Expert FAQ

 You've been with Ultimate Homes & Renovations as Production Manager since 1998. You must have seen it all over the years. What would you say is the top 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 are continually changing daily, sometimes hourly, and you're managing them across multiple projects while always being fair with everyone involved (vendors, clients, employees etc.).

Say, for example, a resource has an unexpected family commitment out of town and needs to be away for a few days. Also assume that any suitable alternative resource is scheduled elsewhere and unavailable. Lastly, the task to be completed needs to be finished before the next task can begin (in Production Management, we refer to this as being part of the critical path). This sort of thing has to be resolved somehow to keep the project on target and keep the customers happy.

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

Well, I don't want to give away my age, but when I started with Ultimate, the internet wasn't really a huge thing yet - it was still somewhat 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 confidently & find any product specifications online within seconds. Online efficiencies like Google Maps (or vehicle GPS) now make it almost impossible for a worker to get lost going to a job site. I just never have to deal with calls like that anymore.

Of course, smartphones have become another huge advantage... obtaining product knowledge instantly over the phone and texting a link-able phone number to someone (instead of saying it to them over an old rad