What's In Your Tool Belt to Help Build-in Quality?

Interesting MultiFamily Executive article highlighting the growing demand for new housing and resultant labor constraint issues. The demand for labor has emerged as an issue for both single- and multi-family builders, nationwide.

FieldCollaborate
Quality Inspection Checklist

Do you know the last time builders reported such widespread labor shortages was just before 2001?

The demand for labor has forced the use of "B" and "C" quality trades, which will result in more issues and increases the demand for more oversight. Without a well-qualified and experienced labor force, builders are facing increasing quality issues. Field Managers were already being asked to produce more; how best to produce more with better quality?

Technology should be top-of-mind as a way to consistently survey, assess and respond to quality issues. And, mobile technology allows Field Managers to work directly from the job site -- yet remain in contact with vendors and the corporate office.

Quality issues can be observed and reported for followup as punch items and builders are able to create Quality Inspection templates aimed at catching issues as early and consistently as possible.

One big gain with mobile in the quality world is real-time reporting. Take a look at CPS' FieldCollaborate. Field Managers are able to record a quality issue, automatically email the vendor, post the issue to the Portal (including pictures) for vendor review and then close the ticket when resolved. All from their truck or construction trailer.

And, there's also the ability to analyze data over time -- in real time. Are today's problems consistent with issues last week or last month? Is this vendor consistently late or slow to complete tasks? All of that information is available on the mobile device while dealing with today's quality issue.

FieldCollaborate also provides scheduling, punch and safety tools -- as well as a homebuyer information Portal to keep builders in 24/7 communication with their clients.

Leverage Your Construction Scheduling Software to Manage Callbacks

No builder purposefully sets out to have call backs, punch items or warranty claims.  There are the added costs, time and dislocation associated with getting the job done right -- and issues can too easily be splashed across social media.

Build-in quality with scheduling tools!

Builder recently noted, With homeowner scrutiny on the rise, it's a good idea to take a second look at what can go wrong on a job. It's a chance to up your game.

Isn't it better to try to manage the issues before they're able to reach the status of a call back, punch item or warranty claim?

One quality management tool falls within the scope of today's automated construction scheduling software: associating Quality Inspection Checklists with key tasks.

How would that work? Select a key schedule task such as framing complete and develop a series of check points to measure satisfaction that the task is not only complete but meets the desired level of quality.

The task can't be considered complete for scheduling purposes, with an open Quality Inspection, and the vendor can't be paid, either. Both your field manager and vendor are on notice that items need to be addressed -- and they can be reminded on an ongoing basis, as well.

This type of process could be considered building-in quality.  Everyone involved in the job knows that there will be mini walkthru's throughout the job.  Issues can be caught at the key task inspections making resolution more timely as the vendor is available and hasn't yet been paid.  Not only are the issues better able to be resolved but the builder's reputation is enhanced as the buyer walk becomes focused on how the home operates vs. quality punch items.

CPS' FieldCollaborate offers Quality Inspection Checklists along with Punch Item Management as part of the construction scheduling software package.  And, there are Vendor and Buyer Portals, too! All focused on helping you build quality homes, on time!

Builders: Getting Proactive With Construction Data

Did you have a chance to read our last Blog (it's here!).

We highlighted a recent Builderonline article: Pain Points: Win or Learn by John McManus.  He focused on 3 things that matter most for builders this morning!

And, those 3 things are within every builder's control (vs. those you can't control such as weather, the economy, etc). Not just large builders, or public builders, or small mom-and-pop builders. All builders.

Information Helps Clarify Vision!

The first was sales.  The second is taking those sales to completions.

That is, the construction cycle. You're able to evaluate how your construction process is delivering by reviewing specific information: cycle time and, in turn,  profitability.

McManus suggests: you work with greater velocity or... you learn the pain.

Greater velocity can't be measured in the abstract, however.  Other factors -- and they are measurable -- have to come into the equation or profitability is a one-time gain with a short life.

What are you doing to consider those other variables? Do you know which vendors show up on time, or have the highest level of rework, have safety issues consistently, always fail field inspections? That information helps shape a long range vision of your construction cycle and help deliver consistently better results.

We're suggesting FieldCollaborate -- including the  available web Portal for vendors and home buyers -- will help.  It's not just scheduling but reporting on quality items, delivery times, subcontractor consistency, safety assessments and punch items.  It all helps highlight factors impacting your construction cycle and allows you to be proactive about the next lot, phase and community -- and design for long-term profitability.

How to: Build in Quality in New Home Construction

 A recent Carl Seville blog, Desperately Seeking Quality, was featured in Green Building Advisor.

Associate QI with task to achieve Milestone

Great title!

Seville bemoans a shortage of skilled labor and current high volume of work combining to create knowledge and communications gaps in the field.

Seville asks: "Where is the quality control?" He says inspectors are finding a significant amount of deficient work and that field superintendents tend to rely on their subcontractors to monitor their own work.

Most would agree: quality needs to start early in the process. While it can be reviewed or measured at the end of a job, that's really too late to be effective.  At that point, quality problems mean rework is the solution -- and that's both costly and inefficient.

Having your home buyers walk their new home to discover problems doesn't build the type of relationship home builders need in today's market.   Facebook is only too happy to post photos and comments submitted by unhappy homeowners.  And, referrals are too good of a source for future business to ignore.

One effective way to build in quality is to develop Quality Inspection measures at meaningful points throughout the construction process.  Don't wait for a  builder walk check list, in other words! Your Quality Inspections don't need to measure at every milestone although that might be a reasonable initial starting point.

QI templates drill down for specifics

Are you using automated scheduling software? Make a Quality Inspection the last task of a milestone in the schedule.  In other words, the milestone can't be complete until every task -- including the Quality Inspection -- is complete. That way, your superintendent or field manager is reviewing work in a timely manner and schedules stuck at a milestone with an open QI task are easily identified within schedule progress.

CPS offers construction scheduling software providing Quality Inspection processes -- contact us and see how FieldCollaborate lets you build in quality during the construction process! And, you'll be doing it on the jobsite, in real-time with results available for your vendors, anywhere/anytime, using the Vendor Portal.

Grab Some Construction Scheduling Benefits...here!

Did you have a chance to attend the IBS Education Forum in Las Vegas called The Best Builders are The Best Schedulers?  CPS' Troy Warr partnered with Builder Consulting Group's Noelle Tarabulski to provide an overview of benefits offered using a comprehensive construction scheduling process -- and a roadmap to successful implementation.

Good scheduling improves day-to-day-operations and your bottom line!

What benefits, you might ask.  Many builders report limited success with new automated construction scheduling software, for example. Others mention getting conflicting answers to a single question due to a variety of reports and methods.

Troy and Noelle highlighted several key improvements available as a a result of good construction scheduling practices including:

• Fewer delays -- enhancing your relationship with both vendors and home buyers
• Fewer Cost Variances -- no question, fewer variances results in more consistent forecasting and better profitability
• Improved Quality -- using scheduling milestone checklists as well as inspection templates means spotting problems sooner and minimizing the long-term impact
• Reduced Cycle Times -- improved cycle times not only improve profitability per home but mean you're able to build more homes in the same amount of time
• Accountability, Accuracy and Consistency -- good scheduling practices enable the builder to have a single source of information providing consistent results across the enterprise (builder, vendor and home buyer).

Would improving any of these key indicators be useful to you?  Tara provides consulting services to help analyze, measure and prioritize an organization's construction process while CPS offers FieldCollaborate - a cloud-based, automated scheduling software application available on the job-site with mobile tablet/smart phone access and using desktop/laptop access at the corporate office.

We can talk with you to determine how an improved scheduling process will grow your bottom line as well as enhance day-to-day operations and increase home buyer satisfaction.