Remodeling - February 2009 - (Page 28)

YourBusiness FieldNotes Section Editor: Leah Thayer lthayer@hanleywood.com From a Little Planning, Great Efﬁciencies W here will crews, subcontractors, and delivery vehicles park? Where will materials be stored, and is the space big enough to hold them all, or should deliveries be sequenced as the project unfolds? How will you arrange materials so that crews can access them in the order they need them? How can you minimize trips to the supply house, particularly by your most expensive employees? Job-phasing, job-staging, planning … however you phrase it, taking the time to resolve critical logistical issues in advance can mean the difference between efficient and profitable jobs and money-losing jobs, says Chris Stanton, of California–based consulting firm KSG Transform. “In tougher times, one starts looking more closely at the details,” he says. “Where are we inefficient, where are we losing money?” Until he sold his half of a $25 million San Francisco remodeling company in 1988, Stanton routinely thought through questions like these on major projects, including those in high-rise apartment buildings that posed serious parking and access challenges. Today, in working with construction firms squeezed by exceedingly tight margins, he’s more convinced than ever that front-end, proactive planning can save precious time and money. FPO “Most jobs are started too soon,” Stanton says. He understands the pressures of cash flow, “but if you spend a half a day or a day or a week planning out the job, I can guarantee you’ll finish it as soon as if you had started it without the planning, and you can do it with great economy.” Job-staging isn’t rocket science, Stanton says. But it’s critical today. “This is a great opportunity for creative problem-solving.” —L.T. ANDY HANNAN The ‘No Problem’ Economy Can-do attitudes keep production staff upbeat. W hen I owned a remodeling company, the words “No Problem!” were printed in huge letters on our shirts. That attitude summarizes Mark IV Builders today as we adapt to smaller jobs, a downsized staff, and the simple need for everyone to jump in to do whatever needs to be done. With clients, we’re happy to do odds-andends jobs that we weren’t set up to do when our average job size was in the mid-six-figures. With production staff and tradespeople, I don’t snap at setbacks; everybody knows it’s a tough economy, and a big part of my job now is to keep my team positive. For example, before Christmas, a superintendent accidentally broke a glass cooktop in half. I could have used this $385 error to make him fear losing his job — or feel this is a good place to work. We went over how it happened, how to replace the cooktop, and the upcoming holiday party, where he had a great time. In the “no problem” approach: ■ Pause, read, react. As a baseball ump, I know to pause after the pitch, read what’s around me, and then call it a strike or a ball. Similarly, as a production manager, I know that I’m as likely to be wrong as right if I make the call before the ball crosses the plate. ■ Get dirty. I now tell my supers: “Be efficient, control your time, and get your hands dirty.” When jobs were bigger, I told them that job management was key. Now they know to take care of many small items themselves, rather than calling in a sub or a helper. ■ One-minute manager. I still issue reprimands if necessary, but there’s no point in laboring over problems, and no time for this anyway. I deal with problems quickly and concisely, then get everyone’s attitude back on the positive side. —Andy Hannan is the production manager of Mark IV Builders, Bethesda, Md. remodelingmag.com 28 Remodeling February 2009 Illustration: Max Kornell http://www.remodelingmag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Remodeling - February 2009

Remodeling - February 2009 Contents First Word Market Watch Linda Case Mark Richardson Shawn McCadden Ways + Means Bottom Line Sales + Marketing Field Notes By Design Tech@ Work Good Form Close Up Second Look Going Green Clinic Specbook Upscale Remodeling Start Right People, Process, Profits Interview: Sara Ryan Duffy, President of SRD International New + Notable Products Final Touch Green Speak Green Spec In Focus First Look Benchmark

Remodeling - February 2009

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