Posted on Oct, 12th 2011 By Denis Leonard
Building a home made entirely from American made products from the nails to the bathtub was achieved by Bozeman, Montana builder Anders Lewendal. There are more than 120 products from 33 states. Anders believes that if every builder bought just 5% more American materials this could create 220,000
Posted on Oct, 5th 2011 By Denis Leonard
Are you curious? Sometimes I wonder just how curious people really are. For example do you talking to those next to you at conferences? I don’t mean about where they are from or other generalities about their company, but rather to find out how and where they can help you improve in your
Posted on Oct, 5th 2011 By Denis Leonard
Big Q and little q is a term coined by Dr Juran and is key in fully understanding quality. It contrasts the difference between managing for quality in all aspects of business process, products and services which is Big Q. While little q relates to a much more limited capacity. For example not
Posted on Oct, 5th 2011 By Denis Leonard
Yes believe it or not we can learn a lot from the simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich. While this is very simple it is also a low cost, fun and engaging way that you can tap into a whole range of issues. This is an ideal approach for those new to quality as a method of introduction, but even
Posted on Sep, 24th 2011 By Denis Leonard
In a recent discussion regarding the impact of quality on the ASQ Design & Construction Division Linkedin Group, a member made the comment that ‘everything made by man is defective.’ Of course this is correct, we cannot create perfection. It was a wonderful comment and it made me ponder
Posted on Sep, 19th 2011 By Denis Leonard
Wisdom is timeless, which is why two Harvard Business Review articles published in 2001 and 2008 are still as valid and thought provoking today as when they were published. (The references to the papers are listed at the end of this blog.)
In an economic crisis and industry downturn Rigby considers
Posted on Sep, 12th 2011 By Denis Leonard
What are the risks for your business. Where are your weak points? Obviously safety is a key issue, but what about warranty, defects and other issues?
Specific risk sources in construction projects include:
Information flow breaks
Adversarial relationships
Changes in project scope and
Posted on Sep, 6th 2011 By Denis Leonard
BIM is technology which can be of enormous help. It can of course be a great tool to help us integrate for example design and estimating. It should also become a critical tool for communication with the client, engineering consultants and trade partners and in this way help to create an integrated
Posted on Sep, 6th 2011 By Denis Leonard
So often I hear builders say that quality may work in manufacturing plants, but not out here building homes. Well of course it does work, but hearing that from a successful builder is ideal. Here is a link to a short video featuring Gary Zajicek, VP of Construction and Customer Relations at
Posted on Aug, 31st 2011 By Denis Leonard
While dining at a restaurant recently I was asked by the waiter how my meal was and if there was anything that could be improved. The meal and service were wonderful and I had only one minor suggestion. But I did end by thanking them for asking! When was the last time you were asked by a business
