Blogs

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Customer Satisfaction

Customer Satisfaction Bonuses - Right or Wrong?

Performance bonuses have been around the homebuilding industry for a long time. Salespeople earn commissions and bonuses based upon their...

Quality Management

Improving your bottom-line: 2013 NHQA winner best practices

Despite the current market and the recession these builders show how they have continued to improve, change and increase their bottom-line...

Great Solutions for Builders

Lessons from one builder’s ‘quality journey’

This year marks the 19th edition of the National Housing Quality Awards, the industry’s only recognition program dedicated to helping...

Quality Management

They only hire me from the neck down

On a construction site a worker was grumbling to himself as he worked. “How is it going?” I asked. “What?........oh…..ah fine…..well…..do...

Quality Management

Metal Roof Defects and Quality Assurance

A roof can represent 10-25% of the cost of a building, 90% of improper installation procedures are covered from view upon completion of work...

Great Solutions for Builders

Is it time to fear headhunters?

If there’s one common thread among the six builders featured in our article on fast-growing builders (“Big Gainers”), it’s the absolute...

Quality Management

Think of the client when designing: People do use that building, you know

Sometimes it feels as though buildings are being designed without consideration of those that will occupy them. Thought always needs to be...

Quality Management

The disconnect with company culture

A recent survey conducted by Deloitte entitled ‘Core Beliefs and Culture’ showed that culture creates strong business performance, it also...

Lean Design

The 3,700-sf 'fairy tale' house

“Obsessed by a fairy tale, we spend our lives searching for a magic door and a lost kingdom of peace.” - Eugene O'Neill Nothing brings up...

Quality Management

Improving customer service

I have personally seen organizations that have used initiatives to drive service excellence and have created for example 98% customer...

Quality Management

Would your business do this ?

$50k which was to be transferred from one business account to another was not actually completed. A client was given completely different...

Customer Satisfaction

Team - There is no "I," but the "A" is for accountability

Team sports analogies have long been used in home building for obvious reasons. They both have the common component of individual...

Lean Design

2,000-sf workhorse plan continues to ring the bell

This little plan has really been a high producer. It is simple to build, lean, and has great curb appeal. As a result this plan has sold...

Quality Management

Losing money every day

While Quality tools and techniques have been around for a long time and proven their worth I still see and hear situations that amaze me....

The Lean Builder

Election 2012: The elephant in the room for home builders

I travel this country meeting with builders virtually every week and between my monthly Professional Builder article, my weekly blog on...

Best Practices

Do you listen?

'Of course I do', or so you say! But do you, would you really? I have been shocked over the years at the reaction to those who approach...

The Lean Builder

The rule of 8, 9, 12 but never 16

Todd Hallett and I are running a LeanPlan Workout session this week in Tennessee with one of my favorite builders. In the years I have known...

Lean Design

Watch out for this extreme common framing error that causes warranty nightmares

Whether you call them crickets or saddles, the little patch of roof that is bridging water past a chimney or other element obstructing water...

Quality Management

A Simple Process Improvement Tool: 5W2H

When working on improving a process in your business, this simple tool can help you think thorough improvement opportunities

Customer Satisfaction

New Home Market - Getting Better All The Time!

Readers may recall a study I did a few years ago attempting to identify the most reliable predictor of future new home sales activity. The...

Lean Design

Love story turns to a Lean bromance

After last weeks blog about the great match up of Lean and custom homes I received the following inspiring "boots on the ground" letter...

The Lean Builder

10 steps to mastering field quality – A positive indicator for a recovering industry

The 5th article in my series on Quality Management was just published by Professional Builder Magazine and appears concurrently on www...

Quality Management

What is your company culture like?

Yes we are making lists again! Make two lists. In one list the elements of company cultures that you have experienced and liked. In the...

Quality Management

Implementation: Making it happen

“It is leadership, that recognizes that structure and goals are not effective without the corresponding tactics and that neither will...

Quality Management

Team formation

Forming, storming, norming and performing are the four key stages in team formation. Forming: This is a short lived period when the team...

Home Builders Institute's Schools to Skills Grant Application Open Through December

As Mortgage Rates Rise, Buyers Lose Purchasing Power

Renters Are Choosing Single-Family Homes for These Features