Columnists: Sowards
Ways to sustain lean construction activities
The challenge, to those contractors implementing Lean, is to make and then sustain the improvement. Here are five ways to help sustain the changes, once you have implemented them....
Five steps, one must do, to start being lean
Lean is not a fad diet but is a way that manufacturing companies have used to become more competitive and successful. Construction companies are just beginning to apply it. Some contractors mistakenly feel they are already as lean as they can get. Here are 10 questions that will tell you if you are in need of Lean thinking...
Lean works for TI work too
As one way to cope with the challenging economy, many owners/facility managers are doing tenant improvements (TI) and facility upgrades. Contractors, who normally do not perform TI, are now competing in the TI market. Lean construction has proven itself valuable in large projects and also works in small projects, but in different ways. ...
More than five ways to improve meetings
The pathway to more effective meetings is to follow some basic and very useful techniques. Here are 5.5 tips that will help you improve your meetings....
Management by results vs. the 3Ps
Management by Results did yield success and still does today. However, there is one problem they never told us in MBA school. At best it will only achieve short-term results and tends to cause employee behaviors contrary to teamwork....
Do you hear the customer’s voice?
A recent survey from Industryweek found that most companies (44% of the survey respondents) are focusing on cutting costs this year. This is up from 36% last year. When a company is in a survival mode, cutting costs is usually the first response. The same survey found that some companies (18%) are focusing on improving customer service. This is down from last year’s 27%....
The risk of bidding green jobs
Going “green” is a top priority for many owners, and contractors are rushing to bid these jobs. Even with a U.S. Green Building Council LEED certified in-house expert, one may not be aware of all the potential risks associated with bidding a green project. Contractors need to be aware of the risks and account for them, so profits are not at risk....
BIM and LPS improve project management
There is some discussion in construction today about which is better to use Building Information Modeling (BIM) or Lean Construction. You need to consider...
Muda Walk to find waste
Masaaki Imai, a leader expert on Lean techniques, encourages managers to do a Muda Walk daily. in Japanese means waste. Imai says that in Japan, companies...
Problem solving for performance issues
What are the most common yet challenging problems for managers to address? It's not material shortages, as-built discrepancies or even weld defects. It's...
Learn to learn as an organization
IN HIS BOOK "The Fifth Discipline," Peter Senge suggests that companies become learning organizations. He defined a learning organization as an "organization...
Get serious about customer complaints
HOW DO YOU HANDLE customer complaints? Most contractors think they do a good job of resolving them. But when asked, "How do you know?" most owners/ CEOs...
You can be guided by scoreboard, dashboard
Most large companies and nonprofit organizations have boards of directors or trustees that govern and oversee their operations. Other types of boards...
Waste is everywhere but isn't inevitable, part 2
THE SEVEN TYPES of waste, which we identified last month (pg. 50), are: Defects This is a product or service that contains errors, requires rework or...
Waste is everywhere but isn't inevitable
WASTE IS NOT desirable, especially in construction. To be more competitive we need to drive waste out of our operations. Most of us recognize waste in...
High Performers Know the Score
QUALITY GURU Philip Crosby once told a story about a football team that lost its first two games in the season, both by a score of 14-13. The coach reasoned...
High Performers Manage Processes for Success
The fifth characteristic of high-performing contractors is they manage their processes. All work is a process. We go through a series of steps to get...
High Performers Put Employees First
WHICH OF THESE statements is true: Your people are your most important asset; nothing happens at work without people; your customers will never be treated...
High-Performers Focus on Customers
ALMOST ALL contractors complain that they are already doing great in their operations, but they need more sales and marketing. Some even go a step further...
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