The Phoenix construction market has been hit hard by the downturn in the housing industry. Like every other truss company in the area, we have tried to ride out this bad economy by downsizing and cutting every possible expense we could think of-including wages and office overhead. As the 1st quarter 2011 ended, it was apparent that all the cuts and internal adjustments were still not enough to affect a positive outcome. We realized it was time for a drastic change, or we would need to get out of the wood truss business altogether.
We hired Todd Drummond’s consulting services, thinking that a professional looking in from the outside could help us with some ideas on improving our operations and further cost controls. What we actually got was that-plus a lot more.
The ideas for changing the way we process the work orders from sales right through production were quite enlightening. The list of changes needed was long and, frankly, we were a little skeptical at the results Todd promised. We have been building wood trusses for decades, but Todd showed us many common-sense changes in procedure and flow that we have not been doing. Once he explained all the lean manufacturing rational, my team of people had to agree that he was right on the mark in every area. We are very appreciative for the many specific ideas and practices he suggested implementing to adjust to our current market needs. The savings potential is surprising and well worth the time and cost invested in his services.
What really surprised me was that not only did he talk about operational practices but he also provided sound advice on creating better market opportunities and other revenue streams. Phoenix is a tough market to say the least, but he showed us there are opportunities we were not exploiting and gave practical advice on how to do just that. I will not go into detail, but I will say he was far more helpful than just reducing our operational expenses. Now, we are very focused and hopeful about our future.
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