Two Carpenters

The real story is a little bit longer.

They caught in the market of to small subcontractor job and a reputation of a firm who build family houses. No architect or consultant engineering company invited them to calculate an offer on a more significant job. They have to break them self into the open market by participating in invitations to tender. Expanding was only possible if they could land subcontractor jobs with a more substantial volume.

The key figure, who was able to break through that door, was their offer calculator. It was him who gave them all bread on the table it`s time he was lucky enough to win the invitations to tender.

When I leave Denmark biggest contractor company in 1985, the only computer in our department was occupied by the secretary to the head of the department. I have absolutely no knowledge about the technology, but I have caught the perspective in the air.

When I arrived at TL, I saw it immediately. There offer calculator work with paper sheets and a pencil. Two computers in the firm occupied by their wives, who controlled the accounts.

If I could convince them, that there offer calculator immediately should be put on a training program where he learns to use a computer and an "offer calculation program" with already exist at the time, he will be able to double his offer volume.

I also expected that we would see our offers to fluctuations closer and closer to the true average, means closer and closer to our competitor's figures. It was what happens. Three months later they landed the biggest contract ever. 1.7 mill and TL-Byg was born, and the leadership never looked back from there.

They have it all around them before I arrived, the computer, the right offer calculator and the right staff, but they could not see the forest for all the trees. I came and maintained a picture of the wood the whole way into the inhabitants.

Some decisions are lost in the history, and some choices make the history personal. The person who identifies the story of TL-Byg is their offer calculation. Last time I check them out, he was still there in that position I formulated for them more than 30 years ago, and now he brings bread to tables for more than 150 families.

One of the biggest contractors companies in the local area today.

I arrived in January 1986 without any knowledge of computers and left them 12 months later without ever touching a computer. To own and used a computer in my engineering life, was more than ten years ahead.

What do you do that for Andersen?

Ok, you run away in panic from a concrete ghost who wants to enslave you in rest of your working life, but why do you think, that two carpenters and a nail box could bring you near an engineering related job function you want?

Do you really think that two carpenters and a nail box will be asked to design engineering related constructions because you have arrived?

Do you really think that the market will begin to look at to carpenters and nail box as an engineering firm overnight because you have arrived?

Your ego is playing a game with you, Andersen! A dangerous game!

It was a mistake from the beginning. I was stepping backwards in sted of forward. I have to leave them as soon as possible, and the happiness was, that they were too busy to develop their company from my platform to notice that I disappeared.

I managed to get an agreement with one of the local consultants firm who sold my skill as a project leader to those customers who used them as a project developer.