[site]

How much time do you spend planning each days work? Do you have foremen participate in the planning? We have been doing a lot of small jobs this year and the logistics is killing me. Do you have standard forms that list tasks to be completed? Do you give foremen a copy of the bid? How do you avoid misinterpretation? I cant do everyones thinking for them, but it sure feels like I'm trying.
Last week I made the guys tear up a 400 sq ft bluestone patio that was 80% complete. They misread the grade information on the plan and were off by an inch on one end and two inches on the other. I never saw it until it was too late. The mistake was subtle, but it would have compounded as we worked through the rest of the project. On another job the guys were working on the punch list and forgot to plant 3 roses. Not a big deal except that the job is 45 minutes from the shop. On paper fixing that mistake will take 120 minutes, but somehow it always ends up taking more. I know I will never completely eliminate this sort of thing, but I sure would like to minimize it. Any Ideas?

[Bill Schwab]

Site:

Was the grade information written on the plan? If it was, does the foreman from that project know how to read the information?
We have foreman who can read blueprints from the scaled aspect, but, are illiterate because of how they grew up. We are entering them into adult lketteracy programs, and in the mean time we are using mini tape recorders to communicate how the job will go together. At the same time, along with my travels, I am on every job every day for an hour or two. WE are to the point where we need a sales person, and what I was thinking is a retired person who used to own a company similar to what myconcrete guy uses. That way I can stay in operations and do quality assurance. Getting employees to think outside of the box comes from allowing those same employees to enjoy some of the bottom line for jobs well done. If they make those 2" screw ups, sure they get paid, but once they figure out that they earn more by using thier head, that is the point where they really excell.

[Paul]

Small jobs are harder to handle. Planning on your part will help a lot of it go away.

As the job is moved from the sales list to operations you can start your planning, Ordering material with ready dates and planning equipment moves will speed thing along.

We had a operations board at the office that showed what, when and where items were needed. As things where ordered and delivered it got checked off.

As to your foremen not installing things at the right elevations, I would need to question the plans and make sure grades are listed on them. Details of these should be in some relations to the house. Every plat of survey has a finished grade listed on the first floor, every other measurement should be in relationship to that height. One reason that we used "Linker grade rods" was to give each subgrade, and finished elevation a real number that the crews could double check at any time. Sure it's more planning for you. Your crews will see an increase in production because they know right where they need to be and they don't have math to do to make sure they are right.


Linker Grade rods are a direct reading rod that allows it to be set by means of a sliding tape that is then locked in once the elevation is set, from then on it give you the real grade reading any where it's placed.

[Stonehenge]

Site, that's not an easy thing to tackle. I like Paul's idea of having an operations board, but I can see how having that for a bunch of small projects would get very time consuming.

I don't know that I have a great answer to your situation, other than to say that some times they forget things because they aren't in the frame of mind of being accountable for the work. Sometimes a stern talking-to is what's needed. Depends on the person. Other times they goof because I didn't give them enough information, or the correct information. I still get mad, just that it's directed at me. For the moment I'll walk through the elevations with the crew leader, driving stakes and marking elevations with tape, so that everyone is on board with what the elevations ought to be. (Other times the elevation is less critical and I give him the freedom to choose the appropriate pitch for the hardscaping).

I often find myself torn between managing every move they make (to ensure everything gets done and 3 roses aren't forgotten), and letting them do their own thing (allowing them to screw up, then having them fix the mistake). I guess one way is giving a fish, the other is teaching to fish...sort of....

The project packs I supply for each project have some of the kinds of information you speak of in them, but things still get missed or forgotten. The incentive program I have in place helps, but old fashioned good management will never go out of style, and the incentives are no replacement for good management.

[site]

When you send guys out with a "project pack" how much information does it contain. Do you have a standard form? I think I could do better on daily instructions. Does anyone have a form I can look at? Also, do you have anyone help put this information together, or do you do it all yourself. Often lately my whole day has been taken up with looking at todays jobs and preparing for tomorrows jobs.

[Paul]

I don't have a project pack, I do have very detailed plans, often they are 5 to 20 sheets. I've been to the job with the foreman the day before and we will work out a few details that arn't shown on the plans. One thing that does help is having the bid broken down on what is needed to complete each major line item. So smaller items arn't missing. I do understand it's harder to manage smaller jobs.

[Stonehenge]

The project pack will contain:

A tool checklist - a standard list for the work at hand, and any special tools needed for this project, or special materials, like polymeric sand.

A copy of the contract, including plant types and quantities, hardscape material information, etc - minus any pricing information

Maps to the job site

A copy of the plan

An estimate of the man-hours needed for the job (this is done for incentive program reasons), along with a sheet to track man-hours for the project.

On some projects, if there is something unusual or particularly technical about a project, I'll try to make a sketch or additional notes about how to go about that particular thing.

The planning time I take for this is no more than I take for a project I'd run myself.