Solve the Right Problem

We received a call from a past client about an expansion project they were looking to do. He said his boss must have been looking at one-too-many aerial photos of their facility because his instruction was to "make the building square".  This building had been added on to multiple times over the years which made it sprawled out and not well connected. His boss’s solution was to tear down the parts that stick out and fill in the areas between. This may be a solution that will make the facility look good to the birds flying overhead, but it would do very little to solve their real problem which is a need for “more efficient space”. His boss was correct in that his operation was not efficient. His mistake was that he jumped to a solution before he identified the real problem, which has everything to do with the flow through the facility.

You may have a building that has been added on to many times, one that has never had an addition, or maybe you are looking at building new. Whichever the case, how the building flows should always be the starting point for your building needs. Before you start thinking about walls and square footage, we suggest that you:

• Identify each of your work areas and the tasks that will be accomplished in those areas.

• Determine the type of relationship each task has to the other tasks (Absolutely Necessary, Ordinary, Undesirable, etc.)

• Create a flow chart of how your organization functions from the information gathered

Had his boss done these steps he would have identified the right problem and found an effective solution. Whether your facility is used for manufacturing, retail, offices, or a church, PDMi we can help you create a flow chart and develop a facility plan that will be the right solution to the right problem. Give us a call.

Out with the Old

You’ve heard the saying “Out with the old and in with the new”. There are times when applying that principle can be good and times when it can be bad. “Repurposing” old buildings can be a good thing, especially when they have a lot of useful life left in them. On the flip side, old and outdated equipment in a manufacturing facility can be a detriment to production. We got a call from a client a few weeks ago that is looking to remove two of their manufacturing assembly lines in order to do a full overhaul and upgrade of those lines. The current equipment is over 30 years old and at this point, the production is suffering. With the new equipment in place, they can be more efficient and produce more product, thus strengthening the bottom line.

When weighing the pros and cons of upgrading, whether it be a new facility, new equipment or simply repainting a room in your house, be sure to keep an eye on these important steps:

• Analyze the need. Solid upfront analysis can help you make the initial decision whether to keep the old or bring in the new.

• Plan for the change. Planning is always essential to ensure the success of any project and to be sure it accomplishes the goals you set forth.

• Implement the process. Be sure the implementation process goes smoothly as to avoid unnecessary headaches after the fact.

Whether you decide it’s time to get rid of the old and bring in the new or simply keep what you have and modify it - give us a call, we’d love to help you walk through the process.

It’s All In The Collaboration

In our last several eBits we have shared with you that the keys to a project’s success are built around PLANNING - DESIGNING - IMPLEMENTING. Our whole staff believes that to be true. We also know that you can do all the planning and produce all the documents you want, but until you IMPLEMENT them, in a collaborative environment, the project is still a dream. We have multiple tools to accomplish this, but they will only work when all the stakeholders are working together.

We recently completed a large facility expansion project with a regional firm. They chose Construction Management as the delivery method for IMPLEMENTING their project. They saw construction management as a way to bring the Owner, Designer, and Trade Contractor/Vendor into a collaborative environment. We told them that the delivery method certainly is important, but the essential factors in a well IMPLEMENTED project are…

• Communication - Who is doing what and when? Without continually answering that question, all the stakeholders will be pursuing their own agenda.

• Organization - What is posted and who can access it? When the stakeholder does not know what documents are available or where to find them they will tend to rely only on the information they have.

• Accountability - Doing what you say you will do when you say you will do it. Having each stakeholder participate in the published work plan and schedule keeps the team accountable to each other.

The expansion project was a success because the team of Owner, Engineers/Architects and Trade Contractors communicated through an organized process, holding each other accountable.

If PDMi can help you IMPLEMENT your next project, give us a call.