When I am brought in to assist a company with productivity issues, I oftentimes have to stress to them that the most productive (therefore possibly unproductive) element in their operation is their front line staff. They oftentimes argue that if they purchase the latest, fastest equipment that they can be more productive.

Although I agree with their view, to a point, they need to understand that the most productive equipment on market can be a time waster if the operator is not trained and motivated and supervised to make it work the way it was designed.

A glaring example that comes to mind is visiting a building and noting that a worker was dragging a back pack vacuum cleaner behind her as she serviced her area. The supervisor stated that since she did not like to wear the unit and preferred her old, dusty unproductive upright unit he let her look silly and did not take any corrective actions. He felt that she would eventually give up and start wearing it correctly eventually. I asked him how long she had been dragging the unit around and he said about six months.

It turns out this company did not understand the necessity of training (both front line workers as well as supervisors in this case) and wanted a “natural flow” to work. When I used my spreadsheet for a comparison of Budget versus Actual numbers it was readily apparent that they were less than a year away from bankruptcy and closure unless they took prompt steps to get everyone on the same page. Based on some very basic suggestions and implementation, their average productivity went from less than 2,100 square feet per hour to 5,200 within a month. Nonproductive and non-cooperative workers were retrained and if necessary, freed up for other employment opportunities.

The bottom line is the bottom line. Enough said.

Your comments and questions are important. I hope to hear from you soon. Until then, keep it clean...

Mickey Crowe has been involved in the industry for over 35 years. He is a trainer, speaker and consultant. You can reach Mickey at 678-314-2171 or CTCG50@comcast.net


posted on 10/18/2016