This week I want to discuss production issues that are often overlooked. These issues impact the efficiency of your projects, and time wasted on a job comes right out of your bottom line.
Storing power tools
All set screws, thumb screws or other locking screws or devices should be turned down tight before the tool is put away to prevent them from falling out. The time you spend training your employees to observe this rule is time well spent. I once drove 35 miles one way to retrieve a setscrew for a reciprocating saw that hadn’t been secured.
Maintain power cords
Bad or worn power cords should be repaired or replaced at the first hint of wear. Cords that won’t conduct electricity are not only worthless, but they’re also dangerous. Breaks or nicks on the insulating covering can deliver a nasty shock. Bad cords are a waste of time so keep them in good repair.
Replace dull saw blades
Dull saw blades are not only hard on the ears, they’re also a waste of time. Anyone who works in the field should always carry at least one complete set of unused shop-sharpened saw blades. By the way, don’t try to save money by sharpening your own blades. Pay the other guy to do what he does best; you do what you do best.
Enforce fall protection
Fall protection is both required by OSHA and common sense. The time spent rigging up is far less than the time spent on medical issues and OSHA fines if a fall occurs.
I was visiting a jobsite once with a client whose crew was completing some exterior work. When we arrived, we saw an employee standing on top of a 6-foot ladder doing work above his head. That’s just plain dumb. Our client called him down and fortunately no one was hurt other than the employee who had a hard time sitting after getting chewed out.
Review jobsite plans
We recently heard of a room addition that was framed with 8′ walls when the plans called for 10′ walls. It wasn’t discovered until they noticed the roof rafters weren’t matching up. That’s why your crews should review the plans for the job they are working on each morning, and again when they shift from one part of the job to the next. This should be a mandatory exercise.
Additionally, although it should be top priority to get new plans to the job site ASAP. As extra protection, someone on each crew should be assigned the task of checking with the office on a regular basis for updates to the working plans.
Watch your crew size
A basic rule of thumb is that any job will expand to fill the hours for the workers present. That’s why, in most situations, a smaller crew will be the most efficient. In remodeling work, the best scenario is usually a one-man crew with a helper that floats between jobs. The lead man on each project should plan and coordinate where the helper is needed.
Delivering materials; picking up materials
I’ve never understood why the owner of a business, who should be worth at least $60 to $80 an hour, would pick up and deliver materials to a job site for employees making $20 to $30 an hour. “I need to check the job” isn’t an excuse; that should be a scheduled event each week. If you’re the owner of the company and spend time delivering materials to the job site, you’re wasting money.
For your employees, picking up materials or last-minute supplies in the morning is also a huge waste of time. Sending a two-or three-man crew to the supplier is an even bigger mistake.
Supply houses are normally vacant in the mid to late afternoon, so schedule your pickups in the afternoon on the way back from the job to the office. Call in your order ahead of time to be even more efficient. And the best option usually is to pay the supplier to deliver materials.
Schedule subcontractors ahead of time
Failing to schedule subs ahead of time is usually a result of poor planning and lack of follow-up by the person responsible for scheduling. The subs should be given the job schedule at the pre-job conference and they should agree to a timeline for their work. Then the job scheduler should remind them at least two or three times before that day. It should also be a condition of the subcontractor that they agree to your schedule and stick to it, no excuses. Meeting the schedule should be part of your agreement with all subcontractors; we have sample agreements in our Subcontractor Manual.
You should be using a Gantt chart to set and maintain the schedule for every job over four or five days. A Gantt chart helps keep your employees, materials, subcontractors, and (hopefully) inspectors, where they are supposed to be and on schedule.
Cell phone use
I’m amazed at the amount of time that can be wasted staring at a cell phone. A limit should be set on cell phone usage on the job site. It doesn’t matter if they’re texting, scrolling social media, or playing a game, it’s a waste of time.
Have your field people check their calls and/or texts and return them twice a day, around noon and just before quitting time. Tell your employees the phone is only to be used to expedite the jobs they are working on. It isn’t for personal calls, talking about sports, bs’ing with a buddy, or playing games. The phone is to get the job done. If the call is not job related, cut it off and get back to work. Better yet, insist employees leave their phones in the vehicle.
If you follow these guidelines and insist your employees follow them as well, your jobs should run more efficiently. The time to build your jobs will be closer to your estimated time, and that’s when profitability improves.
The knowledge and experience Michael Stone gained in his 60+ years in construction has helped thousands of contractors improve their businesses and their lives. He is the author of the books Markup & Profit Revisited, Profitable Sales, and Estimating Construction Profitably, and is available for one-on-one consultations as needed.
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