Developing Company Standards, Feat. Jesse Powell

Developing Standards, Forms, and Processes in Construction

In today’s blog, we’re diving into an important topic that many construction leaders wrestle with: how to develop effective standards, forms, and processes that drive lean success. I was joined by Jesse Powell, a superintendent with nearly two decades of experience in the trades, who is now helping his company strengthen its lean journey.

From Carpenter to Superintendent

Jesse began his career as a carpenter and worked his way through apprentice, journeyman, and foreman roles. When a GC asked him to consider becoming a superintendent, he made the leap. Today, he works on projects ranging from $20M to $200M, and he’s preparing for the next step toward general superintendent.

What makes Jesse’s story powerful is how grounded he remains in the field experience that shaped him. He knows what it takes to build, and that perspective keeps his approach practical and people-focused.

Why Standards and Processes Matter

Jesse reached out with a simple but profound question: What should be on a company’s list of processes, procedures, and forms as part of its lean journey?

His company has multiple offices, each developing its own content. Instead of duplicating effort, Jesse took the initiative to gather input across regions and start building a shared foundation. His mindset is clear:

• Don’t reinvent the wheel if good processes already exist.
• Ensure consistency across regions.
• Keep it practical and tied to the reality of construction.

Lean Is About People

For Jesse, lean isn’t about buzzwords or fancy systems. At its core, it’s about respect for people especially the crews doing the actual building. His role as superintendent is to orchestrate and support, not dictate.

That aligns perfectly with what lean demands: top-down support, but also grassroots commitment. Jesse acknowledged that while some executives at his company are starting to see the value of lean, it’s still a work in progress to gain buy-in at every level.

Building the Checklist

Jesse and his team of 16 broke into small groups mixing PMs, PEs, and supers to begin developing checklists around critical phases like preconstruction, mobilization, and construction. Their plan is to build one to two processes each quarter, share them, and finalize collaboratively.

Some key checklist items discussed included:

• Preconstruction: constructability reviews, utility coordination, soils report review, long lead procurement, and owner specific requirements.
• Mobilization: trailer setup, jobsite signage, logistics plans, safety boards, and early trade preconstruction meetings.
• Construction: onboarding, delivery procedures, daily huddles, last planner system implementation, and worker amenities.

The Bigger Picture

This conversation reinforced something critical: administrative tasks like RFIs, submittals, or pay apps don’t make or break a project. What truly drives success are the foundational lean principles clear planning, strong systems, reliable flow, and respect for people.

As Jesse put it, success means showing the value of these processes to leadership and steadily climbing the ladder to influence companywide practices.

Key Takeaway

The path to lean success isn’t about creating endless paperwork it’s about building simple, practical standards that respect the people doing the work and provide consistency across projects and regions. Start small, collaborate, and refine together.