A CASE STUDY:

Rammed Earth Pedestals

Scaling Complex Cross-Functional Operations in Unique Project Environments

THE CHALLENGE

Managing Multi-Team Production Workflows Under Tight Constraints

I led the operational design and execution of a first-of-its-kind installation requiring specialized materials and coordination of multiple teams across different locations. An entire coordinated workflow system had to be created without any existing playbook and limited process documentation.

I orchestrated a 10-person team, including 3 external specialists, across a multi-floor operation. Each team member brought different expertise and constraints, requiring careful coordination to ensure seamless handoffs and maintain quality standards.

Research and Requirements Management

The project required sourcing and managing 5 tons of custom soil blend with precise technical specifications—a specialized material unavailable through standard channels.

This immediately expanded the scope into uncharted territory requiring extensive vendor research and custom solutions. I evaluated over 20 different vendors across California. As a primary example of how tenuous these specialized and unique art installation projects can be, only 1 of those 20 vendors could meet the requirements. Nobody else even had the equipment or the expertise.

Making a SketchUp model of the space and equipment was a very helpful visualization tool

Process Design & Workflow Optimization

Operational System Design

Our facility's loading dock limitations required designing a custom material flow from ground level to second-floor installation while minimizing dust and mess from the mixing process.

Primary Challenges

Soil Storage We needed to avoid creating a massive pile on our dock floor that would disable operations and create inefficiencies. After evaluating multiple options—off-site storage with daily transport, multiple supplier runs, and even repurposing a cattle water tank—I proposed extending our dump-truck rental by two weeks to use as an on-dock container. This solution was compact, mobile when needed, and allowed us to park it in the dock overnight.

Soil Movement The project required transporting approximately 500 heavy 5-gallon buckets of wet soil mix from ground level to the second floor via freight elevator. Initial solutions involved manual lifting up 10-foot stairs or deadlifting to the 4-foot dock level—physically demanding and inefficient.

I designed a streamlined workflow:

  • Rented a material lift with pallet platform to eliminate heavy lifting

  • Added dollies to roll buckets from mixing station to lift

  • Adding a ramp to the pallet edge allowed for smooth transitions

Final Flow: Dry soil → electric mixer → 5-gallon buckets on dollies → material lift via ramp → dock level → freight elevator → second floor → pouring team. This eliminated lifting buckets more than 6 inches and created an efficient 500+ repetition process.

Primary Challenges

Soil Storage We needed to avoid creating a massive pile on our dock floor that would disable operations and create inefficiencies. After evaluating multiple options—off-site storage with daily transport, multiple supplier runs, and even repurposing a cattle water tank—I proposed extending our dump-truck rental by two weeks to use as an on-dock container. This solution was compact, mobile when needed, and allowed us to park it in the dock overnight.

Soil Movement The project required transporting approximately 500 heavy 5-gallon buckets of wet soil mix from ground level to the second floor via freight elevator. Initial solutions involved manual lifting up 10-foot stairs or deadlifting to the 4-foot dock level—physically demanding and inefficient.

I designed a streamlined workflow:

  • Rented a material lift with pallet platform to eliminate heavy lifting

  • Added dollies to roll buckets from mixing station to lift

  • Adding a ramp to the pallet edge allowed for smooth transitions

Final Flow: Dry soil → electric mixer → 5-gallon buckets on dollies → material lift via ramp → dock level → freight elevator → second floor → pouring team. This eliminated lifting buckets more than 6 inches and created an efficient 500+ repetition process.

Cross-Functional Team Coordination

The project operated under an inflexible hard deadline with zero tolerance for delays. Therefore the plan needed to maximize productivity while taking into account staff experience and comfort levels, 3 external vendors, and a highly complex process.

Balancing technical requirements with facility constraints my team and I designed custom workflows, established safety protocols, and implemented quality control systems across multiple handoff points.

Managing Workflow

To manage a 10-person team across 2 floors, establishing clear communication channels and a real-time coordination system from a central control point was essential.

By positioning operational control at the critical bottleneck—the mixing station—I developed delivery timing protocols and feedback loops that maintained consistent production flow with quality control at each handoff point. Throughout the project, I balanced technical requirements with facility constraints while managing expectations across multiple internal and external stakeholders through regular updates and proactive challenge communication.

This experience developed my systematic approaches to managing complexity, uncertainty, and cross-functional collaboration—skills that directly translate to designing user experiences in ambiguous problem spaces where established patterns don't exist.

Results & Impact

Delivery Success:

  • Ahead of schedule delivery despite first-time process complexity

  • Zero safety incidents throughout 3-week intensive operation

  • 100% quality compliance with technical specifications and aesthetic requirements

Process Innovation:

  • Created reusable operational framework for similar complex installations

  • Developed scalable workflow documentation for future projects

  • Established vendor evaluation criteria for specialized requirements

Team Performance:

  • Maintained high team performance throughout physically demanding 3-week operation

  • Successful integration of external specialists with internal team

  • Effective resource utilization with no material waste or timeline delays

Operational Efficiency:

  • Transformed standard facility into specialized production environment

  • Optimized work flow reducing manual handling by 70%

  • Created cost-effective alternative to standard delivery/installation methods

Key Skills Demonstrated

  • Process Design: Created complex operational workflows from scratch

  • Cross-Functional Leadership: Managed diverse teams across multiple locations

  • Resource Management: Optimized allocation of specialized equipment and materials

  • Risk Management: Identified and mitigated operational risks proactively Stakeholder Communication: Maintained alignment across multiple internal/external parties

  • Quality Assurance: Implemented systematic quality control measures

  • Problem Solving: Developed innovative solutions to unique operational challenges