Mark Sands Email & Phone Number

Through most of my career I’ve searched and worked to solve construction’s problem of fragmentation, and the unnecessary waste it creates. When I began my adventure, construction costs had escalated to about 20% higher than building materials and wage rates had, based on data records that began in 1967. The waste has grown five times that since, with today’s owners paying double, or more, what material and wage escalations warrant.In the early 1990s, my search led me to W. Edwards Deming, the quality and process improvement pioneer who is credited with helping reconstruct Japanese industry after WWII including the Toyota Production System. By the 1980's, American manufacturing was forced to embrace the resulting higher quality, higher production movement - albeit half-heartedly.Near the end of his life in 1993, Deming was asked how he wanted to be remembered. He responded by describing himself "as a man that tried to keep America from committing suicide." Thirty two years later, America is committing political, moral, and economic suicide - adding one trillion dollars to the national debt every 100 days. All of this is the result of poor decisions and management.Just as Deming saw the nation on a suicide mission, I saw the same in construction by the early 1990’s. At the time I was Vice President of West Michigan operations for The Christman Company, a successful and well managed builder. I resigned from Christman in 1996 after failing to inspire a Deming business model. For the last 28 years, I have pushed for Deming's management philosophy in the building planning, design, and construction. Deming's approach applies to all complex systems, especially construction.I co-founded Building Catalyst, construction’s first objective knowledge system, and critical first step to solving our fragmentation problem. I've also led the development and piloting of the processes required to implement Deming throughout the facility's life cycle.Nearing the end of my runway, my goal is to inspire and equip the next generation of systems thinkers to embrace an exciting and rewarding adventure to help solve the construction fragmentation dilemma.When not fighting construction fragmentation and waste, I work with formerly incarcerated men ready and willing to embrace God's plan for an abundant life.If asked, I'd sum it up this way, "Life is hard. I've messed it up. The world's gone mad. God loves me. Life is good."