Organize your field event and project management cards in two separate piles and place them face down. You won’t draw cards until day 1 begins. Next, choose your role.

SLIDE 18 Our game will start with an 8 minute pre-construction so your team can prepare the job site for construction.
Project Managers should take this time to log in to Procore on their computer and get familiar with the budget and direct cost process. You’ll also want to calculate how much money you can spend each day to stay on budget over the course of your 7 days of construction. 

Superintendents should log in to the Procore App on their tablet or mobile device and get familiar with the drawings and daily log tool. You’ll also want to determine how you’ll communicate the building steps, material size, shape, and orientation to your team’s Tradesperson.
During pre-construction the Tradesperson should organize the building materials. Although you can organize materials, you’re not allowed to begin building during pre-construction.
 

NO SLIDE
Okay, are you and your team ready to go? Once the facilitator starts the game clock, it won’t stop until the end of Night 7. Remember, we’ll start the game with an 8 minute pre construction which will be directly followed by Day 1 of construction. Wait until I start the game clock, and then you can begin pre-construction. 

Good luck to all of the teams!