Quality Matters - 10/02/2007 (Plain Text Version)

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In this issue:
National Housing Quality Award Winners Announced at Professional Builder Benchmark Conference
A Slow Market – A Time for Change?
TIPS & TOOLS: Creative Touch Interiors Cools Punch Lists with Hot Spot Training
Customer Satisfaction Surveys for Quality Improvement
National Housing Quality Program Welcomes New Certified Trades and Suppliers
Quality Matters to Me...
Improve Efficiency and Job Readiness: Plan, Do, Check, Act

National Housing Quality Award Winners Announced at Professional Builder Benchmark Conference

Five companies announced as 2008 NHQA winners at last week's Professional Builder Benchmark Conference.

The NAHB Research Center and Reed Business Information, publishers of Professional Builder and Professional Remodeler, presented five Silver NHQ Awards last week at Professional Builder’s Benchmark Conference in Atlanta, Ga. The winners for 2008 are:

Barratt American of Carlsbad, Calif. (national winner)
Fireside Hearth & Home of Lakeville, Minn. (national winner)
Mercedes Homes of Melbourne, Fla. (national winner)
Mungo Homes of Irmo, S.C.
Pringle Development, Inc. of Eustis, Fla.

Modeled after the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the NHQ Awards provide the home building industry’s highest recognition for quality achievement and operational excellence.

Now in their 15th year, the awards are open to all U.S. residential construction and independent contractor companies.

Entries are judged by a panel of experts who evaluate the importance of quality in the company’s construction, strategic planning, leadership and performance management, trade relationships, customer satisfaction, human resources, and business results.

To win the award, candidates must implement and document sophisticated operating processes to improve performance.

The award “is the hardest award to win in home building,” said Paul Deffenbaugh, editorial director of Professional Builder. “It requires dedication and purpose throughout a home building company, and only the best can achieve this distinction.”

As a result of going through the process, NHQ Award winners “significantly improve the performance of their companies,” he said, “making them more consistent and more reliable. Home buyers have found these companies execute the best quality homes and deliver the highest quality satisfaction.”

The application process for the awards is designed to provide participants with beneficial insights into how their companies perform and feedback from the judges, many of whom are past award winners.

NAHB Research Center president Michael Luzier stated, “National Housing Quality Award winners represent the best of the best in the home building industry, and we are extremely proud to recognize these leaders for their dedication, customer focus, and exceptional quality achievement. Each year, the bar is raised higher as our judging panel ensures this program continues to provide the industry with the highest standards of excellence.”

NHQ Award winners are featured in Professional Builder articles that highlight their quality management practices as models for the housing industry. Winners also participate in an educational session at the Benchmark Conference focused on best practices in business-critical areas, such as customer satisfaction, leadership, human resources, strategic planning, performance management, construction quality, supplier partnerships, and business results.

For more information on the National Housing Quality Awards, visit www.nahbrc.org/quality .