As a child, I recall my father always stressing the importance of doing my best in any task. He said it was the RIGHT attitude to take when tackling ANY job. With this approach, I would always do the “right thing” for myself and others involved.  I would maximize the chances of success and lessen possibilities of failure (or mediocrity).

His guidance has served me well over the years. 

In our business, that same attitude of “doing it right the first time” is critical. Failure to do this can lead to rework. Rework is the act of redoing or correcting work that was not done correctly the first time.

The True Costs of Rework Can Be Staggering

Everyone in construction hates to rework! The reasons are simple:

• Rework can consume up to 30% of the productivity on a project at a cost of 10% or more of the contract value.
• Rework can inflate total work hours for the project. The additional time needed to correct or redo a process or activity can spike labor costs by as much as 7% or more.
• Rework puts a project behind schedule. “Time is money”, so having to do something over two or three times causes delays. A contractor doesn’t like that; neither does the client.
• Rework can lead to injuries on the job. Workers stressed by schedule delays caused by rework can become aggravated and careless of “safety first” procedures.
• Rework can have lasting adverse effects on client relationships and lead to costly repairs later on. Clients expect good, efficient workmanship that completes the project on schedule and within budget. Rework kills the schedule AND the budget, leading to defect claims that can be costly. 

Minimizing Rework Through Quality Management

Cleveland Construction has a commitment to ZERO REWORK through our implementation of a process called Quality Management. While the dynamics of a large construction project (such as a hospital) can involve many parts, effective quality management can always be broken down into simple, manageable pieces. Regardless of the size of the project, the specific pattern we follow always includes the same 4 steps:

1. Planning - Pre-installation meetings are critical.  That’s where we review and gain an understanding of the project details. Scheduling and training are all-important aspects of this step.
2. Installation - This is “where the rubber hits the road”. It’s where the project takes shape, morphing from a visual blueprint into a physical structure through the efforts of skilled workers following the detailed plans. Our foremen ensure the workers have the knowledge and training to do the job right.
3. Verification - Our QA/QC manager teams with both the foremen and craft workers to ensure that things are done correctly the first time. Everyone understands they are empowered to STOP WORK if they identify a problem.
4. Review/Follow-Up - Mistakes can occur.  But once discovered, they must be resolved quickly. This quick correction prevents the mistake from being duplicated throughout the construction.

Quality Management IS the key to achieving ZERO REWORK.

How do you prevent construction rework on a project?  First, hire a construction manager who knows how to manage quality. At Cleveland Construction, our team is ready to manage your next project and we know how to deliver quality management.