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David Cartwright

Business - 5 min read

Embrace Growth While Maintaining Company Quality

David Cartwright

Senior Marketing Manager - Software

Sep 24, 2019 3:08:04 PM

The goal of any business is to grow. However, this growth comes with many new challenges that your company will have to deal with. From handling more workers to having higher expectations from customers, growth can easily turn into a nightmare if your construction business isn’t prepared. In many cases, growth directly impacts quality. This is because many companies still rely on the same processes they were using before expanding, ultimately resulting in a drop in quality over time.

Quality in construction is what sets one business apart from another. If your company pays attention to detail, scales up its resources, and standardises various processes, you can continue to enjoy high quality as you grow.

 

How continuous growth can result in lower quality

As a construction business, you may be wondering how growth can affect quality. Having smaller operations makes it easier for you to micromanage every process and ensure that your products are up to standard. However, as you hire more workers, take on more projects, and use more complex equipment, you may end up forgetting about quality along every step of the way.  Here are some common pitfalls of continuous growth that you should be aware of, which can affect the quality of construction work.

 

1. Overstretching materials

Some construction companies may overstretch the materials in an effort to cut costs during scaling. For example, they may add too much water to cement mixtures or use a lower grade wood for particular sections of a building. Compromising on material quality is the easiest way to fall into the trap of low quality during growth. It may seem tempting to select average materials so you can handle more projects, but this change will ultimately result in a poor reputation for your company over time.  

 

2. Lack of proper supplier management

As your construction business grows, so will your supplier base. It’s always challenging to handle more suppliers who are also providing a wider range of products. If you use the same systems and processes from before, you may end up missing the mark on quality deliveries or incurring delays when materials are needed. Furthermore, you may not be able to negotiate a favourable contract for your construction company’s needs.   

 

3. Poor paperwork processes

Documentation and policy management is the core principle of any construction business. When you begin dealing with multiple projects at the same time, it can be challenging to manage these processes. Poor paperwork management often translates into lower quality work due to a lack of established standards. Therefore, incidences such as accidents and legal policy changes aren’t properly documented and acted upon. 

 

4. Mismanaging subcontractors

Growth also means that you’ll end up hiring and managing more subcontractors on site. A common reason why quality decreases is that companies don’t develop adequate processes for handling a growing number of subcontractors. This means that not all contractors are properly screened and verified for quality service delivery.



Standardisation: The secret to balancing growth and maintaining quality

If your construction company has been expanding during recent times, you may be wondering how you can achieve a proper balance between quality and growth. The best way of ensuring that you don’t sacrifice one thing for another is through standardisation -  the process of developing, requiring, and maintaining consistent workflows within a specific industry.

Standardisation is harder to achieve than it sounds. It requires an investment of time and resources, along with using the latest tools and techniques that help facilitate this process. This is why new construction companies tend to struggle with standardisation as they begin to expand. The good news is that by using construction software, collaborating with workers, and paying attention to detail, you can take significant steps towards embracing growth and high quality.

During the early stages, standardisation may come across as being quite challenging. The key is to remain patient and committed while keeping your entire team on the same page. Implement robust workflows for every process you handle, and enforce documentation that confirms quality standards have been adhered to. You can also take advantage of technologies such as automation to weave out inconsistencies in service delivery. By detecting issues early, you can modify your workflows in real-time and make the necessary adjustments before delivering a product/service to your customers. 

Maintain your company quality during these periods of growth with the help of Cubit, a natural estimating software designed to minimise errors and give you more control over your estimates. Cubit can help grow your business, with a focus on speed and accuracy, so you’ll be able to submit more tenders, win more work, and be more profitable. Try it for yourself with a free trial. 

 

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