Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1956-03-15
McKinsey
BuildinghdustryConaments
On McKinsey Reports Ideas
Memo ON McKinsey
BY Ronald HI. NesSen
Staff Reporter

Staff Reporter
(This Is the second in a
series on McKinsey and Co.'s
recommendations for imprOv-
ing the administration of the
Montgomery County school sys-
tenn, the background on, and
the reactions to those recon-
mendatiOns. This weeks article
continues consideration of the
management consultantS' pro-
spOsals in the field of school
construction. The names of
builders, suppIiers, and archi-
,tects quoted have been with
held because many are en-
gagged In school construction
Eds nOte.)
u Views Differ
! Architects and contractors lose
some of the humanity wher
commenting on McKinsey's rec.
concentrations for standardizing
construction materials, equip.
ment, appliances, and utilities.
"Some Standardization is good;'
TOO much standardization will
eliminate competitions" 1.-THE
recommendations on standardiza
ton hits close to home" Schools
have been standardized as much
as possible;;" Many, many items
Gould economically be standard
lied" Those are some of the con
flicting views of the building
trade.
McKinsey finds that one class
loom may have 10 electrical out.
lets while another room of iden
teal size and designed for the
same purpose will have five.
Hand basins, book shelving, hard
ware, cafeteria equipment, etc
are seen varying from school tc
school in quantity and quality
Because of the need for economies
created by limited funds"
The consultants believe that the
practice of permitting different
specifications for construction
materials in different school prof.
ects increase the cost of the cap.
ital program" because in some
cases materials of unnecessarily
high quality" are used; in other
cases "sub-standard materials"
are used, causing serious main.
tenance problems"
The McKinsey report recon-
mends the creation of a commit.
tee consisting of the supervisors
of site acquisition and planning,
construction, maintenance and
custodial, and cafeterias to ode.
Velop specifications for all build
ings, all furniture, and fixt,'
Iion-instructional equipment, ma
terials, and supplies"
One engineer, who says there
IS very little Standardization
now" believes that by spelling
out too precisely standards of
equipment and materials for
schools. the Board of Education
could eliminate some manufac-
tuners products entirely.
THE low prices gained in com
petitive bidding more than offset
the maintenance expense of serv.
icing many different brands"
The engineer believes, THE most
progressive school systems have
the least Standardization" AS an
example of external Standardized
ton carried to the extreme he
points to District of Columbia
schools. See one, you've seen
them ALL"
An architect believes that once
a board of education establishes
equipment and material stand
ards, it doesn't modify the stand
ards rapidly to keep up with new
advancements. A statement from
the area Chapter of the American
Institute of Architects exclaims,
Those of us who have had ex.
perience with government
Specifications are well aware
of the difficulties and delays in
volved in the restudy. evaluation
and modernization of government
Standards once they have been es,
tablished."
One builder would like TO see
standards "of size. not make" es.
tablished for blackboards, cabinet
doors, windows, hardware and
electrical fixtures. Another build
er says the construction industry
3tself has set standards for such
products as steel doors and alu.
minum windows. The same con
tractor says that by refusing the
plans of the prize.winning Lewis
dale school for the Tyack, Green
dale, District Heights, Parkway
and Adelphia schools. Prince
Georges County was able to save
money with the experiment into
external standardization.
The McKinsey report compli
mented supervisor of construc
ton James Sheldon and super
visor of maintenance George
Menke, for their informal eff
forts to establish a list of speci