How to Improve Home Building Productivity, Part 1: Simplify, Standardize
Simplifying and standardizing your processes and purchasing creates efficiencies that save money and time and attract the best trade partners
How to Optimize Your Plan Portfolio and Gain an Edge on the Competition, Part 1
To stay ahead of the competition, simply value engineering your homes is not enough. Adopt a performance-based mindset
Home Exteriors See Value Engineering by Home Builders
To contend with current cost pressures, home builders are taking steps to value engineer the exteriors of their homes
3 Ways Lean Design Can Help Home Builders Recover Margins
Using a Lean design and construction approach, home builders can reduce waste and costs without sacrificing amenities or marketability of their product
Reducing 3 Types of Construction Waste to Increase Home Builder Profit
Waste in home building is a much broader term than most home builders think. Here’s how builders can take stock of all forms of waste throughout the construction process to achieve greater profitability
Commodity Purchasing? There’s No Such Thing
Do you know all of the elements of the true total cost and total benefit for all of the products you put in your homes?
Lean Building
Putting the Value Back in Value Engineering for Home Builders
It isn't about cutting costs. It's about adding value to the homes you build
Business Management
Home Building's Version of Insanity
Most sources of waste in home building are repeat offenders, causing incredible losses in time and money for builders, suppliers, and trades alike—and it continues unabated
Business Management
Home Builders' Variance Measurement Quagmire—the Nightmare Continues
Managers use some remarkably creative ways to avoid reporting variance. That’s the first mistake
Business Management
The Lazy Engineer Isn't Interested in Efficiency
Wanted: A new job description for an old profession
Lean Building
Advanced Framing for High Performance and Low Waste
On the path to increased efficiency, a home builder learns new techniques and implements innovative building systems
Business Management
Consequences of Complexity in the Building Process
When complexity exceeds capacity, everyone loses. Here's the first step in fixing a broken process
Business Management
Process Failure: Product Waste in Home Building
The desire to deny it is strong, but it's time to admit: Most product waste in home building has its roots in bad process. Let's look at what to do about it
Framing + Building Envelope
4 Strategies to Reduce Jobsite Framing Waste
Excess or unused wood accounts for up to 40% of jobsite waste, according to estimates from the NAHB. Too many builders, contractors and dealers…
Engineered Wood
How to Boost Framing Efficiencies, Reduce Callbacks With Laminated Strand Lumber
Laminated strand lumber (LSL) is more than just engineered wood; it’s a veritable jack-of-all-trades suitable for a diverse range of framing applications
Infill Housing
Design for Custom Infill With a Lean Twist
Collaboration is far and away one of my favorite aspects of the building industry. In fact the practice of Lean Design demands collaboration…
