Quality Matters
March 2006
Welcome to the Quality Matters E-Newsletter, a regularly-distributed publication
that will keep readers up to date on quality-related news and resources for the
home building industry. You can access prior issues or subscribe to this
electronic news service on the NAHB Research Center's website - http://www.nahbrc.org/quality
- by clicking the "Read All About It" link on the right-hand side of the page.
We want to hear about your quality-related news for future issues-email
information to qualitymattersmoderator@nahbrc.org.
(The NAHB Research Center's editorial staff reserves the right to refuse or
condense any news submission.) Enjoy this issue of Quality Matters.
In this issue:
Thank You NHQ Sponsors
The NHQ Program thanks its sponsors,
HBW Insurance Services, LLC and Simpson Strong-Tie Co.,
Inc., for their continued support of quality assurance in home
building.
If your company is interested in pursuing NHQ sponsorship, a variety of
opportunities are now available. For more information or to get started,
visit the NHQ sponsorship information page or contact Lisa Gibson, NHQ Program sponsorship
coordinator, at (301) 785-3100 or lwgllc@yahoo.com.
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Orange County Division is Lucky Number Seven for KB Home
KB Home Orange County, a regional division of national production builder KB
Home, is the nation's newest NHQ Certified builder, and the first in Orange
County, California to earn the designation. Leading the way for California
builders, KB Home now operates an unprecedented seven NHQ Certified divisions
within the state.
KB Home has been delivering quality homes in communities throughout Orange
County for more than 30 years. But, the company's focus isn't solely on
building homes; a visible commitment to customer service excellence remains a
top priority.
"Becoming the first builder in Orange County to be named an NHQ Certified
Builder is a significant milestone in our continued commitment to providing
superior customer service, innovative architecture and quality homes in Orange
County," said KB Home Orange County division president and regional general
manager, Jay Moss. "KB Home is driven by these goals in everything we do.
Completing the National Housing Quality Certified Builder program was
particularly important to our division because it demonstrates to homebuyers
and our partners that KB Home is dedicated to delivering quality homes."
For more information on KB Home, visit the
company website.
The NHQ Certified Builder seal represents the high standards of quality that
today's homebuyers expect. If your company has a strong commitment to customer
satisfaction, a focus on quality assurance and continuous improvement, and
strives for operational excellence - start on the path to NHQ certification
today. Visit www.nahbrc.org/quality or contact
Don Carr, NHQ Certified Builder program manager.
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Quick Tip: Double Duty for Work Tickets
Inspection forms are worthless if they don't help to reduce core problems that
continuously arise in the field, also known as "hot spots." Using spot training
techniques can change that by bringing direct attention to the issues that
demand a response from field personnel.
TCM Masonry, an NHQ Certified trade contracting company based in Mesa, Ariz.,
recommends using work tickets to help keep hot spots front and center on the
jobsite. To use this method, start by developing an inspection form that lists
potential hot spots for a particular jobsite. Then, copy the list to the back
of each work ticket with the designated hot spot highlighted. As the work
tickets are issued to the crew, the affixed hot spot inspection list serves as
a daily reminder of the item, and helps to ensure it is not overlooked. This
method can be easily adopted for any trade and allows inspection forms to be
used as a training tool instead of as routine paperwork. This is just one of a
number of ways to introduce hot spot training to field crews - keep in mind
that whichever method you choose should be simple and repetitive to enhance the
likelihood of retention.
If you have a hot spot training method that has worked for your company, share
it by emailing qualitymattersmoderator@nahbrc.org.
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Just-in-Time Delivery Can Help Reduce Jobsite Theft
As home builders know all too well, when thieves target jobsites for equipment
and materials, it slows production schedules and hurts the bottom line. From
appliances and fixtures to lumber and heavy equipment - nothing is off limits.
While jobsite crime continues to be an area of concern for the residential
construction industry, it doesn't have to be an inevitable cost of doing
business. There are a number of crime prevention measures builders can take to
combat the problem, and being smart about delivery schedules is one.
"Just-in-time delivery is one of the most important things you can do to prevent
jobsite theft," says Frank Alexander, director of Quality Programs at the NAHB
Research Center. "The longer materials sit on a site, the more opportunities
for them to disappear."
Besides the risk of theft, ordering materials too early doesn't make good
business sense. Early invoicing means paying for materials that aren't being
used, and that can be damaged from exposure to the elements. According to
Alexander, materials shouldn't arrive until they are needed, and should be
consumed as soon as possible.
Just-in-time delivery is often hinged on field crews meeting job-ready
requirements. Field managers should reinforce job-ready requirements to prevent
trade contractor overlap and limit the amount of materials left unattended.
Hiring trades with a formal quality assurance process in place helps to ensure
job-ready conditions are met consistently. The appearance of unsecured
materials is a surefire lure for thieves, so if receiving materials ahead of
schedule is unavoidable, be sure to make arrangements with suppliers to leave
materials boxed or banded.
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Go With 'User Friendly' Over 'Monster' Scheduling Software
At the 2006 TecHOMExpo in Orlando, Fla., Dennis Bilowus of
AEC Software and James Waldrop, founder and CEO of
Homesphere, Inc., as well as builders John Barrows of
J. Barrows, Inc. of Wainscott, N.Y. and Cheryl Holwerda of Holwerda
Homes in Grand Rapids, Mich., shared tips for speeding up the building process
using scheduling software.
You don't need a "monster solution" to improve your scheduling efficiency,
advised Bilowus. Monster solutions that try to do it all are often too complex,
too difficult for users to adapt to, too costly - and almost impossible to
implement companywide. User- friendly scheduling software is generally a better
alternative, but he cautions that with scheduling software there is no magic
bullet.
Barrows provides construction management services, including pre-construction
planning, budgeting, scheduling, and construction oversight. He started his
company from the back of a pickup truck 25 years ago and now provides his
services for home builders and for large commercial projects. Barrows found
that, as his company grew, he needed a better tool to set expectations for
suppliers, trades, and clients.
To reduce cycle time, expand jobsite communication, and improve cost management,
builders need to integrate field and back-office processes and be able to
connect with vendors easily.
Holwerda said her company is using technology solutions that provide job
schedule reports, enable vendors to view schedules online in real time and
report reasons for variances in schedules. The scheduling solution Barrows uses
allows everyone on his team to see the relationship among tasks, trades, and
clients. This helps project managers and trades look ahead and spot conflicts,
and makes it easier to hold team members accountable.
Tips for Choosing, Using Scheduling Software
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Clearly define your objectives before shopping.
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Don't go it alone - get input from your trade partners and from the vendors
themselves.
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Include everything that is going to impact your schedule.
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Check up on the software company's customer service record.
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Ensure there is training tailored to builders and that it is ongoing, to
accommodate employee turnover.
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Investigate newer companies - you don't want to buy from a vendor only to find
them gone in a few months.
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Get a product demo.
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Conduct pilots before going "live," and implement step by step.
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Allow transition time.
-
Don't expect a magic bullet.
Source: NBN and Building Women, the Women's Council publication
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Application Deadline Nears for 2007 National Housing Quality Awards
Spring is in the air, and time is running out to apply for the 2007 National
Housing Quality (NHQ) Awards - the application deadline is March 31, 2006.
Patterned after the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the NHQ Awards
represent the industry's highest recognition for quality achievement. Builder
and trade contractor entries are judged by panels of experts who evaluate the
role that customer-focused quality plays in construction, business management,
sales, design, and warranty service.
Applying for the NHQ Awards forces builders and trade contractors to analyze
every aspect of their companies. This examination process - both internal and
external - is the most important process to improve a business. All applicants
receive a valuable feedback report containing suggestions for improvement from
the judging panel.
NHQ Award winners are featured in Professional Builder magazine
articles that highlight their quality management principles, and will also
participate in an NHQ Award panel discussion at the 2007 International
Builders' Show. If your company demonstrates a high level of quality
achievement and is ready to be listed among the nation's industry leaders,
request your free application kit today.
Sponsored by the NAHB Research Center and Professional Builder magazine,
the 14th annual NHQ Awards will be presented at the 2006 Professional Builder
Benchmark
Conference, September 26-29, in Las Vegas, Nev. For application
information, contact the Research Center
by email or by phone at 800-638-8556.
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Congratulations to Recently NHQ Certified Trade Contractors
The NHQ Program is proud to announce the following newly-certified trade
contracting firms:
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Big Tex Air Conditioning, LP of Houston, Texas - HVAC contractor
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Carlos Mejia Masonry of San Antonio, Texas - first masonry company
certified in Texas
-
Fireside Hearth & Home of Morrisville, N.C. - first fireplace company
certified in the nation
-
Golden Flame of Scottsdale, Ariz. - first fireplace company certified in
Arizona
-
KBI Construction, LLC of Tucson, Ariz. - framing contractor
-
Landmark Excavating of San Antonio, Texas - first excavation company
certified in Texas
-
McCrea Equipment Co. of Temple Hills, Md. - HVAC contractor
-
Moya's Cleaning Service of Deer Park, Texas - first debris pickup company
certified in nation
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San Antonio Tile, Inc. of San Antonio, Texas - flooring contractor
-
T.A.C. Ceramic Tile Co. of Manassas, Va. - ceramic tile contractor
-
Trilogy Plumbing of Sacramento, Ca. - plumbing contractor
Business efficiency is vital to the success of a trade contracting company, and
trades can never underestimate the importance of meeting or exceeding customer
expectations and achieving high levels of customer satisfaction. The
NHQ Certified Trade Contractor seal represents the high standards of
quality today's builders and homebuyers expect. If your company has a strong
commitment to customer satisfaction, a focus on quality assurance and
continuous improvement, and strives for operational excellence - start on the
path to NHQ Certification today. Visit www.nahbrc.org/quality
or contact Jeff Taggart, NHQ Certified
Trade Contractor program manager.
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Quality Matters to Me...
The following testimonials describe how customer-focused quality has improved
the business of home building for program participants:
"As one of the largest Chicago-land carpenter contractors, we took a proactive
approach to raising the bar on quality. The NHQ certification process is a
methodical approach to ensuring that everyone in the company is aligned and
follows the policies and procedures relating to the quality program. This
streamlined manufacturing approach to quality is proving that a home can be
consistently built to high standards with minimal to no variances, which
affects the bottom line in a positive manner."
--Patrick Timmons/Director of Quality Assurance Avenue, Inc.
"NHQ certification has and will continue to improve our relationship with our
home building partners."
--David Wilkerson, Trilogy Plumbing, Inc.
"We have put a lot of work into the NHQ Program and feel it will benefit us in
the market competitively and internally in terms of doing things right the
first time. It also formalizes our accountability and quality responsibilities
throughout the organization. [NHQ] is a great program that we will pursue
throughout the rest of our company."
--Charlie Scott, Fireside Hearth and Home
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NHQ in the News
The following details recent NHQ Program media coverage. Read all about it...
Albuquerque Journal, "An Excellent Builder," highlights NHQ Certified
Builder KB Home New Mexico as only certified builder in the state. February
2006.
HGTVPro.com, "New NHQ Subs Range from Framers to Landscapers,"
highlights recently certified trade companies. February 2006.
HGTVPro.com, "Research Center Names NHQ Builders," highlights NHQ
certification of KB Home's New Mexico, Inland Valley, Houston, and Phoenix
divisions. February 2006.
Baraboo News Republic, "Thieding Construction Team Earns
Certification," article highlights NHQ certification of Wisconsin-based James
Thieding Construction, Inc. February 2006.
Options for Today's Fine Homes, "Events, Developments and Awards
Affecting the Industry," spotlights NHQ certification of KB Home Dallas-Ft.
Worth. February 2006.
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NHQ Sponsorship Opportunities Available
The NHQ Program offers a variety of sponsorship opportunities especially for
product manufacturers and financial services firms. Join the leader of the home
building industry's quality assurance movement and connect with builders and
trade contractors who are focused on profitability, accountability, and
customer satisfaction.
NHQ sponsorship allows your company to benefit from expanded business
opportunities and access to segments of the industry that only the NAHB
Research Center can offer. To learn more about how your company can support the
continuous improvement of quality in our industry, contact Lisa Gibson, NHQ
sponsorship coordinator, at (301) 785-3100 or lwgllc@yahoo.com.
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Get Ahead in Business with a 'Quality' Education
The NHQ Program offers builders, trade contractors, and manufacturers across the
nation the opportunity to learn more about best practices and quality assurance
in home building.
Home Builder Associations interested in hosting an NHQ educational session for
members should email qualitymattersmoderator@nahbrc.org.
NHQ quality experts can share expertise on:
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How to Reduce Customer Service Calls through Quality Assurance
Find out how "building it right the first time" really pays off. Successful
builders' stories of how they now enjoy increased customer satisfaction and
reduced warranty costs due to the implementation of a documented quality
assurance system.
-
NHQ Builder's Program Orientation/Builder's Intro to the Trade Contractor
Program
An introduction to the NHQ Certified Builder and NHQ Certified Trade Contractor
programs with an overview of the benefits, structure, and requirements of each.
Provides insight on improving efficiency, consistency, and quality in all
aspects of the building process.
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Liability Insurance Availability & Affordability - How to Clear the
Hurdles
Home builders and trade contractors continue to face challenges regarding the
availability and affordability of general liability insurance. Gain insight on
recommended steps to reduce the burden of costs.
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