Why your painting business needs a production manager

Say goodbye to slippery schedules and blown budgets with the dynamite combo of a talented production manager empowered by proven systems.
Does your painting company employ a production manager?

Are you sure?

Just because you have someone carrying the card doesn’t mean they’re doing the job. At least not the real job of a production manager.

Believe it or not, production management doesn’t need to be approached as a “hope-for-the-best” endeavor. There are methods that can be applied to virtually guarantee your projects go smoothly and successfully.

But it starts with truly understanding what the role of a production manager entails, how to recognize when you’ve got a great one, and what you as a leader can do to support them.

This overview explains all of the above for painting business owners who are tired of watching their well-intentioned projects turn into murky hot messes.

Why is painting production management important?

Even if your jobs are relatively straightforward and not overly sizable, take on enough of those and you’ll soon find yourself pulling your hair out trying to keep track of where each one is at and how much it’s cost so far.

Production management becomes ever more vital the bigger you grow, and the vibe of your projects will have a massive impact on virtually every aspect of your business.

Still doubting whether production management matters? Here are just a few reasons it’s worth taking seriously:

• You can scale through speed – When your projects are well run, you finish them faster and can get started on new work. (And get more money rolling in… 💲)
• You can ramp up profits – Smoother projects mean you meet your budgets, which correlates to bigger margins. What’s not to love?
• You can have happier customers – When the schedule is on track it leaves time to make sure everything is perfect.
• You can attract talent – Stable projects are a major job perk. When word gets out, painters will be clamoring to work for your company.
• You can have more fun – When you know your projects are under control, it frees you up to enjoy life beyond them. Your friends and family will thank your production manager.

Is poor production management affecting your painting business?

There are a number of telltale signs that less-than-admirable production management might be negatively impacting your business.

Because production management is so integral to your operations, if it’s not being handled properly, it’ll almost certainly have knock-on effects.

Here are some of the major ones to look out for:

• Your net profit margin has a negative sign in front of it.
• Your gross profit margin is pitiful.
• Your projects never finish on time.
• The current state of your projects’ budgets is anybody’s guess.
• Your blood pressure goes up every time you see a customer calling.
• Somehow even a minor change order can derail a project completely.

What does a painting production manager do?

A production manager has two main responsibilities on painting projects:

1. Oversee the SCHEDULE
2. Maintain the BUDGET

Ideally, they should have control of both elements in order to make decisions in the best interest of the project and its successful completion.

Traits of an exceptional painting production manager

Your individual painting projects may not be extremely complex. Or maybe they are. Either way, whether they’re dealing with fewer complicated projects, or a multitude of simpler ones, there are certain qualities that make a production manager stand out.

Here are the main ones, in no particular order:

⭐ Analytical – they can break things down in a way that’s easily comprehensible.

⭐ Problem-Solver – they’re resourceful and able to overcome obstacles.

⭐ Organized – if they don’t have an immediate answer, they know where to find it.

⭐ Aligned – their values match those of your company.

⭐ Tech-savvy – they know their way around production management platforms.

⭐ Personable – they can be trusted on the frontlines of dealing with customers.

As you can see, the requirements for the job span both hard and soft skills. The ideal candidate should be as good at managing people as they are at managing spreadsheets. No small ask, obviously, but that’s what makes a great one so valuable.

How to manage your production manager

Alright. So, let’s say you’ve found your dream production manager. They tick all the boxes. They’re ready to hit the ground running.

Are you?

To get your working relationship off on the right foot, and ensure your production manager is able to rock their A-game, there are a couple systems you’ll want to have in place.

Employment Agreements

A clear and detailed employment agreement sets out the following:

• Expectations of the role
• Responsibilities (namely, managing the painting projects’ budget and schedule!)
• Rewards for meeting the defined goals

Don’t take for granted that bestowing the title of production manager on someone is enough definition to cover off the above. Especially in the painting trade, the role can take on many shades and it serves both your and your production manager’s purposes to know exactly where the lines of the job are.

The agreement should also cover the entirety of the compensation package. Incentives provide motivation, and people are more likely to reach goals if they actually know what they’re striving towards.

Writing employment agreements from scratch can be tough so bypass the blank page with this Employment Agreement template designed specifically for production managers.

Accountability

Once you’ve got the employment agreement worked out, it’s time to set up a Goal Setting & Review (GSR) system. This tool takes the expectations outlined in the contract and breaks them down into weekly goals.

You then set up regular meetings with your production manager to check in on each item and set the goals to focus on for the upcoming stretch of time.

It helps keep your production manager on track and infuses accountability into their day-to-day activities. It also provides you better visibility into the progress of your painting projects.

To learn more about the GSR system, take a look at this free web class. We’ve also developed a GSR template to get you started with implementing this powerful system.

How to effectively manage painting projects

Whether it involves large-scale commercial or smaller residential painting projects, there are a couple core elements that you really shouldn’t try to do without. While project scopes may vary, these essentials remain as steadfast as an oil-based stain.

Communication

Bottom line, it’s impossible to run a smooth project without proper communication. We’d dare you to try it… but the likelihood is, this is one lesson you’ve likely already learned the hard way.

Communication is an absolute foundation of any successful project. Which is why it’s important to have a plan for how it will be handled. At a minimum, the strategy should cover:

• Which stakeholders your production manager should maintain regular contact with
• How often they should be in touch
• What topics or items should be covered

Getting in front of your communications will save you from a lot of headaches (and angry phone calls) down the road.

Project Status Updates

Project status updates should really be considered non-negotiable when it comes to dealing with customers. These updates could involve face-to-face meetings, quick phone calls or simple emails, whichever works best for everyone.

The important thing is that they happen on a regular cadence, ideally every week or two, and include the following:

• Current actual costs relative to the budget
• Whether the project is on schedule
• Any pending or upcoming decisions the customer needs to make

If you’d like to nerd out further on the wonders of project management, we’ve wrapped these concepts – plus a few more – into a visually rich ebook, which you can download here.

Pro tips for painting production management

We’ll leave you with a few tips from elite painting contractors who have achieved substantial profit margins thanks to embracing a solid production management system.

• You don’t want just any production manager – you want one that’s the right fit for your company’s culture.
• Use a financial tracking system so you know you’re able to offer a competitive compensation package when adding a production manager to your team. (This budget quick tool is a great place to start!)
• Get vendor invoices into your tracking system as soon as possible so you always have an up-to-date picture of where the budget stands.
• Leverage tech! It can help projects run as smoothly as a fresh coat of satin finish. A recommended and user-friendly platform for capturing progress on your painting projects is CompanyCam.

Remember that every project is a building block for your business. It solidifies relationships with customers. It inspires your team members. It shows the world a better way to do things. Manage them right, and your projects will pay you back many times over.

Learn more about how solid production management can help motivate your teams and achieve larger profits for your painting company.