If you’re a Lego fan, you know the term ‘master builder.’ A master builder can create unique Lego sculptures outside of the established Lego build instructions. You can find amazing examples of real-life master builders on YouTube, and there are even reality shows that celebrate master builder Lego prowess, too!
You might be wondering why a multi-family plumbing and HVAC company would mention Lego master builders, but we have a good reason! One of the things that helps master builders be successful and cut back on their build time is inventory management. They keep their Lego blocks meticulously organized so that they can always find what they need.
At UMC, we feel a little like master builders because we’ve worked hard to create a building organization process. This process, known as kitting, involves creating specific kits for each section we need for a build. Kiting became popular in manufacturing as a process of assembling equipment groups as they were required for a particular job or function. Now, the process is coming to the construction world.
In our plumbing and HVAC construction world, our kits are assembled for a particular part of the plumbing or HVAC work on a multi-family project. For example, when assembling a final plumbing fixture kit for a multi-family suite, it would include all of the fixtures and parts needed for installation in the suite, packaged in the order the team would need to install them.
Our kitting process has helped our team to be more productive in the field. In a recent interview with Chase Frandsen, he shared more insight into our kitting process. He told us that using the 3D building plans we prepare in pre-production, our kitting team precuts all the materials based on the building plans. Then, like master builders, each part is packaged in the installation order when the kits arrive. While our installation process is more extensive than a Lego sculpture, our kits have all the necessary parts and placement instructions for our team to assemble on the job site, just like you would with a Lego set.
Our kitting process at UMC has been a great success. It has allowed us to manage our inventory better, speed up production on the job site, and focus on delivering quality work. We’ve been better able to deal with supply chain issues or production delays because of our kitting process and how much time and energy it saves our team. It’s been a significant development in the last few years at UMC that has helped foster our growth!
