Builders and Contractors Build Construction is a goal oriented profession. Tracking warranty is not high up on the list for a lot of builders and folks in related industries. That could change when you see what this powerful MS Access™ database can do. All warranty records and supporting materials like inspection reports, subcontractor work scopes, subcontractor pricing, memos, form letters and more will be just a click or two away. Add to that, customized reports, filters, chart and graphs and you have...

When communicating technical details, remember who you are talking to. Alter industry specific jargon to match the audience. I don’t mean use “clean” language with the customer, instead of the foul language you let fly with a subcontractor. No, actually you should have only one way of talking; whether around the client, front office, subcontractor codes official, company president or your kids; that is clean and respectful. Depending on your audience, anticipate the need to present some of your...

That is what I believe. Ideas are only a thought, they are useless until someone does something to make them into something. Good ideas are meant for building upon. Good ideas are meant for action. And I personally think good ideas are meant for sharing. Some of the ideas on this site are original and some are variations of ideas that have been around in some form or another for a while. All of them are ideas that I have watched make a positive difference in the building process. A majority of the resources on this...

Most companies have a safety program. “Safety is job one” the slogan reads. Often times the safety program is a product of the front office and is a born, in part, out of a strong desire to reduce risk of insurance claims and lawsuits. It should be the policy of every company to strive for the highest safety standards, in the office and on job sites. Safety does not occur by luck or chance. It is the result of careful attention paid to all company operations, both those who are directly and those indirectly...

I remember, decades ago, when you were a somebody if you needed a pager at your job. After that came the portable bag phone the size of a lunch box. Then came portable phones about the size of a walki-talki, then smaller and smaller flip-phones. Now there are the so called smart phones. They are amazing because they allow you to do so much more than make & take phone calls. I’m not a phone person, but I am an apps guy. Apps that make a routine function easier are great. (I’m still a wristwatch...

GREEN BUILDING PRACTICES You Need to Take the Credit! Ok, this one is primarily for homebuilders. Commercial industries are usually way out front with this, but a lot of property (newer construction) managers might get some benefit from this idea. I’ll bet if you take time to go over the program requirements for Energy Star, LEEDS, and the NAHB Green Building Program, you’ll find there are dozens of green building features in every home you build.   Just because many of them are required by Building...

Sometimes small things can have a big impact. This poster was part of a follow-up to initiating a work scopes program. I created matching icons, spelled out the rules (fines) and taped one or two prominently inside each house/building as soon as the windows were installed. Before instituting this part of the work scopes program, a separate notice was sent to each contractor and vendor. The notice contained a copy of the poster and it explained when the policy would take effect. The notice also informed them that fines...

WARRANTY WEB PORTAL – HOME PAGE The Warranty Web Portal is a value added service for your customers, a time saver for the front office, and a cost savings tool that needs little upkeep* to continue providing benefits. As a standalone site or as an addition to your existing web, this client warranty tool provides your customers a simple yet feature rich interface that provides: A –Z Topics – Makes it easy for homeowners to find desired information Warranty Specs – Article reference numbers and warranty details...

The backbone of any builder’s construction process is a work scopes program. Why? Because work scopes gives the builder, a certain amount of control over quality and payments for the work. These are big factors when it comes to keeping construction costs within budget, reducing warranty costs and increasing customer satisfaction. Work scopes are, well, a lot of work! But, for the reasons stated above, they are worth the effort. If you aren’t already using work scopes as all commercial builders do,...

 You Need to Take the Credit! I’ll bet if you take time to go over the program requirements for Energy Star, LEEDS, and the NAHB Green Building Program, you’ll find there are dozens of green building features in every home you build. Just because many of them are required by Building and Energy codes doesn’t mean you should not get credit for them! And equally important, your customers should be aware they are helping the planet as well. I’ve pointed this out to sales and marketing in the past....