There can be a bit of a disconnect between folks working in residential and those in commercial construction, and a way of thinking that they’re just completely different. But there are ideas and methods of production that can be used successfully in both. Steve Tankersley is a third-generation builder whose earliest memories are of being
If you’re getting to your final walk-through and finding work that’s not done, or not done right, your schedule gets fouled up and your budget is busted. To tie up all the loose ends before they can cost you more time and money, you’ve got to be a step or two ahead of the problems.
Many problems plaguing production departments end up costing time and money. While it’s clear that there are issues, many remodeling companies can’t pinpoint the causes. One way to find out what’s really going on is to establish Key Performance Indicators, or KPIs. KPIs allow you to measure how well your production process works. But what
Today we’re tackling what can be a simple topic, but some remodeling companies are still struggling with daily job logs. Technology has made this task so much easier to accomplish and to store. In this episode, Jason Stearns talks with Tim and Steve about what to capture in a daily log, how to get your
We talk about working with trade partners and subcontractors a lot around here. It can be a complicated and challenging relationship — too often it’s like you can’t live with them, and you can’t live without them. Part of any relationship is change, and adjusting to those changes to keep it fresh and healthy. To
It’s a common challenge Tim finds in his consulting work with remodelers — how difficult it is to accurately estimate your remodeling company’s own work, to bring jobs in on time and budget. The difference can cause friction between estimators and those in the field, and cost you money. In this episode, Ryan Beaber talks
To make the remodeling business work, there are a few musts — you have to be efficient, you have to have a competitive edge, and a good work-life balance. Tim Welsh’s company does it in four days a week — at least in the field. In this episode, Tim discusses the four-day work week with
One of the highlights of every Masterclass: Project Manager Intensive course that I facilitate is “focus time.” Each company present gets 20 minutes to receive feedback from everyone else in the room on one or two topics of their choice. As the facilitator, I get to listen and learn. This year, I picked up a
Restoring a home after a catastrophe like a fire or flood is fairly specialized, not something most remodeling companies do. There are different challenges, like dealing with insurance companies and payouts, so these companies have different perspectives on production. Mike Carey has worked in insurance restoration for 25 years, as well as doing residential remodeling
Smartphones, laptops, and tablets, have boosted efficiency and communication from the field to the office and back, but they also open your business up to cyberattacks. A recent survey reported by the Associated Press finds that small-to-medium-sized businesses — like many remodeling companies — are increasingly the targets of such attacks. Every organization is vulnerable,
