Levels of Productivity
D. Brown Management
August 28, 2018
Making major improvements to labor productivity for contractors starts at the company level and must be rigorously managed all the way down to the individual steps in each task.
Lean Principle - Kaizen (Every Detail Matters)
D. Brown Management
August 27, 2018
As contractors build their businesses, it is important to look at every detail from the first meeting with a potential customer through winning and building the project. This same attention to detail also applies to supporting operations and talent.
field productivity lean construction
Lean Principle - Pulling vs. Pushing and the Four Most Powerful Words for Improving Productivity
D. Brown Management
August 26, 2018
“What do you need?” are the four most powerful words for improving productivity, developing a team, and building engagement. "Pull-Planning" can be used way beyond building a project. The principle is the foundation for many aspects of life and business.
labor productivity lean construction project management
Impacted Productivity - Five Elements of Making a Good Case
D. Brown Management
August 25, 2018
Contractors are continually faced with costly impacts to their labor productivity and schedule with many beyond their direct control. The best Project Managers know how to identify, communicate, and mitigate these impacts.
business management change management foreman training labor productivity negotiating project management
ABC Daily Planning
D. Brown Management
August 24, 2018
Effective planning processes are the foundation for great production. The planning process can be seen as a series of tighter and tighter concentric circles with the bullseye being the daily plan. Daily feedback improves performance and mitigates risk.
change management foreman training labor productivity
Planning - Integrating the 4 Key Responsibilities
D. Brown Management
August 23, 2018
Effective planning combined with regular feedback (at least weekly) combined with a structured look at how to improve each week is the key to integrating the four key responsibilities of a Foreman.
foreman training labor productivity project planning
Lean Principle - 8 Categories of Waste
D. Brown Management
August 22, 2018
The first step in improving labor productivity in construction is improving everyone’s ability to see the waste. Waste can then be broken down into 8 major categories. Like colors these are often interrelated.
field productivity lean construction
Foreman - Four Sometimes Competing Responsibilities
D. Brown Management
August 21, 2018
No other position in the construction industry has a bigger impact on field productivity than the Foreman who is leading the crew on front-line. There are four major responsibilities the foreman has that often seem to be competing with each other:
Lean Principle - 3 Enemies of Lean
D. Brown Management
August 20, 2018
Profitable growth comes from operating within a target capacity and capability range - and continually increasing those ranges. Operating with consistent overload, consistent under capacity, or with consistently high variability is not sustainable.
labor productivity lean construction
Construction Labor Budget - Alternate Perspective
D. Brown Management
August 19, 2018
Improving craft labor productivity in construction will significantly reduce risk while providing a long-term competitive advantage for the contractor and every team member. This alternate labor budget perspective shows different opportunities.
