By Steve Atwood, VP of Construction Operations at Taylor Morrison, Inc.
We’ve come to the stage of our production schedule where the major elements are in place, and the finishing work brings the home together. The countertops are being installed. The cabinets are in place. The patio is poured. All of the function and usability of the NEXTadventure™ Home is starting to shine through.
It’s the most exciting time for the NEXTAdventure™ Home, the 2,000+ square-foot single family home that we’re building in Clermont, Florida. This home and others like it are showcasing the very best that Taylor Morrison has to offer homeowners 55 and Better.
When the NEXTadventure™ home was little more than carefully articulated plans, and production faced some lag time, I was confident we would get to this point. Because Taylor Morrison employs a methodology that can easily adapt to changing conditions.
By maximizing communications, patience, and keeping your eye on the end game, builders can make up for time lost during the permitting process and other obstacles.
Communication is key with trade partners. Keep everyone in the loop when schedules and plans must be adjusted due to outside forces. By reaching out to your colleagues on the project you can prevent ruffled feathers AND costly mistakes. It’s important to maintain your reputation as a stand-up company who errs on the side of too much communication.
Be patient and keep the endgame in mind. Even though we plan out projects to the most minute details, things happen. Permits get delayed, weather turns foul, and materials go on backorder. Exercise patience for the process. As a result, everyone on the project will feel supported. Your team will have the endurance for careful attention to detail in the long run. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Everyone is on a timeline, not just you.
Regroup every day. When playing a long game on multi-phase projects like homebuilding, it’s critical to take each day as a reset on the project. React to the situation in front of you today, and communicate the change to your team and trade. This proactivity will go a long way towards sustainability in execution.
Meet with the owners onsite. Keep them in the loop. It’s important in relationship building to have an open and transparent approach to building each individual home. Their buy-in is absolutely essential to a smooth production and customer satisfaction,
If you do get behind schedule, find creative ways to it make up. Look for ways to overlap trade partners and their production schedule. Can you finish some cabinets while the decorating is happening? Are there minor finishes that can be worked on while painting is happening in another part of the house?
If you’ve done your homework in the planning stage, you can make up for time shortages while keeping everyone on the same page.
Careful planning is the number one thing you can do for your project to keep it running smoothly, regardless of the many moving parts and players. Bearing in mind the lay of the house, and the key contributors, you’ll soon be at the finishing stage.
A big shout out to Taylor Morrison Site Supervisor Mike Corcoran, the man behind the plans at Esplanade. Mike’s can-do attitude paired with astute proactivity make him a tremendous asset on any team. Thank you, Mike, for making the NEXTadventure™ Home one of our best projects to date.
Chronicle our progress on the NEXTadventure™ home by following us on Twitter at @taylor_morrison and using #nextadventurehome. Be sure to check out our new website, http://www.taylormorrison.com/nextadventure
