CHAOS in your business can be like an all-consuming fire!
I’ve heard many an owner or manager say, “My title should be head fireman, as I’m constantly putting out fires; those non-conforming, system-busting events, that cause me sleepless nights!”
Consequently, it makes me wonder, how much time these “firemen” spend seeking the real source of those “fires”—the root cause!
Actual firemen know you can’t have a fire if you don’t have a source.
In like manner, if an owner or manager would take time to eradicate the source of the chaos, the fires could be extinguished permanently.
Imagine, being able to determine the source of every fire in your business. More importantly, you could finally take off your fireman’s hat, put on your marketing hat, and really GROW your business! After all, isn’t that what you set out to do in the beginning of your business ownership adventure? Moreover, wouldn’t it be nice to get away from your business without worrying that the whole place might go up in flames?
How to Extinguish Those Flames of CHAOS Forever!
So, where do you start eliminating the source of those fires?
You start by making a commitment to bring order to your business. Therefore, no matter how “small” the fire, you’re not ONLY going to put it out, but also search out the ROOT CAUSE. By all means, with the help of your team, commit to installing a SYSTEM to ensure the elimination of the source of the fire for good!
Don’t Buy the Lie that Chaos is normal in business | It is NOT normal!
So, you ask, “What kind of SYSTEM will end my firefights and extinguish all the chaos, permanently?” To emphasize, the SYSTEM I am touting is a network of systems that work in concert to stop fires, before they start. In other words, a symphony of order, an operations manual, consisting of quality assurance checklists, procedures, policies, and daily routine checklist, etc. In addition, using comprehensive project or job management software, field process management software and/or CRM – customer relationship management software.
A Simple Quality Control Checklists Can Save Thousands
I have seen simple Quality Control Checklists save companies thousands of dollars a year. The company where I first observed these flame-ending systems working, was my own! Since then, I have heard numerous testimonials of success using these systems—from our employees, our clients and now companies all over the world.
True Story, just one example of an element to use in a fire-retardant system…
The first time our company used a Quality Control Checklist it was an enormous success, as it proved its worth! Essentially, we wanted to stop the errors (fires) in our press room, because we were burning up a lot of money. Recurring errors were causing other small fires to break out all over our company. Therefore, we developed a Quality Control Checklist for ensuring the quality and accuracy of a job BEFORE printing began.
On day one, I walked into the press room with the control checklist and gathered everyone in production around a table. This would be a demonstration of the correct use of a QC checklist. I asked a press operator to set up a letterhead print job and get it ready for approval. After he made ready his press, and printed the first letterhead sheet, he brought it to me for checking and approval.
I took the new checklist, along with the Job Ticket containing the specifications for printing the letterhead, and started reviewing the checklist, one item/prompt at a time.
Prompt #1: INK COLOR CORRECT
I compared the color of ink on the letterhead with the ink specified on the Job Ticket. It was correct. I made a check in the box by the prompt.
Prompt #2: PAPER TYPE CORRECT
I checked the paper type of the letterhead with the paper type specified on the Job Ticket; also correct. So, I put a check by it.
Prompt #3: PAPER COLOR CORRECT
The Job Ticket specification called for a gray-colored paper. So, I looked at the color of stock we were about to print. It was CREAM-colored. We had the WRONG color paper, and we were about to print 10,000 letterheads, incorrectly. You should have seen the expression on everyone’s faces!
This Checklist Stopped the Fires (ERRORS) in Production
Yessss!!! The very first time we used a checklist, it saved a job from having to be reprinted, and us from having an unhappy customer. It also saved us a great deal of expense! I didn’t have to convince anybody that using a checklist saved time and money. I believe that was providential, as we started out with our first system to stop fires at their source. It worked! Chaos is NOT normal!!
As a matter of fact, the person operating the press that day became one of our strongest supporters of the checklist system. His rework, due to errors, almost went to zero by using this Quality Control Checklist.
Thousands of dollars and hours have been saved using control checklists throughout our companies. They can make the difference between success and failure. Quality Control Systems are the best fire extinguishers for any business!
What’s under the hood of your fire truck?
Did I mention? Great systems work?
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