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Quality Management

The vast majority of what is written about management and business is about excellence, those people and organizations that excel. Little is...

Quality Management

Change, short and sweet

"It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory."--W. Edwards Deming ...

Quality Management

Simple and fun introduction to lean concepts: Thinking outside the dome

Using Lean concepts can be very powerful; the trick is using them correctly. In an earlier blog I discussed ‘Lean and Six Sigma in...

The Lean Builder

Hangin’ with HCG: big, rich and smart!

Recently I was asked to present to a group of purchasing managers for a Top 20 builder, led by a Corporate VP who truly gets it when it...

Lean Design

4 baby steps that will save you $150 or more per house

"Baby step onto the elevator... baby step into the elevator... I'm in the elevator." If you have not seen Bill Murray in "What about Bob,"...

Quality Management

Video and product list for the All American Home

Building a home made entirely from American made products from the nails to the bathtub was achieved by Bozeman, Montana builder Anders...

The Lean Builder

'If you think you can, or you cannot, you are right' — Lean Tuesday with Scott Sedam

Henry Ford was a genius and if not father of the automobile per se, he was arguably father of the automotive industry. As usually...

Lean Design

Value engineering’s role in Lean design – Lean Tuesday with Todd Hallett

Imagine yourself walking into McDonalds and ordering lunch (if you are anything like me this would probably not be a huge stretch). You walk...

Building Operations

Break from the pack, and do it now

I recently saw the movie "MoneyBall" with Brad Pitt as the lead playing a GM of the Oakland A’s baseball team. For the readers who have not...

Quality Management

It doesn’t matter where you excel, it’s where you need to improve that counts

Are you curious? Sometimes I wonder just how curious people really are. For example do you talking to those next to you at conferences? I...

Quality Management

Big Q and little q

Big Q and little q is a term coined by Dr Juran and is key in fully understanding quality. It contrasts the difference between managing for...

Quality Management

The peanut butter & jelly sandwich workshop: A lesson in quality

Yes believe it or not we can learn a lot from the simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich. While this is very simple it is also a low cost,...

The Sweet Spot

Real-life remodels: Tips and trends from this year's Design Awards

If there’s one theme that runs through this year’s Professional Remodeler Design Awards, presented this month, it’s practical. After years...

Lean Design

Look ma! No jogs!

Look ma! The war cry for young show offs world wide. I’m sure you have had a “look ma” moment or two in your life. I don’t know about you...

The Lean Builder

A supplier never forgets

In the past month I have had the opportunity to present to and spend time with two different groups of 25 successful, independent lumber ...

Building Operations

How to lower your fixed payroll cost by at least 40%

Recently, there has been a lot of press about football player’s compensation. Specifically, many of the new contracts written for superstar...

Affordability

Title here

Jane McNamara is a tech-savvy CEO of a non-profit agency in Michigan. In February of this year, she bought a second home in Florida from...

The Lean Builder

Honest wrong beliefs or just pig-headedness?

Both my grandfathers were self-made men who did well during the Great Depression and retired quite comfortably, if not wealthy by today’s...

Lean Design

Help for Haiti

I have been fortunate enough to be working with Jeff Rutt and Matt Collins from Keystone Custom Homes, Perry Bigelow from Bigelow Homes, and...

Building Operations

72% of home building employee's indicate they would resign if an employment alternative existed !

I recently conducted an online survey of over 1200 home building employees. The survey asked the question,” If the US market was good today,...

Quality Management

The Great Pyramid and Pantheon: ancient construction quality

In a recent discussion regarding the impact of quality on the ASQ Design & Construction Division Linkedin Group, a member made the...

Building Operations

Misunderstood communication issues will derail your business strategies

In every industry I have worked in, Communication seems to be the common denominator, of dysfunctionality. We write books about, train our...

Lean Design

Get to the point: Clarifying structural loads on construction drawings

Eric Tiffin our magically talented Project Manager brought up the idea of writing about point loads this week. My first thought was that...

Market Data + Trends

What I learned about the future of housing

You know that phenomenon where you hear a reasonable sounding, logical guy armed with facts that presents an convincing analysis of a...

Quality Management

Managing in a downturn

Wisdom is timeless, which is why two Harvard Business Review articles published in 2001 and 2008 are still as valid and thought provoking...

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