48
Geotechnical News December 2011
ASFE NEWS
years ago? You’re talking about huge
potential power. All squandered.
I can understand why technical
specialization is necessary. But what
about the engineering spokesper-
son, advocate, and bodyguard? You’d
think, realizing what they could have,
all engineers would be eager to unite
to achieve the huge benefits they all
would derive from sharing what they
have in common. You’d think that each
would be gladly sacrifice a little to cre-
ate that giant friend. You’d think.
Fact: Every attempt to do it has met
with failure. But don’t give up hope.
ASFE is now leading what appears to be
a successful effort to do the previously
undoable, focusing not on engineering
in general, but on those elements of en-
gineering that comprise the geoprofes-
sions; a pond to be sure, but one that
would unite a bunch of puddles. The
goal, in large part, is creating a larger
supply of top-flight geoprofessional
services and stimulating more demand
for them, to counter the commoditiza-
tion and marginalization caused by de-
cades of geoprofessional indifference
and apathy. It’s about gaining respect
for geoprofessionals by helping them
understand that performing a valued
service involves a lot more than apply-
ing technology to solve problems. It’s
about applying professional principles
to meet peoples’ needs. And some-
times, all that’s required to meet those
needs is an empathetic nod rather than
an equation.
No one is asking any group to re-
linquish its identity. But we do need to
unify on certain key points and move
forward together to achieve a purpose
we all need to share. Will it be worth-
while? Well, consider what engineer-
ing could have. And because it doesn’t
have it, what it has lost and probably
will never regain. Now consider what
the geoprofessions could have and
what they will attain if we all just start
getting along and working together to
achieve common goals and aspirations.
As long as we all get off our apathy,
we all can get this done. That means
YOU.
eForum for ASFE-Member Firms’ IT Staff
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ASFE Information Technology
Forum
allows
communication/
collaboration among ASFE-Member
Firms’ information technology (IT)
staff and staff with IT responsibilities.
Ask questions, get answers, and give
answers. E-mail
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sign up today!
Results of Latest Financial Performance Survey Available
So how’s business? ASFE’s
Business
Practice Committee
responds to that
question each year by conducting its
annual Financial Performance Survey.
The most recent survey is complete
and its findings are conveyed in
ASFE Practice Alert No. 50: Fiscal
Year 2010-11 Financial Performance
Survey Report.
Topics covered include
predistribution profit, discretionary
profit distribution, net multiplier,
utilization
rate,
predistribution
overhead, marketing costs, group
insurance, collections, fee backlog,
and more. Download your copy of
ASFE Practice Alert 50
now at
If you cannot download it
for any reason, contact ASFE staff for
assistance: telephone 301/565-2733 or
e-mail
ASFE Practice Alerts are available
solely to members of ASFE and, like
almost everything else ASFE offers to
its members, they are free of charge.
Professional Selling
If your firm is not really different
from others offering more or less the
same services, it’s just a commodity;
clients might just as well select based
on fee. (Not really, of course, because
bidding encourages firms to submit the
skimpiest scope a professional can live
with because skimpy = low cost and
low cost = securing the engagement.)
Of course, your firm
is
different, if only
because it comprises people and no
two people are the same. But does your
website make it clear that your firm is
one of a kind? Here’s one way to find
out (if you dare).
1. Go to the websites of your top four
competitors.
2. Copy and paste the lead paragraph
from the home page of each web-
