What We Have Done

Project: Building Luxury Apartment Communities

The undertaking: Lead from infancy a new general contracting firm intended to build apartment communities

Barriers to Success: No systems, infrastructure, employees exist at the start. Low margin proforma by developer yielded little room for error.  Need to quickly get product to market

Accountability: To developers / owners of firm / vendors / residents who chose to live in the communities

Role: Executive operational leadership

Approach: Leading / Partnering

Results:

• $23 million 234 unit 340,000 SF 2-story ‘big-house’ luxury apartment community completed in 16 months and within tight vertical construction cost budget
• $18 million 180 unit 270,000 SF 2-story and 3-story ‘big-house’ luxury apartment community completed $800k under budget and three months ahead of schedule
• Pre-construction value engineering with vendor participation yielded a 35% reduction in vertical costs below architect’s estimate

“…if it wasn’t for the success you produced on the project the investors would never have realized the return they did.  You are the best project executive I have ever worked with.”

Joe Gambino, owner of JLG Consulting and Project Investor

• Built high-quality $1.2 mission Custom Home

All projects realized very low post closing warranty expenses attributed to construction. 0.04% or 13.6 times better than 0.6% industry best practices.  A savings of almost $139,000.

• Realized 92% vendor retention

Virtually ‘ZERO’ Cost Slippage.  Vertical cost variance change orders, outside of those directed by owner and resulting from inadequate project preparation amounted to $400 (Four Hundred Dollars) for more than $25 million in direct vertical costs. 0.0016% or 625 times better than 1% or less industry best practices.  A savings of almost $250,000.

• Successfully lead pre-construction, value engineering, aspects of HUD 221.d.4 construction document compliance and buy-out phases for $50 mission 500,000 SF 4-story mixed use project
• Construction company rapidly grew from $0 to an annualized revenue rate of $13 million / year

How:

• Successfully executing executive responsibilities. Created / implemented unifying mission / vision / values statements and operating strategy
• Successfully executed strategy
• Successfully executed operational responsibilities: HR, cost control systems, design development, vendor negotiations and procurement, estimating, project management and post-closing customer service functions
• Devised and implemented Preferred Vendor Strategy. Created successful long-term relations that encompassed costs, scopes or work, performance goals and quality assurance programs with material suppliers and sub-contractors. Relationships evolved into high-performing value engineering teams.

Many vendors did not wait to be asked for cost savings ideas. They offered them freely.

• Influenced Timberline accounting software utilization. Became a ‘high-powered’ practitioner of Timberline’s purchase order and job cost modules for controlling and reporting on construction costs that at times exceeded $2 million / month.
• Implemented most aspects of the National Quality in Housing (NQH) Quality Assurance (QA) program. Drove vendor quality performance improvements using measurable QA standards.

If you would like your firm to benefit from the results we produce, please call R B Lewis & Associates.  No commitments, just give our office a call and ask to speak with Ron directly. He can always find 15 minutes to listen. Get a sense of what R B Lewis & Associates can do for you.

Project: Realignment Towards Revenue – Project Management Metrics

The undertaking: Work with Client to realign towards revenue sales and support staff. Conduct formal job analysis and create / implement Project Manager job description complete with performance metrics.

Barriers to Success: Falling sales, eroding margins, firm had experienced mixed results in the past when trying to execute strategy. Confusing and incomplete information plagued the firms’ client fulfillment process.

Accountability: CEO / Client and Implementation Team

Role: Consultant

Approach: Advising / coaching / working along side

Results: Project Management job analysis complete, job description implemented. Rapid improvements: internal order completeness (percentage of orders from sales the procurement could fulfill without asking questions) jumped from 48% to 78% in four weeks. CEO often sought my perspective on opportunities for improvement outside my initial scope. Relationship ongoing.

How:

• Quickly gained confidence of CEO and support team.
• Observed and helped streamline team meetings, conducted interviews, quickly developed deep understanding of CEO’s strategic intent and the needs of the implementation team.
• Maintained team’s involvement in change process. Used Tom Peters’ ‘Ready, Fire, Aim’ to achieve buy in and rapid improvements; sustained sense of urgency.
• Eliminated ambiguity and work overlap,  used repetition and implemented formal reporting on performance

Project: Implement Scheduling System

The undertaking: Manage Change and Improve Functionality – Implementation of a Scheduling system for multi-million dollar custom home builder.

Barriers to Success: No system or hardware infrastructure. Small staff and limited funds

Accountability: To partner, employees and most importantly, customers

Role: Executive operational leadership

Approach: Leadership / Partnering

Results: Achieved project objectives. Implemented a scheduling system that eliminated task overlap, enabled consistent on-time delivery; improved supply chain relations, and team continuity. Enabling the orderly flow of information yielding improved customer service and cash flow.

Earned national home building industry Pace Setter Award for Management.

How:

• Originated plan to address need for comprehensive scheduling solution.
• Managed project life cycle of implementation of company-wide computer network and scheduling software for improving overall efficiency.
• Researched systems and hired consultant, scheduled and implemented network.
• Instructed and trained employees on the use of the network and software
• Led team, utilizing change management techniques, through development/implementation of MS Project for controlling many diverse projects simultaneously.

Project: Enrollment Management & Student Retention

The undertaking: Enable learning and be an advocate for the students – college setting –while volunteering to develop comprehensive student retention / enrollment management plan for two programs

Barriers to Success: Low-man on the totem pole. No formal teaching experience nor did college provide training. Falling enrollment yielded unfamiliar stress on faculty and department chair

Role: College instructor – Construction Technology and Civil Engineering Technology

Approach: Partnering

Results: Gained commitment from faculty and department chair and refocused entire department toward objective of raising enrollment. Introduced a business solution to an academic setting. Strengthened the program’s perception in the eyes of accreditation board. Earned consistently very good feedback from students via voluntary performance evaluation surveys. Earned excellent annual performance evaluations from DC.

How:

• Successfully taught five different Civil Engineering and Construction Technology courses and three different business courses including Business Principles, HR Management and the business / management related Construction Management Seminar and Construction Planning & Control. Introduced leadership dimensions in all courses. Coursework included teaching MS Project, Word and Excel.
• Motivated and inspired students. Introduced a variety of best practices.
• Volunteered to and successfully revived NAHB Student Chapter, served as faculty advisor
• Researched marketing and enrollment management techniques for colleges and universities, and was lead author and implementer of a comprehensive solution.

R B Lewis & Associates
Anchoring Excellence the Foundation of Your Business

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