Quadrant Homes applies lean concepts in a project environment

Quadrant Homes, a subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser Corporation, provides transferable lessons for applying lean-manufacturing concepts in project environments. The company has obtained impressive market and financial results, using an even-flow, predictable scheduling model in which it starts six houses per day and finishes each one in exactly 54 days. Quadrant follows recognized lean principles, including (1) designing its value stream around customer needs, (2) balancing work so all stages flow evenly, (3) operating on the basis of customer pull, and (4) continuously improving. Quadrant makes the lean principles work in a project environment by (1) knowing what can be standardized and what must be customized, (2) carefully setting and consistently managing customer expectations, (3) aligning goals of all stakeholders, and (4) recognizing that variances will occur, and designing routines to handle them when they do.