Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/717930
32 • september 2016 • world fence news into the office first: • Limit time on the cell phone to company business only, with the obvi- ous exception of a family emergency. Let's be honest here: on average an office staff probably spends one to two hours per day gabbing on the phone and texting. This adds up, even if you think it does not, and costs the company thousands of dollars per year in lost productivity. • Another thing is web surfing. No web surfing for personal business on the computer. Use your time pro- ductively, for company business only! Again, this is costing the firm possibly thousands of dollars in wasted time and productivity. • If you are responsible for pur- chasing office supplies or equipment, get at least three competitive bids on major purchases. I am not talking about a few pen- cils here and there, but buying in bulk when possible and checking multiple vendors for costly computers and ac- counting or other software. Paying too much for raw materi- als or equipment and not shopping for the very best price from your vendors is irresponsible. Find the best price for things you need! • Find ways to do your job better and more efficiently. Only you can do this. No one can really tell you the best and most efficient way to do your work, you know better than anyone. Next, a sample look at what waste may look like in the field: • If you have a company vehicle and/or gas card, be efficient in your use of the car or truck and the com- pany gas card. This is designated for company related travel only, not for personal use. • Again, time on cell phones either talking or texting to friends or signif- icant others is a no-no. Limit time on the cell phone to company business only, again with the obvious exception of a family emergency. • Always try to find ways to do your job better and more efficiently. Some crews are naturally quicker and provide a higher caliber of workman- ship than others. Learn from the best crews how to work better and faster. No one can really tell you the best and most efficient way to do your work than them. Let the best lead you and show you the best fabrication or installation methods. • This may seem like a no-brain- er, but always try to finish a job in the field before you return to the shop whenever possible, especially when you are far away and only need a little more time to complete the job. Call a supervisor if you are uncertain wheth- er or not to finish in the field, but be efficient in your work. • Another area is loading mate- rials correctly and quickly, either the day before or in a quick and orderly fashion early in the morning. I have seen so much "morning mayhem" in my consulting job. Al- most every fence company in America could use help here. We do not want to leave out our friends and coworkers in the shop and/or yard. Here are a few pearls of wisdom for them to ponder: • My obvious first choice here is to conserve materials, limit dropoffs and reduce scrap. You do the job and know the best way for this to happen. Tell your supervisor if you have an idea on how to reduce waste in the shop/yard. I have seen loads of very usable vinyl and steel sold for scrap, or worse, thrown away. Scrap or salvage value is only a fraction of what that material cost the owner to buy. Always remember the old adage, measure twice and cut once. • Keep a clean and efficient shop and yard. Cover your valuable mate- rials, and store them neatly for future use. Protect your raw materials and reduce spillage as much as possible. • Maintain maximum "through- put" in both the shop and yard. That means store materials close to where they are needed, have raw materials enter the system and flow effortlessly and seamlessly through the value add- ed chain. Reduce or eliminate crossover and arrange the shop and yard for ef- ficiency by minimizing the number of steps "through" each process to end with the finished product either staged for the crews or in an easily accessi- ble, quick loading location. • Not to nag or overemphasize cell phone usage, but it is such an easy target and often misused by everyone in the company. So even you folks in the shop and yard, please limit your cell phone usage to company business only, with the obvious exception of an emergency. And let us not forget our ever important sales team. Here are a few ideas for them: • As with the fence crews, be ef- ficient in your use of the company car or truck and the company gas card. Like with the installation crews, your company car or pickup truck is designated for company related travel only, not for personal use. 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