Hello, everyone
This is Enta.
This is a soil pH measurement taken during landscaping work some time ago.
Collect soil samples from the site and dissolve them in an aqueous solution with a pH of 7.
Then, insert the pH electrode into the solution to measure the pH.
I'm sure you've measured pH on-site before, but I think most people use the kind of tester you just stick into the ground, lol.
The "stick-it-in" pH test mentioned above works fine, but in this case, I opted for a digital meter for greater accuracy, finer readings, and easier-to-read results.
Here's an example of construction management gone overboard, lol.
What's the point of going to such lengths for this kind of management that seems to have absolutely no meaning (though I guess it's not entirely meaningless)?
That's what I think now.
Back then, I was really particular about everything—I digitized everything and focused on how to get the highest score.
How can we differentiate ourselves from other companies?
Come to think of it, I feel like the inspector was actually encouraging that, lol.
But looking back now, I realize I was spending a lot of time and effort on construction management that was really pointless (though not entirely without merit).
Of course, I don't really care about this management stuff right now, so I'll just stick it in, snap a pic, and call it a day. (Is it good to have it? Or is it okay not to have it??)
If you look at the mountains around there and see grass growing, well, it’s growing, lol (it gets destroyed by wildlife).
There’s no denying that our day-to-day management can feel a bit excessive.
Is there really any point in going that far with the general contractor?
There are plenty of times when I can’t help but think that.
Perhaps it’s time to simplify and reevaluate our construction management a bit.
While it's true that ICT is great for just about anything, it's ultimately a technology designed to make our lives a little easier.
You can do it even without help, and you can perform the work even without any experience.
And vendors keep trying to make it even more complicated or set their products apart...
That's putting the cart before the horse, lol.
We all want to make things as easy and hassle-free as possible, don't we?
So, on the flip side, the government should standardize all administrative forms, and any contractor who goes beyond that should just go back to the basics, lol.
I suppose people might say that this would create competition, but,
I think we coaches are already doing our best, don't you?
From early in the morning until late at night, acting as if I weren't working overtime,
At a company where even overtime pay is cut, I work day and night preparing documents to set us apart from other companies, and
Days spent dealing with subjective comments regarding construction management under a contract for services.
Wouldn't it be better to keep both paperwork and on-site management to a minimum??
I think it's enough to just make sure you capture the hidden parts clearly (in video or other media).
I guess over the past 20 years or so, we've just gotten used to a style of construction management that involves too much paperwork, haven't we?
I wish there was an easier way to do this~ lol
What do you all think about that?
See you later
I’m in charge of construction management as the general contractor, but lately I’ve been getting tired of it.
I do like working on-site, but I feel like there’s been an increase in paperwork that really gets me down—too much of it, documents whose purpose I can’t even figure out, and internal paperwork that just keeps piling up for no good reason. While some clients’ representatives tell me, “We won’t give you extra points just for submitting unnecessary documents,” I still feel like there are many who insist on receiving them.
I’ve also had enough of companies that, no matter how much profit and performance they generate, refuse to raise base salaries and don’t pay overtime—let alone allowances for working on holidays—while constantly pressuring employees to “deliver results and profits” and “embrace cutting-edge technology.”
While it’s rewarding to work on projects where, once they’re completed, we receive thanks from clients and local residents, I feel that—since there are still so many companies that treat their employees as nothing more than pawns—I can’t recommend this line of work to young people going forward.
The construction industry is becoming a sector dominated by older workers, with few young people entering the field, and I’m concerned about whether Japan’s infrastructure can be maintained once the current generation in their 50s and 60s retires.
As a company grows, the amount of internal paperwork just keeps piling up, doesn't it?
I totally get how you feel!
Besides, most companies don't really value their employees even when they're recognized, do they?
An engineer I know was complaining that, even though he’d received an award from the director-general, his salary hadn’t gone up a single penny.
I, too, think it’s about time we reevaluated the current state of construction companies.
I'm scared that if I don't, it might affect my future.
I believe it is the job of company management to figure out how to bring out the best in employees and how to energize the company.
Working as a general contractor is especially tough, isn't it?
Since we're a subcontractor, we take it easy, but we don't have much internal paperwork either, lol.
Since internal documents are meant to protect the company, this is unavoidable, but we can still streamline the process.
The question is how to go about it.
Let's do our best!
If you're not satisfied with your current situation, I recommend looking for a job at a smaller company.
Right now, there's a huge demand for directors—it's a seller's market!!
We look forward to your continued support.
Comment from Ishio-kun (posted by Enta on his behalf due to a site error)
Please do consider changing jobs!
Since you’ve gone out of your way to say you like working on-site, and people like you...
It is regrettable to receive an unfair evaluation.
There's a lot of demand right now, so I highly recommend giving job hunting a try!
There's no risk involved in the activity, anyway.
By the way, if you're in the Tohoku region, check out my place too lol
At the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, a score of 79 earns you the President's Award, and a score of 83 earns you a 1 million yen bonus.
If the job site offers a remote location allowance, the average salary is on par with that of a major general contractor.
Try searching for “Ishio-kun” on Twitter or Instagram!
I hope you find a great new job!!
Mr. Ishio
Thank you for your comment.
I appreciate your kindness, but I'm afraid I'm in Kyushu (^^;)
That really is an enviable company, isn't it?
At my company, I’ve finally started getting a remote-location allowance for the job site I was in charge of last time, lol. I’ve been with the company for a few years now, but I’d only had one job site that required an overnight stay, and I didn’t get anything for it, so at my last job site,
"If there's no allowance, I'm not going!"
After I said that, it finally started working lol
I mostly work on prefectural projects, and while I was just one point short of a perfect score on one site, I’ve scored perfect or higher on all the others. (When I asked the client why I was one point short on that site, they told me it was because—even though we met the deadline—we worked late into the evening and on Sundays. lol (Even though our company was the only one out of several contractors in that section to meet the original deadline…))
Sorry for venting.
From now on, if we don’t value our employees even more than we have in the past, the company—let alone the front lines—won’t be able to function.