A Real World Postmortem: Northern Tool & Equipment

Recently Sykes completed a build-out of the newest Northern Tool and Equipment store in North Texas, their Plano location.  We used our 5-Step Process throughout the project and it culminated in a project-completing postmortem analysis of the store.

The team (pictured on the left) featured project management and executives from both of our companies.  As a natural part of this process, we took these steps:

• Reviewed the build-out process
• Discussed what worked and what didn't
• Applied the "lessons learned" to the next project
• Discussed next steps (in terms of this project and future projects)

This meeting had extra benefits, too:

• Nothing replaces face-to-face contact. Since Northern Tool is a Minnesota-based company and Sykes is located in North Texas, meeting face-to-face made communication easier and more clear.
• Recommendations and referrals were more natural for both sides.

We highly recommend the postmortem meeting as a way to cement the bond between contractor/designer and customer/end user.

The Sykes Team