Quality Matters - 02/27/2008 (Plain Text Version)

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In this issue:
KB Home is First Builder to Earn National Housing Quality Certification Nationwide
National Housing Quality Award Entries Due April 30
Survival Tips for the Housing Downturn
National Housing Quality Program Welcomes New Certified Trades and Suppliers
Five Common Construction Mistakes
Home Builders Earn EnergyValue Housing Awards for Cutting-Edge Approach to Energy Efficiency
Quality Matters to Me

National Housing Quality Award Entries Due April 30

It's never too early to begin applying for the National Housing Quality Award (NHQA). Entries are now being accepted, award applications for 2009 are due by April 30.

Patterned after the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the NHQ Award recognizes home building and trade companies for excellence in residential construction and business management practices.

Honoring achievements in quality management, the National Housing Quality Awards will be presented at a gala dinner during the Professional Builder Benchmark Conference, which will take place in Phoenix on October 5-8.

Each year, NHQ Award applicants are judged by a panel of experts who evaluate the role that customer-focused quality plays in construction, business management, sales, design, and warranty service.

The NHQ Award process can help you prepare for changes occurring in today’s dynamic housing market. Simply applying for the award will open your mind to new possibilities for improvement and propel your company to new heights.

Applicants benefit from a comprehensive evaluative report from the judges that provides insightful feedback and suggestions for improving business processes. For 15 years, the NHQ Criteria for Performance Excellence have been important tools for hundreds of home builders and trade contractors to assess and improve performance on critical factors to business success.

These criteria can help you:

align resources
improve communication
increase productivity
boost effectiveness
achieve strategic goals

Award categories include Gold, Silver, and Honorable Mention for home builder and trade divisions. The NHQ Home Builder Awards—open to all U.S. companies that build or remodel residential homes using light construction methods, or the NHQ Trade Contractor Awards—open to all U.S. independent contractors that provide construction services to home builders or remodeling companies.

Winners are featured in a series of Professional Builder magazine articles that highlight their quality management principles and best practices, as well as participate in an NHQ Award panel discussion held annually at the NAHB International Builders' Show.

Sponsored by the NAHB Research Center and Professional Builder, the NHQ Awards are open to all U.S. residential builders and trade contractors. Accepting the challenge of applying for the NHQA sets your company apart from those less committed to quality improvement and rewards you with a road map to future success.

For more information about the awards program or to request an application, e-mail Rita Knab at the NAHB Research Center or call her at 800-638-8556 x6225; or click here.