Effective production management is a key aspect of any business; whether you are designing and installing whole home audio systems, implementing commercial integrated security systems, or providing maintenance, basic install or periodic service to customers across your area. By utilizing effective production management strategies, dedicated tools and software, and defining processes and procedures for your organization you can ensure that your projects are delivered on-time, on-budget, and that they meet your customer’s expectations every time.

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Communication

First and foremost effective communication is the production management strategy that will be most beneficial to you throughout every project you take on. Providing timely and thorough communication to your clients at every step of the project will provide your customers with confidence that their project is on track and meeting their needs. Effective and timely communication eliminates the need for inefficient rework by giving your clients early opportunities to highlight design issues, scheduling conflicts, revised expectations for delivery, or budget concerns that will affect your scope of work. Effective communication for production management does not stop after installation of the new technology. By keeping an open line of communication with past clients you will remain on their minds for future projects or to provide a reference to a new client.

Scheduling

Providing accurate scheduling for every step of technology integration projects is another vital strategy for effective production management. By outlining projected milestone dates including design completion, payment schedules, when materials will be ordered and delivered on site, and final install dates you give your client the opportunity to both prepare spaces as needed to allow you to work efficiently and to highlight any potential issues that could waste your valuable time if not caught early enough. You can also make sure that materials are delivered right when you need them to eliminate the need for long term storage and the costs and risks associated with that. No matter who your typical client is effective scheduling early on in every project will pay dividends to both you and the client. Home builders, residential homeowners or commercial businesses will all appreciate being provided an accurate schedule for each step of their integration project. With less wasted time, effective and efficient scheduling of your team will also allow your company to take on more projects.

Continuous Improvement

By implementing and valuing a company culture of continuous improvement you will be able to set your company apart from your competitors and show your value to your clients by being on the cutting edge of your industry. Continuous improvement does not stop at the products and services you offer. It also manifests itself in the way you manage your projects. That could mean defining processes for your team of installers to create a cohesive brand experience for your clients, implementing new software to assist with scheduling and allocating your team, or performing project reviews with employees and customers to find room for improvement in the future. These types of strategies will lead to better performance on future projects and more word of mouth referrals in your community.

 
If you are ready to improve your production management systems and deliver more projects more efficiently give these strategies a try. The way you implement them are up to you and can be designed to fit your company and your market.