Some things to consider when evaluating your trade partners and creating a scorecard include the following:
- Defects
- Their scores on customer surveys
- The % of completed service requests on time
- Ease of doing business
- % of time on site ready to go on time
- Safety
Some of this data will already be available in other data tracking records (such as defects per home) others would have to be scored annually for example the ease of doing business with that trade. It is important that a range of departments have input to this process not just construction but also customer relations, purchasing and design.
The whole point of this should be as a tool to allow you to engage with your trades and suppliers to focus on improvement. The scores help point to where they can improve and how you can work together to achieve it.
About the Author
Denis Leonard
Denis Leonard has a degree in construction engineering, and an M.B.A. and a Ph.D. in quality management. He is a Fellow of the American Society for Quality and has been an Examiner for the Baldrige National Quality Award Board of Examiners, a Judge on the International Team Excellence Competition, and a Lead Judge on the National Housing Quality Award. He has experience as a quality manager in the home building industry as well as construction engineer, site manager, and in training, auditing, and consulting with expertise in strategic and operational quality improvement initiatives. His work has achieved national quality, environmental, and safety management awards for clients.