Lots of custom builders would love to get a better handle on their job scheduling. They just can’t find time in their own schedules to do it. Rich and Nancy Morrison admit they once fell prey to that conundrum. Unlike many of their colleagues, however, the Morrisons found a way out of it. “With most construction companies, especially in custom construction, the assumption was you couldn’t use scheduling because every house is unique,” says Nancy Morrison, whose years in the corporate world left her unencumbered by such notions. “There’s no reason,” she thought, “why we can’t have a more structured way of building houses.” The Morrisons started to sort out their scheduling nearly two years ago, using Microsoft Project to control the timing on their jobs. But the initiative, under the direction of operations vice president Irina Johnson, really took off in the past year, when the company hired a full-time employee just to ride herd on the schedule.
The scheduling coordinator—a former Navy scheduling specialist fresh out of the service—works with the company’s team of project managers to establish detailed timetables for their jobs, including hard dates for each phase and operation. By spotting and resolving potential conflicts between projects, the scheduling coordinator also ensures that the company is making the best use of its subcontractors. Subs now have so much confidence in the company’s scheduling, Morrison says, “they use it as the basis of their scheduling. And we get first priority, which is nice.”
Clients have been impressed, too. “We can pretty much tell you when we’re going to start your house and when we’re going to finish,” Morrison says. “Any delays along the way will be tracked, and you’ll be notified immediately.” As a result, “We can sell jobs easier.” The company’s clientele consists largely of businesspeople, “and they want to see that you’ve got your ducks in a row.” Smart clients. Because in this case, the appearance of organization reflects real improvements in efficiency. These days, Morrison says, “If we don’t come in on schedule, we’re ahead of schedule.” That makes clients happy, of course, but Morrison points out that it also lets the company do more work with the same number of people. “We’ve trimmed three our four months off our projects.”
Benchmark Custom Luxury Homes, Jacksonville Beach, Fla.
www.customluxuryhomes.com
Type of business: custom builder
Years in business: 12
Employees: 10
2004 volume: $20 million
2004 starts: 10
