The Home Depot - Exit Sign Surveys
Retail
Site Surveys
The Project
In a proactive effort to update and and confirm the status of store emergency exit signs, The Home Depot asked QPM to conduct a comprehensive survey of exit signs at 2,200 locations nationwide.
Because the signs contain tritium, a chemical that allows the signs to glow even without electricity, emergency exit signs must be registered with the federal government. While The Home Depot had documentation for signs installed across the country, they were not confident that all information was accurate. In the event the government required a full audit of all signs, The Home Depot could face a substantial per-sign penalty for missing information. With 20 signs per store, the retailer could conceivably face fines in the tens of millions of dollars.
The client established a 14-week timeline for the 2,200 surveys to be completed. Surveys would include the location, make, model and serial number of each sign.
The QPM Solution
QPM established a comprehensive plan for gaining required information in the 14-week timeframe.
First, QPM research the signs ahead of time, including sign types and how they are mounted, to ensure that QPM representations were familiar with likely installations before visiting stores. The company also developed a survey form and a process to provide The Home Depot with real-time updates via QPM’s proprietary software, QPM ProTrack.
During the planning process, other Home Depot departments requested additional information be gathered during the surveys. QPM offered to provide this service and gather information on lighting types and generators, as well as to gather exterior photographs of each store.
The Results
QPM completed all assessments within the allotted timeframe, and provided The Home Depot with comprehensive data on all 2,200 locations. Because of the QPM team’s experience with all aspects of site construction and maintenance, QPM was able to gather additional data as part of the sign survey process, saving The Home Depot significant fees and providing an accurate, up-to-date survey of various aspects of all 2,200 store assets in the U.S.
QPM’s fees for this initiative were less than 20% of those that the client would have incurred by using electricians or lighting companies, and QPM’s expertise allowed the company to gather additional equipment data that would not have been possible with one of those vendors.
