Dear YouDig?
We supply roofing materials to large-scale construction projects. When a roof goes bad, we always end up in a legal blame game. Last year we were dragged into a major defect case that clearly wasn’t our fault. Tens of thousands of attorneys’ fees and lost productivity later and we reluctantly kicked in on a settlement. Now we are named in a federal lawsuit. This is killing my holiday spirit. Talk to me.
-Mercy on the Righteous
Dear Mercy,
Construction litigation = Finger Pointing
As sure as you are planning to provide those roofing materials you better damn well be prepared to defend your product, otherwise it will be your profits leaking. Maybe you should write this note and post it to your entire sales and production team:
Dear Team,
On ALL jobs… EXPECT TO BE NAMED IN A LEGAL PROCEEDING. NOT SOMETIMES. EVERY SINGLE TIME.
Sincerely, The one who pays you.
Good quality control means you have to first prove to YOURSELF that you did right. Only then can you be sure that you can prove it to an arbitrator or a court. The system favors those who are prepared and know what the heck they are talking about months or years after a dispute. To defend your work, pay extra close attention and, at the very least, make sure the following documents are fully completed, developed and maintained from day one until the ribbon cutting!
- The Contract
- The General Conditions
- The Photos
- The Daily Job Logs
- The Meeting Minutes
- The Change Orders
Document every stage of your materials’ journey from your plant to the final product. If you don’t like quality control and building a file because it’s too expensive or you believe it’s a waste of time, then, when you do get dragged in … you won’t be able to easily drag yourself out. The finger ???? Will be pointing at you. YouDig?