Insights from D. Brown Management
Lean Principle - 5S Habits for Building a Productive Work Environment
D. Brown Management
September 10, 2018
5S is a foundational concept for creating a productive work environment and continuous improvement. The 5S process is to productivity what eating a healthy breakfast and exercising is to your health - daily consistency will change your life.
field productivity lean construction
A Typical Project - Understanding Cash Flow at the Company Level
D. Brown Management
September 9, 2018
As contractors face many opportunities in the market it is important to keep cash flow management top-of-mind. Growth eats cash and just a few hiccups in execution can put just about any contractor in a very bad position.
My Talent Promise - To Everyone
D. Brown Management
September 8, 2018
Talent is the biggest constraint that most contractors will face over the next decade. Every manager needs to get exceptionally clear on the promises they will make to those around them.
Lean Principle - Observation (Gemba Walks and Learning to See)
D. Brown Management
September 7, 2018
One of the most important tools for improving productivity is going to the jobsite or work area and observing for an extended period of time with the intent to understand but not to immediately interact. Observation progresses through about 7 stages.
field productivity lean construction
Production Tracking - Having Fun and Winning
D. Brown Management
September 6, 2018
Contractors will get the most out of their teams by building a culture around the fun of the construction game and how fun playing a game is and how good winning feels. How fun are you making your projects?
Production Tracking - Building Talent Faster
D. Brown Management
September 5, 2018
In 2018 a contractor’s primary growth constraint is available talent. At the craft and field supervision level there are plenty of people available; the constraint is about attracting them to the industry and training them.
Production Tracking - The Basics
D. Brown Management
September 4, 2018
Schedule + Production are two foundational key results the Foreman will achieve through their planning. The heart of any production measurement is simply “Earned Budget vs. Actual Cost”.
budget management labor productivity production tracking project management schedule management technology
Weekly Percent Planned Complete (PPC) and Project Performance
D. Brown Management
September 3, 2018
Improving the project planning and delivery process starts with improving predictability around the schedule. Nearly every Superintendent and Foreman is familiar with the Short-Interval-Plan (SIP) and typically fill one out weekly looking ahead 1+ weeks.
lean construction
Two Key Results for Project Planning
D. Brown Management
September 2, 2018
There are two critical key results that should be focused on as part of every project planning process.
budget management change management foreman training labor productivity project management project planning schedule management
Impacted Productivity - Disrupted Workflow (No Schedule "Flow")
D. Brown Management
September 1, 2018
One of the biggest impacts to productivity in construction is when tasks cannot be completed as planned. When this happens frequently, it starts to impact every aspect of the contractor’s scoreboard in a negative way starting with customer satisfaction.
change management labor productivity project management