Challenge
This project was slated to be the 300th Ronald McDonald House internationally, which led to rigid schedule milestones, including winter construction, in order to ensure a specific opening date. A major challenge involved swift and effective resolution of issues which occurred during construction, in order to minimize any impact to schedule or cost without compromising the integrity of the House. The construction site posed an additional challenge, as it was located on an active major medical center campus, which necessitated communication with multiple entities, including administration, IT, security, and other construction companies, and assurance that the medical center's operations continued to function normally.
Success
Recognizing that the established opening date was crucial, Northstar took a proactive approach and produced an overall master project schedule that included not only construction, but all items, such as furniture, fixtures, equipment, IT, artwork, and scheduling of public events. Coupling this with proactive communication to the hospital and continuous monitoring of the construction schedule proved to be the key management factor that led to on-time project completion and a new house ready for families in need.