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Quality Management

Implementing Quality Management at Wathen-Castanos Hybrid Homes

This case study details the implementation of an extensive program of quality management at Wathen-Castanos, including training, the...

Building Operations

Do your Sales people act like this?

Recently I visited a host of builder sites in Florida. My objective was to have a direct comparison of many builders’ models, sales...

Quality Management

Quality culture (with link to video of Coca-Cola on the topic)

Quality culture is essential not only to implement and establish quality management in an organization but also to sustain it. A Quality...

Building Operations

Don't encourage bad bird behavior!

I recently made the decision to relocate from Rochester, New York to Sarasota, Florida. Leaving annual accumulations of snow averaging 130...

Design

The Lean Builder: Fixing Architecture I

In my blog two weeks ago, I launched into a tirade about how so many residential architects are not doing their job. Each week, I link this...

Lean Design

The Lean Designer: Paying too much for trusses? Here is a quick test.

When it comes to trusses "Piggyback" is a four letter word. Piggyback trusses are little trusses that sit upon larger trusses to allow the...

Quality Management

A new series of papers available on performance excellence

The Organizational Excellence Committee for the Quality Management Division of ASQ has launched a webpage with a series of papers to support...

Quality Management

Diversity in Our Workplace

Diversity in the workplace is a key issue in Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. Diversity creates new perspectives, new...

The Sweet Spot

Megaupload case shows danger of 'cloud'

Over the last few months, I've talked to a lot of remodelers that are opting to use the cloud to store their files and share them with subs...

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Oakland, Philadelphia, 6 other cities to get free advice on LEED-ND

Philadelphia, Oakland and six other U.S. cities will get free help this year from sustainable building and development experts with an eye...

The Sweet Spot

What is your key to success in remodeling?

We reached out to dozens of remodelers for this month’s cover story, asking them what they saw as their top challenges and opportunities for...

Quality Management

ISO9001 Impact on Construction Workmanship Performance

A study published in ASQ’s Quality Management Journal this month (Jan 2012) found that ISO9001 Certification (Quality Management Systems...

Design

The Lean Designer: The best way to prepare for a plan review

As many of you know by now Professional Builder is holding three days of plan reviews by some of the top designers and architects in the...

The Lean Builder

The Lean Builder: Our future – Fairmont or Fusion

With the February edition of Professional Builder, I begin a series on the evolution of quality management. Here is a more detailed version...

Green Design

The Lean and Green Builder: Lesson 9 - WaterSense makes cents

Walking in my home last evening, I was greeted with the usual excitement of children running around, the dog barking and my wife sharing the...

Quality Management

Trades and NHQA Performance Excellence

Trade partners have used the National Housing Quality Award over the years as an application process to gain independent feedback on how...

Quality Management

Remodeling and NHQ Performance Excellence

Remodeler winners of the National Housing Quality Award over the years cite a range of best practices that helped them to achieve this level...

HVAC

The Lean and Green Builder: Lesson 8 – fresh air?

For years the building industry has been focused on sealing the holes in our homes to prevent air infiltration. Initially our concerns...

Quality Management

The foundations of Quality, Deming

Many people today still see quality as being about 'incremental improvement' rather than innovation and fast dynamic change and particularly...

The Lean Builder

The Lean Builder: Architects — my frustration overfloweth

In the past year, during our LeanPlan Workout process, we had the dubious honor of “working on” plans from 3 of the biggest name, most...

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The Lean Designer: Second floor laundries are just stupid, or are they?

One of the benefits of working with builders and customers all over the country is that I get a real grasp of what is happening with design...

Quality Management

Cost of Quality Video: The cost of breaking the quality rules

This short video wonderfully highlights key quality issues that impact the Cost of Quality and avoid risk. It is ideal for introducing...

The Lean Builder

The Lean Builder: Lucky man - Making the most out of the housing recession

Michael J. Fox and I have something in common (besides the obvious – talent, good looks, irreverence, witty repartee, etc.) We both have an...

Design

The Lean Design Blog: Two huge things IBS 2012 can do for you

Happy New Year! IBS 2012 is going to be great. Unlike recent years past there is a distinct feeling of optimism going into this event. A lot...

Energy Efficiency

The Lean and Green Blog: Lesson 7 - better energy management

With so many definitions of energy efficiency, it is often difficult to pin down what that means. For the most part, a consumer defines...

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