More Re-Work...

During the 27-year gig I was responsible for IT and for about three years I created and directed our 'process improvement' program which was focused at looking at standard processes, analyzing the workflow and eliminating 'waste.'  Generally we did not go out into the field.  Most of the processes were internal involving the processing of information and paper/electronic documents.

This past week I've been working on my daughter's house, the one she moved out of, doing a number of maintenance and improvement tasks before putting it on the market.  She purchased at the height of the market.  Once you start working on someone else's work you start to think about the right and wrong ways that remodeling can be done.  This is the upstairs which apparently has gone through a couple of updates. 
  

The wall around the stairwell had a bit of movement.  I felt like a surgeon.  Had one of those cool fibre optic inspection tools like the Dewalt be available I could have determined without demo how the wall was braced.  Given the lack of that tool I jumped right in with my Dewalt sawzall which is typically better at de-construction than construction.  The wall had a layer of paneling over sheetrock so taking out the sheetrock in a somewhat abusive manner was fine.

In the process improvement world this is about getting at core issues and processes.  You look for the root cause.  With the wall removed it was apparent that the original installation was marginal, the subsequent remodel not dealing with the initial poor foundation and now it was my challenge.

The wall is now re-built and stabilized.  In the process improvement (lean) world one premise is that each time you look at a process you can remove half of the existing waste.  This is how you justify re-visiting the same process repeatedly.  The wall still has a bit of movement but it's now safe.  The next person can look at my work and ponder it and improve.  I'm glad to have not done it perfectly.

Each side of the second floor has a knee wall with the opportunity for storage.  On one side I eliminated the door to the knee wall and replaced it with cubicle storage.  It's trimmed out but can easily be slid forward and out to provide access behind the wall.


On the opposing side I replaced the door with a somewhat smaller one, also trimmed out that is held in place by magnet latches.  We're putting in new carpet and now the doors are about six inches above the floor and the wall below will have a nice baseboard.  Looks are important.  Often we're inclined to say 'this is good enough' but all of our work in life should add value or esthetic improvement.

The question is "will the air conditioner (that is in the storage area) fit through the new smaller door opening?"

Doing all this remodeling which essentially involves prying, screwing pounding, cutting, lifting and grunting makes me feel like a chimpanzee who often exhibit frustration, use even more primitive vocalizations of the same 'special words' I use, have the same opposed thumb and can use tools. Perhaps one point of differentiation with chimpanzees is that I always ask myself 'where is your left hand' when using the mitre saw.

These are decent improvements and improve the usefulness of the space.  Unfortunately this is about not having a job.  My own efficiency in doing the work can be addressed simply by looking at my wallet which is buldging with Mernard's receipts showing far too many trips as a result of less than optimal conceptualization and measurements.  We I lean process improvement purist I'd now add myself as one of the core (problem) causes in this process.  As an executive I'm far better hiring and guiding people than I am as a tradesman actually doing work.