When will you say ENOUGH, and STOP REWORK!
There have been many things I’ve found myself shaking my head over in the past few years. You’d think I’d get used to it!
However, I still shake my head in disbelief, receiving phone calls from certain desperate business owners. These are the ones who have previously made a resolution to change the way they run their business, only to find themselves in the same old mess!
“Philip, I can’t take it anymore,” begins the call, as an owner relives his pain. “I’m tired of the same old mindless errors and working 12+ hours a day to keep up!”
I recall that, this time last year, the owner had determined to implement systems to end the messes. But, hearing the same frustrated voice on the other end of the phone, it’s apparent he just never got around to it. He tells me, “Now the cost is becoming unbearable; things just seem to be getting worse!”
In one of the education videos on our Website, I point out that: ONLY YOU, the owner, knows HOW MUCH PAIN you can take before you’ll commit to bringing ORDER to your business.
Consider the following…
An employee comes running into your office to inform you that your top customer just called, very upset with the mistake on a job your company just delivered. They have threatened to take their business elsewhere.
And then what?
You quickly assemble your team in order to find out what happened, and to plan how to rerun the job, at break-neck speed. You inform everyone involved with the error that they need to focus; pay more attention, so as NOT to repeat the mistake.
And then what?
A day or so goes by, and a top salesperson informs you he/she is not happy. The rep just landed a big account, stuck his/her neck out with a promise of on-time delivery, and now the customer is fuming, because production just informed the salesperson (on the very day the job was to be delivered), that the customer’s deadline can’t be met.
And then what?
You decide enough is enough, and you call another meeting with the production crew to find out what the devil is going on. Tempers flare and a big deal is made of the late delivery. You particularly want to reassure this top salesperson that you’re serious about customer satisfaction. You know losing the rep could be very detrimental to your business.
And then what?
Changing Personnel Won’t Stop Rework
Well, you change some personnel, and everyone seems motivated and focused for a while. Things seem to have calmed down in production, and all is quiet. (Does Mount St. Helens come to mind?)
And then what?
A bomb drops and the mindless mistakes, errors and missed deadlines rear their ugly heads again.
And then what?
You say to yourself, “That’s it!” and decide to implement real solutions. You will no longer rely solely on so called “great” people. No more unplanned and unscheduled meetings, walking the production floor, and riding herd on everyone to make sure everything run smoothly.
Yep, you’re “REALLY gonna do it, this time”—implement a proven method with well-thought-out written processes and quality controls, in which everyone plays a part, is held accountable, and reaps the benefits as a team. Right?
Yep, and THEN what?
The plant starts getting busy, and you become focused on bringing in new equipment to help with capacity and throughput. So, the decision is made to place ORDER and sustainable SYSTEMS on the back burner again, because those pesky “little” problems are now just a fading memory.
And then what?
Another year has flown by. Oh, you’re still frustrated because you just got burned again with a $10,000 rework. But (you tell yourself), the pain is bearable.
And then what?
You can’t believe it’s Christmas already. As they say, time flies when you’re having “fun”(?)!
Happy New Year… it’s… a new one!
Are you ready for a change? Ready to stop rework for good?
Did I mention? Great systems work!
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