My eldest daughter has just moved into a new house. It’s lovely and well worth the inevitable stress that moving causes. Apparently it is one of the three most stressful things you can do. The house will stand her and her daily in good stead for years to come.
It is a new-build and is surrounded by other properties that aren’t yet quite finished and so the neighbourhood is awash with high viz jackets, dumper trucks and the banging that goes with a building site. To be honest the workers are quite conscientious and keep the place as tidy as they can.
Having now made the move they have come across a few things that aren’t as they should be, pipes leaking, floors not level, bits not painted, that kind of thing. This is the norm and they are written down on a snagging list.
Indeed this builder is so used to having a snagging list that they have two, things you notice within 7 days and things you notice within 30 days. THe site foreman is very keen to get the 7 day list sorted and I am left wondering if it’s part of his remuneration. Perhaps he gets a bonus if they are all completed.
I am then reminded of the Toyota Production System and how it works to drive out waste from the system. A snagging list is accepted in the industry yet it represents pure waste. Even as a cnservatove £10 per snag twe work and the cost will soon add up. Rather than focussing on the repairs the focus should be on getting it right the first time.
I understand that there are lots of people involved and lots of variables but that is the point. TPS works to get failure out of the process.
The foreman should be paid for getting his snagging lists to zero.
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 