THE EFFICIENT SHOP
by Gero Sassenberg
woodnet@carolina.rr.com
Get ready for
pent-up demand
Now is the time to get
your operation in order.
If ever there was a time to get your business up to snuff, it is now. I have spoken
to several woodworking companies that
tell me that they are half the size they
were a couple of years ago. Everyone,
residential, commercial and government
is holding back, which leads to one conclusion: a lot of pent up demand is being
created. What a great opportunity to get
all your ducks in a row, because once
busy again there will be no time to do so.
Right now, to be sure, for many of you
survival is key. But remember the tide
will turn, and if you are around supply
will be short.
Take a fresh look
Now is the time to look at your operation with fresh eyes by first stepping
back. Examine your core competency.
Jettison all other functions. When the
time is right, which is now, start dialog
with suppliers who have specialized
in those disciplines you do not have or
want.
Next ensure that you have the tools
to manage and convey your customers’
requirements to your shop and your
suppliers. Examine your operations
from receipt of inquiry to fulfillment of
the contract and reduce redundancies. Make sure that the right people fill
the necessary slots. Be mindful of not
introducing redundancies based on your
staff’s past performances or expectations.
Opportunity for change
If a cultural change suggests itself
one operator.
©Simon Moore / Dreamstime.com
If your opportunity cost
is $100 per hour, every
minute lost is $1.67 of
productivity that has
vanished forever. That’s
a cool $20,000 a year for
in your business, now too is an excellent opportunity to initiate it. First, take
a fresh look at the environment in your
house. This task falls on owners and
managers, very much a top down thing,
as the rest of the staff cannot initiate
this. Ask yourself what can be done with
minimal investment to improve the look
and feel of your surroundings. Examine
the rules and dictates imposed upon
your staff. Are they still meaningful? My
experience is the fewer rules the better
but those that stay must be firm.
It is important to share your intent
with everyone. People are more fearful of
change if left in the dark.
Plant upgrades
Take a hard look at the plant. Examine
each workstation and clearly define the
function of it. Can the steps required to
complete the goods be reduced? Can a
workstation be eliminated? Does each
workstation have every tool always at
hand? Is the flow between workstations
in harmony? Is the path from workstation
to workstation as short as possible? Do
you have machinery sitting around from
the past which appear to be too good to
remove?
If the space available is simply used
because you have it, invariably there is
too much of it. On every consulting job
I have done over the years, at least 20
percent of the space was misused or
unnecessary.
Think of this. If the output of your
shop or plant is generated by the operators on the shop floor, and your expectation must be that the opportunity cost of
each one of them is say $100 per hour,
for every minute that is lost, $1.67 of
productivity has vanished forever. That’s
a cool $20,000 a year for that operator.
Pursue this line of thinking and
before you know it you are on the path
to becoming a lean organization. If you
fully engage your staff in the process by
allowing them to execute the changes,
everyone will benefit beyond their wild-est dreams. ❮
Gero Sassenberg’s experience in the
woodworking industry spans more
than 30 years on three continents. He
has provided valuable advice to a wide
variety of businesses over the years. For
more information about his consulting
services, contact him directly at
woodnet@carolina.rr.com.
