Results at Work: A New Approach to an Old Problem Improves Productivity and Saves Money
Here’s an example of how a fresh approach to staffing and scheduling optimized production:
The Problem:
A manufacturer of custom cabinetry employs a wide variety of specifically trained workers. Due to employee absences and last-minute call-offs, supervisors were spending hours every day shifting associates around to cover the spots left by absent temporary and direct employees. Not surprisingly, this hampered the facility’s ability to meet their daily production quotas.
The Solution:
Develop a simple, yet highly effective solution to their problem:
- Modify their call-off system to ensure that all absences were reported directly to active coordinators and were reported via email to all plant supervisors before the next shift started.
- Help management roll out the new system by creating an employee newsletter. In the newsletter, inform all associates of the updates and provide them with stickers (to be placed on the backs of their ID badges) that list the new call-off number.
- Each day, staffing coordinators field phone calls, and then compile and email all absences directly to the client–prior to the shift’s start.
The Results:
The simple solution yielded a much more efficient start to production shifts. By providing the management team with vital staffing information prior to their daily huddle meetings, associates are now flexed among departments almost instantaneously–helping them get started on their tasks much more quickly.
Productivity and efficiency has improved for this manufacturer, saving them time, money and a ton of aggravation in the process!
