Production management is responsible for delivering quality construction and exceptional customer service and cannot abdicate this responsibility. Product quality starts at the top. Superintendents, suppliers, and trade contractors are not to blame for poor quality.

Here are five strategies for solving problems related to quality and customer service.

1. Establish a quality program with clear and specific quality objectives and plans.

Define quantifiable standards of quality covering all aspects of the construction process and develop measurement systems for analyzing the effectiveness of the quality program. Develop clear workmanship standards. Ensure all workers, including trade contractors, meet the required skill levels for their specific tasks. Continuously monitor and evaluate trade contractor performance against quality benchmarks.
 
2. Communicate quality specifications to key personnel and partners.

Prepare documentation with simple and complete quality specifications for materials and workmanship to share with all concerned parties: staff, material suppliers, and trade contractors. It is important that superintendents and warranty service personnel be fully involved in this step of the process. Incorporate quality specifications for trade contractors into their contracts.

3. Train superintendents on their role in meeting product quality objectives.

Superintendents play a critical role in construction quality. In addition to securing their commitment to a quality program, appropriate training of superintendents is essential. They should be spending most of their time walking job sites, supervising ongoing work, inspecting work in progress, and making final inspections of each competed trade contractor job to ensure compliance with standards.

4. Develop an inspection program to ensure desired quality before the customer sees the home.

Use checklists to conduct regular inspections at key milestones (foundation, framing, drywall, paint, etc.). Take advantage of the powerful inspection and quality management software programs available to streamline the process. Trade contractors should inspect their own work and submit a signed statement with their invoice indicating they met contract specifications. Do not make the customer do the final inspection. Establish an internal walk-through and turnover process from the superintendent to management. Ensure all corrections from the walk-through list are complete before the customer sees the home. Lists produced during internal walk-throughs are valuable in measuring quality.

5. Develop warranty service policies and procedures and train personnel.

Establish policies and procedures that result in rapid completion of customer requests for service. Develop a system for tracking aging and completion of service requests. Train personnel on implementing the warranty service program. A positive approach to warranty service can increase customer referrals which pays big dividends. Handling service requests promptly is crucial. The tracking system must report exceptions to the prompt response policy. Management must take action to prevent recurrence of inadequate customer response. 

In today’s competitive environment, providing superior quality and unmatched customer service is essential for success. A strong reputation built on customer satisfaction and referrals strengthens a home builder’s credibility, giving them an edge over competitors. Making improvements in these areas requires a well-trained production management team with superior leadership skills.

Shinn Group is here to help. Our upcoming Production Management seminar, November 13-15, is loaded with effective management techniques and tools for building the house right the first time and becoming the Builder of Choice™. Space in the seminar is limited. Click here for details.

Ed Hauck is a senior consultant at Shinn Group. He specializes in helping builders around the country reduce direct construction cost, streamline operations, and guide new product design towards efficiency and cost control.