Case Study

How do you respond with quick thinking solutions and resources when a car crashes through a storefront?

Project Summary

A national client who relies on Resicom for routine maintenance and exterior painting called us with a critical facility emergency.  At one of the client’s retail locations, a car had driven right into front of their building, causing tremendous damage to the structure.   The store facility was now exposed to the elements, with the merchandise left unprotected.  The client needed Resicom to react expeditiously so that the store would be sealed, with the facility ready to reopen and resume business in only a few days.

Scope

The scope of work needed to execute this project included:

1. An emergency crew had to be immediately assembled for briefing of project logistics, and to arrive onsite no later than that evening.
2. Crew had to acquire a cargo van to acquire and deliver all the proper material and tools.
3. Crew needed to remove, replace and dispose of damaged metal panels on storefront exterior.
4. Entire storefront needed to be repainted since the new panels are not the correct color.
5. All project execution had to be completed by 10 a.m. the following morning.

Challenges & Solutions

The constraints of the project that were overcome included:

1. At 8 am technicians had already been assigned jobs and were on the road.

1. • The operations department reacted quickly to identify which two technicians are best suited for this particular job.
   • Currently running projects are reorganized with additional manpower reallocated so that project delivery is not sacrificed.

1. The metal siding that is needed can only be sourced from Dallas, Texas.

1. • Our local technician in Dallas picks up the material and drives it to the project site to expedite turnaround.

1. The paint that is needed for the storefront is only available in St. Louis, MO.

1. • The storefront paint was picked up by the crew while in transit to the project location in Little Rock, AR.

1. All company cargo vans were currently assigned to other projects.

1. • The travel department acquired a cargo van for two days from a rental company.

Summary

At Resicom we understand the frustrations that a client may experience from emergency situations. We understand that the execution of projects often requires quick thinking, and flexible, creative options to offer the best possible solution to our client. Taking the initiative to find innovative solutions, particularly in emergency situations, is what we strive to do so that our client can get back to normal with their facility re-opening as planned.

CASE STUDY

A client needed a painting rollout completed on 90 locations in 30 days. 

Scope

The scope of work needed to execute the project included:

1. Paint 90 gas stations across two states.
2. Work needs to be completed in 30 days and needs to start the 1st of the month. 
3. Each location has a list of certain items to be completed with a priority level of order associated with each. 
4. Each store has a pre-determined budget.
5. If for any reason cost may exceed the pre-determined budget, the client must be contacted to review and approve the new costs.
6. Specific client approved paint and color scheme must be followed. 
7. Supply the client with detailed updates including photos to ensure compliance. 

Challenges

The constraints of the project include:

1. Organizing and scheduling crews for 90 stores in the 30 day timeframe.
2. Ordering the proper materials within a 3 day turnaround.
3. Educating all crews on the scope of work and properly equipping all crews with correct paints.
4. Weather contingency plans must be determined.

Solution

When a project has such a restrictive time schedule, thorough planning is crucial.  The tendency to immediately jump into execution can actually be a project’s downfall.  Instead, by having a calculated outline and specific plans to deal with inclement weather, we were able to complete the entire painting project within the specified timeframe. 

Our solution to this project included:

1. All projects are entered on a master calendar so that the appropriate crew members and supervisors can be dispatched.
2. Suppliers are contacted to order the necessary paint specs.
3. Time is set aside for all crew members to educate and brief the team on the scope of work and to explain the procedures for paperwork and updates to client.
4. Back up crews are organized and put on stand-by in the event of inclement weather.
5. Crews are in constant communication with an office based contact so that budget is tracked.    If a particular store is nearing the “do not exceed amount” the Home Office support contacts the client to explain the necessary cost.  
6. Each crew is provided a digital camera in supply the client with updates and a visual progress report.  

Summary

Resicom is a thinking company that is committed to developing effective project planning before beginning a single step of execution.  By taking time to formulate our strategy and creating contingency plans, Resicom can guarantee a project’s overall success, an also minimize wasteful and excess spending. 

Resicom is much like a vampire- we often do our best work at night.  Our nationwide scalability usually dictates overnight project execution to minimize disruption to facilities’ guests and staff.  Therefore, when asked to paint a store during the day, we had to shift gears and mindset on how to structure daytime project management during the facility’s regular business hours.  

Scope

The scope of work needed to complete this project:

1. Complete a storefront repaint with a new paint spec during regular business hours.

Challenges

The challenges of this project included:

1. Keeping the store entrance unencumbered of equipment and clear for customers’ passage.
2. Ensure a safe and unobtrusive work environment for both customers and technicians.
3. Prevent overspray on any surfaces that are not to be painted.

Solution

By outlining a specific structure to our project approach, we were able to maximize the small window of time in the morning before the facility opened to paint high traffic areas.  

Our solution to the project included: 

1. The storefront entrance was painted first, utilizing the grace period in the morning before customers were present.
2. Cones and construction zone tape were utilized to prohibit customers from the work areas.
3. Areas were prepped and covered with plastic and drops to protect all non-painted surfaces.

Summary

Because Resicom relies on standard – process – audit to effectively manage and execute deliverables, we were able to apply those same principles to a modified project and still achieve effective results.  Though specifications and circumstances may change for various projects, Resicom’s systematic execution works- day or night. 

CASE STUDY

A retailer wanted to refinish their storefront. The store was having a big event and this work needed to be completed by a specific date. In the week leading up to the deadline, the forecast called for rain. Here is a brief description of how we solved this project.

Scope
The scope of work needed to execute this project included:

1. Test moisture level of wood to ensure it had a moisture level below 12%, ideal for exterior wood
2. Sand and repair gouges and split wood
3. Caulk and prime as needed
4. Paint storefront to current specifications

Challenges
The constraints of this project included:

1. Project had a firm deadline
2. Complete project overnight, returning store to ready for business by the following morning
3. The forecast was for rain all week.

Solution
We understood that there was no flexibility in the schedule, regardless of the weather forecast. Our solution to this project included:

1. An approach that created opportunity for recovery. We could not wait out and see if the weather got better as the week went on, we needed to start right away so that if something went wrong, we could repair it before the event.
2. A test of the moisture level to help ensure lasting project success.
3. Construction of temporary awning. An awning was a better solution than a containment in this instance because we needed the airflow to aid the drying process. A containment would have limited airflow, extending the amount of time the paint needed to dry.
4. This awning was free standing and constructed out of wood framing and 6 mil plastic. Its purpose was to move rain water away from the freshly painted surface.
5. We needed to maximize the number of hours that the freshly painted surface had to dry, so we completed the project on a Sunday, when the store closed a couple of hours earlier than the rest of the week.
6. Removal of the awning before the store opened for business.
7. Submission of the proper sign off and photos as requested by the client.

Summary
We cannot control the weather, however, we need to be able to meet the needs of our client. This was a high profile project that needed a solution that met the deadline, regardless of the conditions. We designed and executed a plan that ensured the project was complete on time and that would not require a return trip to redo the work once the weather cooperated.