What Can Builders Do to Up Their Productivity?

Productivity Issues Are Long-Standing and Complex

One of this year's "hot" topics has actually been a topic for a number of years -- in 2017, for example, MarketWatch noted, "the construction industry has a chronic productivity problem."

Use Technology to Manage the Details

The reasons are many and the impact is considerable on the global, national and local levels -- as well as individual homebuilder profitability.

Technology Offers Help at the Builder Level!

Rather than looking at the issue globally, however, let's focus on what you, as a homebuilder, construction manager or superintendent, can put your arms around to up your productivity -- which will improvide profitability.

First, however, we'll take note of a MarketWatch comment: there's been an underinvestment, in the construction industry, in technology.

Homebuilding is the Sum of Many, Many Details

Yet, there are relatively inexpensive and highly effective digital solutions that will have an immediate impact on your business -- as they'll help you organize, manage, evaluate and report on the many details surrounding every job.  For example, are you able to immediately answer these questions:

• Which of my vendors consistently meets my objectives for starting and completing a job on time? How can they access that schedule? What about when things change?
• Which vendor delivers work that meets my published standards and drawings? Do I have published standards? Are they readily accessible? How do vendors access the latest drawings?
• How much rework did my plumbing vendor have to do at the Estates community?
• Were all those homeowner roofing complaints related to this year's heavy rain, manufacturing issues or poor installation?
• Are punch issues resolved prior to walkthrough? Do I have a way to keep track of the punch items from the walkthrough?

Generate and Track Your Punch Items

Technology for the desktop and mobile devices (software such as CPS' FieldCollaborate construction scheduling and WarrantyWatcher customer service management) will help you create and distribute schedules to your vendors and track performance so you're able to address some of those questions. Consistent, easily available, measurable schedules -- along with all of the supporting details such as standards, drawings and easy access -- are key to getting your arms around some of those details.

Portals, Dashboards, Reports: They're Available & Will Up Your Game!

Being able to analyze which vendors are effective, the reasons behind rework and how punch items are addressed enables your organization to make huge gains in productivity as you use data to make sure you're laser focused on key issues based on facts, not commentary.  Use on-screen dashboards or generate reports detailing past-due punch items, find out which happen over and over, utilize Quality Inspection checklists to catch problems at the task level before your walkthroughs.  That's how technology helps you manage the details!

IBS2019 Before & After!

CPS will be demonstrating these easy-to-use and powerful solutions at IBS2019 in Las Vegas from February 19-21 (you can grab free passes to the exhibit floor here):

https://www.buildersshow.com/ComputerPresentationSystemsInc

Can't make it to Vegas or don't want to wait to up your productivity? Schedule a demo here and we'll be in touch asap!

iPad and iPhone: New Tools for HomeBuilder Construction

Just saw an interesting article in Mashable's iPad for Business Series (you can review here).  For the last several months, Mashable has been suggesting that iPads and iPhones are an "excellent, super-portable addition to the workplace (in addition, of course, to being great devices for viewing videos, playing games and surfing the web!).

Homebuilders: iPad Use IEnhances Construction Process

The latest article, 3 Innovative Business Uses for the iPad, reinforces this thought, identifying specific business scenarios (such as Point of Sale) focused on the iPad's "ability to go green, to collaborate and to increase productivity." 

All 3 of those iPad capabilities are critical to homebuilder construction operations.  Field Managers/Superintendents are out on the jobsite: they really aren't able to (and don't like to) carry bits of paper with notes, reports and miscellaneous pieces of their office outdoors.  But...they need information to effectively perform their job (in other words, to collaborate): scheduled activities, vendor contacts, buyer selections.  And, everyone is interested in increasing productivity (in homebuilding terms: increased carry rates).

CPS' FieldConnect Mobile -- using either an iPad or iPhone -- effectively tackles those job-site needs -- and more.  FieldManagers can access their current scheduled activities -- on a job-by-job basis.   They're able to track and record progress -- collaborating with the corporate office regarding deliveries, changing requirements, vendor changes and the like.  And, they have easy (via touch!) access to vital construction information: schedules, vendors, buyers, selections.  And, there's the ability to record Safety Assessments, punch items and Quality Inspections, as well.  As well as the ability to easily record construction notes and attach photographs to lot and task activities.

Go Green, Collaborate, Increase Efficiency?  All available at your construction Field Manager's fingertips with FieldConnect iPad/iPhone use!