He has been with Ultimate Homes & Renovations as a Production Manager since 1998. You must have seen it over the years. What would you say is the main challenge in managing the Production Department?

Scheduling Resources: There are many variables in the broader field of production management, and specifically in project management as well. Those variables continually change daily, sometimes hourly, and you manage them across various projects while remaining fair to everyone involved (suppliers, customers, employees, etc.).

Say, for example, a resource has an unexpected family engagement out of town and needs to be away for a few days. Also assume that any suitable alternative resource is scheduled elsewhere and is not available. Lastly, the task to be completed must be completed before the next task can begin (in Production Management, we refer to this as part of the critical path). These kinds of things need to be resolved in some way to keep the project on target and keep the clients happy.

In your past 20 years, what are some of the technological advances that have helped you improve your production management process?

Well, I don’t want to reveal my age, but when I started with Ultimate, the internet wasn’t really a big deal yet, it was still a bit in its infancy. That obviously changed quickly. Like most industries, it was certainly a game changer in construction: for example, you could suddenly research new innovations quickly and securely and find product specifications online in seconds. Online efficiencies like Google Maps (or Vehicle GPS) now make it nearly impossible for a worker to get lost going to a job site. I won’t have to deal with calls like that anymore.

Of course, smartphones have become another huge advantage … instantly getting product awareness over the phone and texting a linkable phone number to someone (rather than telling them over an old radio system and have him write the wrong number on paper … well, those days are long gone. Finally, email is everything now: confirmation of change orders, informing several people at once about something important they need to know. .etc, it is much easier to manage those daily tasks through new technologies.

Customers expect and deserve the highest quality from a professional renovator. What would you say are the key steps that you have consistently followed over the years to fulfill that mandate?

• Communication with employees, suppliers and customers.

• Schedule regular meetings, meet with key people on a weekly basis to review work and coordinate everything – this is essential to keep everyone “informed” and on the same page.

• Establish long-term working relationships with trusted people, knowing what to expect. You cannot have a revolving door with vendors and employees because they are your key people to get the job done on time and get it done right.

What are your tips for managing work quality without hampering production speed?

Organization, communication and having quality employees and suppliers.

What are some of the things owners can do to help their production process?

Product knowledge. Feel free to do your homework on the selections beforehand, so it’s not an overwhelming process later on. Of course, we have people at Ultimate who will help customers through that process, but we must have “an idea” of what the end goal is in regards to product selection. We all have different tastes.

What is your number one tip for a homeowner who is about to embark on a complete home renovation?

Do a lot of homework. This refers to everything … the renovation company (for example, knowing your track record in this industry), the products you might want, the general scope of work you might be looking for, and understanding your budgeting needs.