First Time Quality® = Lean Homebuilding

Doing the job right the first time  — or First Time Quality® — is the heart of Lean Homebuilding.

In fact it’s so critical to achieving Lean, we follow a First Time Quality (FTQ) System. The purpose of this system is to identify areas that cause a Building Partner (trades, vendors, sub contractors) to make return trips, slow down the duration time, create extra work for the crew or waste money and resources. A Lean Homebuilder and its Building Partners work to eliminate these causes together.

Our FTQ System breaks down every activity in the construction schedule and, for each step, asks two key questions: 1) was the job ready when scheduled for the Building Partner to begin work, and 2) did the Building Partner complete his activity 100%.  

Job Readiness: Was the job ready when scheduled for the Building Partner to begin work?

The jobsite Construction Professional is responsible for the overall building schedule, and is charged with providing a jobsite that is clean, safe and 100% ready for the Building Partner to begin work.

Using the FTQ System, the Building Partner crew must first evaluate Job Readiness before beginning any work. This means:

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  • Was the job ready on the scheduled date?
  • Were all previous construction activities 100% completed?
  • Was the jobsite clean and safe?
  • Was there anything the jobsite Construction Professional could have done better to help prepare the job?

Job Completeness: Did the Building Partner complete the construction activity 100%?

The Building Partner is responsible for 100% completing his construction activity within the duration time, and keeping the jobsite safe and clean — not only at job completion – but at the end of each day if the job stretches across multiple days.

Using the FTQ System, the Building Partner crew must evaluate job completeness when they finish their activity. This means:

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  • Did they finish on time? If not, why?
  • Did the finish 100%? If not, why?
  • Was there anything on the jobsite or related to another Building Partner preventing them from completing the job 100%?
  • If they must come back, why?
  • Was the jobsite clean and safe while they worked?
  • Did they leave the jobsite clean and safe for the following Building Partner crew?

Ultimately, the Building Partner’s evaluation of Job Readiness and Job Completeness is used by the jobsite Construction Professional to improve the home building system. There will always be “problems” on the jobsite – but there shouldn’t be recurring problems. When a Lean Homebuilder works with its Building Partners to eliminate the recurring problems, the schedule moves faster, and less money is wasted on rework.

© September 2010 Homebuilding Partners, Inc.