A great Job Close Out system without documentation is only a rumor about the way your company performs the job close out process. If you don’t “get it in writing” then you don’t actually have a system. What you have is wishful thinking.
Think of your construction contracting Job Close Out system as a set of rules, policies, and procedures that trained individuals can repeat as your construction company grows, a standard they can use without your direct involvement.
Creating your system will entail two parts – the simple checklist and the detailed written specifications supporting the checklist.
We’ve never done it that way before
Perhaps in the past you’ve depended on the checklist stored in your head. Or, it could be you have a Job Close Out checklist you expect your employees to follow but have never provided the supporting documents.
Whatever your set of circumstances, if you’ve come to the conclusion that in order to see your business scale you need to add a Job Close Out checklist and Job Close Out procedures to your company’s standards you may find you have some resistance from your employees.
This article from Entrepreneur has a set of steps which I recommend reading and following if you are concerned about getting your employees to come on board and be a part of the new system you’re building on your way to scaling your construction contracting business.
I would emphasize step two when creating the Job Close Out system. Getting the employees involved in this crucial aspect of “leaving a good impression” with your customers helps them see how important this phase of their job is and allows them to input steps you may have overlooked.
Building the checklist
Whether you prefer your checklist be on your digital device or on your clipboard there are options for you.
For instance, you may want to check out the mobile app form from canvas.
As a part of their package, bridgit offers a product simply titled “closeout” which may suit your needs. (BTW, I had a brief chat with one of their representatives and was impressed with her knowledge and willingness to help me with my questions.)
Another option you can look over is Smartsheet which includes in their many construction documents one titled “Project Closeout Checklist.” You’ll have to scroll down quite a way to find it, but it is there.
If you prefer a clipboard over a digital device an option for you might be the Project Closeout Checklist from ready built forms.
As far as I can tell, each of the above options offers you a prebuilt form or a way to design the form you would use for the checklist portion of your Job Close Out system. By starting with the form of your choice you would then be able to prepare the backup documentation in order to complete the system.
One more option
Our good friends at Knowify have within their system a way we can help you design and build your checklist as well as the supporting documents that would then be integrated within your Knowify data base of information. If you’re interested in finding out about how we can work with you through Knowify give us a call 480 -442-4032 or Toll Free – 866-629-7735.