The Pop-Up Factory

Let’s start here: I’m a manufacturing guy.

I didn’t grow up around excavators. I came out of college as a manufacturing engineer.

My job was to improve processes—to make machines run faster, smoother, and with fewer defects.

But eventually I realized…

Every business is manufacturing something.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a factory, a farm, or a field.

If you’re transforming inputs into outputs to deliver value—you’re in the business of manufacturing.

• A law firm manufactures legal outcomes.

• A restaurant manufactures meals and experiences.

• A coach manufactures clarity, direction, and accountability.

And civil contractors? They manufacture shaped land, installed pipe, completed roadways, etc.

Every project is a pop-up factory.

So the question is: Would Toyota be proud of the way you’re running it?

Manufacturing Done Right: The Toyota Way

Toyota didn’t become legendary because they built cool cars.
They became legendary because they built a system.

One that prioritized quality, reliability, and efficiency.

They figured out that improving a process doesn’t start with brainstorming new ideas.
It starts with doing the work perfectly—then improving it.

Toyota’s 3 Rules for Improving a Process

1. Make sure the work is standardized (documented and accessible)

2. Make sure the standard work is executed perfectly

3. Then—and only then—improve the standard to reduce waste

Let me break this down.

1. Standardize the Work

If the work isn’t written down, it’s not standard.
If it’s not accessible, it won’t be followed.
And if everyone’s doing it differently, then you’re not running a process—you’re gambling with your outcomes.

Most civil contractors skip this entirely.

They treat every job like a brand-new adventure.
Relying on tribal knowledge.
No documentation. No visual controls. No checklists.

Just “we’ve got good people, we’ll figure it out.”

But that’s not how high-performing systems work.

Standard work is your foundation.
It’s the recipe. The playbook. The expectation.
And when you don’t have one? You don’t get consistency—you get chaos.

2. Execute the Standard

Standard work doesn’t matter if nobody follows it.

Let me say that again—a documented process that isn’t executed is just wishful thinking.

The best manufacturers in the world don’t just write down their standards.
They train, observe, and correct constantly to ensure it’s followed.
Execution isn’t about perfection—it’s about discipline.

In the dirt world, this looks like:

• Crews setting up jobsites the same way every time

• Paperwork flowing through the same path every project

• Pre-task planning that isn’t random—it’s routine

When your team knows the playbook and follows it, you eliminate variation.
And eliminating variation is the first step to eliminating stress.

3. Improve the Standard

Once the standard is followed and stable—now you improve it.

You look for friction, rework, and wasted steps.
You simplify, automate, or eliminate.
And because the baseline is solid, you’ll see those problems faster.

But if you try to improve a process that isn’t stable?
You’re just decorating the chaos.
You might make it prettier, but it’s still a mess underneath.

This is why Toyota improves faster than everyone else.
They don’t confuse “change” for “improvement.”
They only improve a process that’s being done the same way, every day.

Civil Construction is Manufacturing. Period.

Let’s kill the myth that “every project is different.”

Yes, the terrain changes.
Yes, the scope changes.
But 90% of the process is the same across jobs.

That means you can—and should—standardize:

• How you onboard a new project

• How you prep and mobilize

• How you measure production

• How you schedule work

• How you manage material delivery

• How you report issues

Each job is a new location for your pop-up factory.
But the factory itself? It should look the same every time.

What Happens Without Standards?

You get exceptional work.

And I don’t mean great work.
I mean unpredictable work. Variable work.

Some days are incredible.
Other days? You’re throwing money in a bonfire and calling it “part of the process.”

Here’s what a lack of standard work produces:

• Inconsistent margins

• Rework that never shows up on the estimate

• Schedule slippage blamed on “the job”

• Constant firefighting from your foremen

• Burned out team members

• Chaotic handoffs between office and field

And eventually?
It eats away at your cashflow, your confidence, and your credibility.

Uptime vs. Rework: A Manufacturing Lesson

In manufacturing, we track uptime—the percentage of time a machine is running and productive.

But uptime isn’t the only metric.
You can have high uptime and still be producing junk.

If you’re producing defects, you’re just creating expensive rework faster.
That’s worse than downtime.

Same applies in dirt.

Your machines might be moving all day.
But if they’re digging in the wrong spot, laying pipe incorrectly, or working from a confusing plan—you’re producing defects at full throttle.

You don’t need more uptime.
You need better outcomes.

Fancy Equipment, Empty Wallets

Let’s talk about the elephant in the dirt lot—equipment ownership.

A lot of folks want to own their machines. Paint them. Sticker them up. Make them “theirs.” It feels good.

Makes you feel like you’re building something big.

But here’s the hard truth:

If the customer doesn’t care about it, they’re not paying for it. You are.

You’re buying iron to impress people who don’t sign your checks.
And the costs are real:

• Downtime between jobs is your problem

• Idle machines still need insurance, maintenance, and storage

• You start filtering jobs through the lens of your equipment, not your capabilities

The end result?

You own the machine.
But the machine owns your flexibility, your profitability, and your focus.

Yes, there’s a time to own equipment.
But only when it pencils out financially, not emotionally.

Want to Build a Lean Dirt Business?

Then think like a manufacturer:

• Standardize the work.

• Execute the standard.

• Improve it, relentlessly.

Every crew member should know what “right” looks like.
Every project should follow the same rhythm.
Every task should have a clear standard, not a tribal story.

And when you do that?

• Rework goes down.

• True productivity goes up.

• Margins stabilize.

• Stress shrinks.

• Cashflow grows.

That’s the power of standard work.

Use the Right Tool for the Job

If you want standard work to stick—you need the right tool for the job.

That tool is GembaDocs.

Why? Because GembaDocs makes it easy and simple to create, improve, and access your processes.

• It’s fast and easy to document standard work.

• It’s simple to update when you find better ways to work.

• It’s visible and accessible for your whole team—on any device.

Here’s the reality:
If your team can’t find the standard easily, they won’t follow it.

Ease of access matters more than you think.
When you make it dead simple for your crews to see the right way, it becomes dead simple for them to do the right work.

Stop letting “we didn’t know” be an excuse for chaos.
Give your team the playbook they need—where they can actually find it.

👉 Try GembaDocs free for 30 days
👉 Use code ZACK10 for 10% off

Final Word

You don’t need another strategy session.
You need a system.

Standard work isn’t sexy.
But you know what is?

Predictable profits. Less chaos. More freedom.
That’s the real flex.

Let’s build a pop-up factory you’re proud of.

Not sure where to start?
That’s exactly what I help dirt contractors do.
I’ll walk you through how to build your first standard—and how to get your team to actually follow it.

Book a free 30-minute call and I’ll show you how to make standard work stick.