Stuart suggests: Go to your office, get a cup of coffee, turn on your radio, fire up the computer, check the sports icon, get the game scores, check your e-mails, read your calendar, sync your phone, call your girlfriend or vendor buddy, schedule a meeting, check your texts, send a few texts, talk to your foreman, or send a memo.
You still can do this if this is your routine, to each his or her own style – after all, who am I to suggest a routine change? – but a 10-minute method to know what has happened since you sent your last e-mail the day before is much easier. Here are some tips:
1. Set up a shelf in a direct path to your office and have all the techs place the majority of parts replaced in the previous time frame. This should include all parts, seals, bearing, valves – whatever was changed, although maybe not greasing brake shoes or drums. Why? When you walk by it, you can in three seconds formulate a snapshot of what went on since yesterday. You can quickly see what has been changed and inspect those old parts if you so desire. You can also see if someone else, who is supposed to be doing that anyways, has checked ahead of you or has the answers to your questions.
2. Walk over to the steel bin or disposal area and also observe what was replaced. You maybe quite surprised!
3. Tour the trash cans. Surprise! There may be a few cents per mile or a lack of common sense lingering in your eyesight. Techs tend to throw away parts that probably are good or could be easily repaired. I’ve seen them spend company time neatly storing and sorting aluminum cans to take home for the deposit or cash value, but will throw out good cores and good bearings that have additional life. While they can understand the value of recycling cans, it’s sometimes hard for them to understand the value of company assets they toss away.
If you take time to look around on the way to your office, in just a few minutes you can see more than rooting through your computer, reading exception reports and having a meeting. Consider having your shop manager, shop foreman, lead person or parts person do the same. The displayed parts represent dollars in parts or productivity, money that better control may be able to save.
E-mail comments or questions to Darry at [email protected]. For more information, visit www.darrystuart.com.