The Home Depot A-Store Retail Remodeling
Retail
Open Store Remodel
The Project
From 2004 to 2006, The Home Depot had a corporate initiative to focus on and renovate their highest sales volume locations – the A-Stores throughout several regions. The renovations encompassed the entire store location – both interior and exterior – and had to be undertaken in an open store environment for an 18-week time period. Stakeholders mandated the stores needed to remain open for business as the renovations were underway.
The renovation projects included (but were not limited to):
Exterior Elements
- Vestibule area
- New signage
- Lighting
- Landscaping
- Parking lots
- Painting
- Architectural image upgrades
- Shipping/receiving areas
Interior Elements
- Roofing repairs
- Fire sprinklers
- Painting
- Lighting upgrades
- Relocation of HVAC systems
- Cleaning
- Insulation repairs
- Surveillance and security systems
- Check stand replacements
- Entry ways
- New merchandise layouts
- Restrooms
- Relocation of doors
- Service and Pro desks
- Flooring
- New racking displays
- Break rooms
The Home Depot engaged QPM to provide full Construction and Project Management services for over 30 open store remodel projects. QPM managed these remodel projects in the Midwest, Southeast and Northeastern portions of the United States, throughout all seasons, to ensure these sites were completed within timeline and budget.
The QPM Solution
Although The Home Depot had internal resources for managing these renovation projects, QPM was hired to serve as both regional and overflow assets to manage these projects due to the intensity of the on-site management requirements.
QPM’s first solution was to develop a strong project management team system to insure The Home Depot received consistent results regardless of renovation locale as well as meet the higher standards set by the Directors of Construction. Utilizing up to 3 account managers and up to 12 project managers throughout this program brought the proper oversight and consistency to the construction renovation and ensured execution within the 18-week process.
Secondly, QPM worked closely with the Home Depot staff and visited each store location to develop the renovation scope of work. Based on QPM’s working knowledge of The Home Depot corporate standards between facilities and maintenance, as well as their life cycle process for store equipment, QPM was able to develop site recommendations and cost estimates providing The Home Depot staff with the necessary information on how best to prioritize the renovation projects by site.
QPM also brought their expertise to the renovation projects by recommending a Master Scheduling Process to plan and monitor the 18-week process. Since stores had to remain open, the QPM scheduling process was crucial in phasing the renovations and helping to establish temporary display areas, when permanent merchandising areas were being renovated. QPM was able to manage the complex logistics of store display moves and contractor schedules via this process.
QPM also established a process for ‘clear out and hold’, which helped The Home Depot reduce inventories in the areas that were to be renovated, creating transitional hold areas in sections of the stores.
QPM worked closely with The Home Depot corporate procurement department for the needed store equipment. Due to very limited storage areas, QPM had to develop a process for relocating store departments, as well as storing the new displays or merchandise, while the new areas were underway.
Each QPM project manager worked closely with The Home Depot architect, real estate managers, contract administrators, procurement, store personnel, national vendors and contractors with:
- Permitting and site conditions
- Entitlement process
- Development of Scope of Work
- Development of Phasing pPlan
- Architectural drawing review
- Cost estimating and budgeting
- Color coordinated scheduling
- General contractor bid process and review
- On-site supervision
- Pre-bid meetings
- Store equipment orders
- Logistics and delivery schedules
- Quality control
- Reporting -- daily, nightly and weekly
- Change order review
- Scope sign-off and punch list
- Closeout documentation
QPM also introduced pre-negotiation meetings with union officials very early in the process. These meetings opened the lines of communication with the union reps to completely define the scope of work and proactively eliminate any territorial disputes. This step helped to insure the project schedule would be met and prevent project downtime.
The Results
Based on QPM’s ability to successfully manage these full-store renovation programs, The Home Depot awarded QPM additional locations throughout the United States. In addition, QPM was asked to assist at other Home Depot renovation locations that had been awarded to other contractors.
QPM’s unique master scheduling system set the standard for these complicated renovation projects. The scheduling system helped to minimize duration of store merchandise being displaced – creating a maximum direct move policy of moving merchandise only once.
QPM also instituted a ‘Greeter Program’ at the renovation sites so Home Depot employees could help direct customers to items of interest, since store merchandise was moving on a daily basis.
QPM’s comprehensive involvement allowed the renovation program to,run smoothly with minimal interruption to store operations, maintaining store revenues while the project was underway.
