Instantly improve your bottom line, elevate your standard of care, and make us all better

So this morning was interesting.

It’s been some time since I attended an LCI (Lean Construction Institute) Lean Coffee meeting, but it was my luck to be at one this morning, and a it was a good one..

The conversation went straight into the role of technology in enabling Lean practices, both in the office, and in the field. As someone with a passion for Lean, and after well over 20 years in architecture engineering and construction (AEC), now having gone to the even-darker side, software, this conversation was right up my alley.

Now, I have my own journey toward Lean, as I’m sure most of you do. I can’t say that I’ve always embraced it 100%. One look at my garage, and you will quickly surmise that we do not practice 5S at home… But that is a topic for another day.

While on the topic of tech tools that enable Lean, one of my fellow attendees was doing a fairly good job at selling the room on a productivity app. Not Builderbox mind you, yet not exactly a competitor. There is some overlap, but we do different things.

At some point, the speaker argued the value of said productivity app to the client, in monetary, or rather savings terms.

This perceived value, something that I’m sure I’ve argued for at some point, prompted a lightbulb moment when someone else, present in the meeting confidently stated, paraphrasing here: “The owner does not care what you use”

And you know what? That is right. A construction project client/owner has better things to do than worry about what app you are using, or what methodology takes you to a zero-punchlist, many-punchlist, project closeout. Nor should they.

The owner wants you to deliver the project on time, within budget, and get on with it please.

The owner’s expectation is that you will use the standard of care prevalent in the industry, or else there is going to be trouble. Legal trouble.

Unless we are talking about an integrated project delivery (IPD) project with a shared pool of the reward, anything you use to make you more efficient will benefit just your bottom line. The budget is the budget and that is that.

Of course, a job that goes well and has few changes is a benefit to the owner. Likewise, a job with less defects and rework tends to be better quality and stakeholders are happier all around. That is good too, but less tangible.

The better you run the job, the better your bottom line. And there is nothing wrong with that. Margins are thin as it is, and efficiency should be a driver in improving your bottom line.

What is your standard of care? Do you struggle to do the minimum while putting out fire after fire in a reactive manner? Or do you take advantage of innovative methods and strive for continuous improvement?

Especially during boom-times it is easy to say we’re fat and happy, busy with so much work that there is no time or willingness to explore new ways to improve. And I think that is the fastest way to get left behind in a rapidly evolving industry.

It’s tempting to think change is slow in AEC. And there will be time to deal with this or that innovation. But I have a feeling that we’re going to wake up one day soon and will have a hard time recognizing the industry. It is best to start now.

During the wind-down Q&A sessions that follow the AGC BIM Forum conferences, one of my favorite events, those who don’t rush to their flights home often assemble to express awe and admiration for the presentations of the previous couple of days.

But usually, far too many people express how much they would love to do the amazing things they saw presented on their own projects. If only the owners would catch up. If only the lawyers would write the contracts differently. If only their budgets and schedules would allow.

If only it was the standard of care…

Does that mean that we are an industry that will do the bare minimum to not get sued? No. By elevating your standard of care you elevate everyone’s. The standard of care is what you make of it.

At Builderbox.io we make tools to help you continuously improve. From improved communication and collaboration that does not depend on e-mail, to our mobile field app which captures everything that needs to be part of the project record on any device, to our Lean Construction inspired Production Planning tools and Readiness Indexes to help you make decisions based on real-time data.

Communicate Effectively, Document Everything, Make Data Driven Decisions, and elevate your Standard of Care with Builderbox.io