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During
2003, which is the 100th anniversary of the incorporation
of the Ford Motor Co., it is valuable to visit some of the
guiding principles Henry Ford used in making both his company
and his country successful. My reference point for this is
a terrific book called "Henry Ford's Lean Vision" by William
A. Levinson.
"Time
waste differs from material waste in that there can be no
salvage. The easiest of all wastes, and the hardest to correct,
is the waste of time, because wasted time does not litter
the floor like wasted material." -Henry Ford 1926.
It's
really obvious isn't it? Yet the problem we are confronted
with is complicated by the fact that we can't see time that's
wasted.
"Not
one hour of yesterday, not one hour of today, can be bought
back." -Henry Ford 1922.
In the
80s, the continuous improvement cycle was a significant item
in work processes with simplification and cost effectiveness
the hallmark. This was driven, in part, by the high interest
costs that caused a reexamination of the distribution business
models that were in use. Today with the current market conditions,
it's worthwhile to bring back that focus.
Time
wasted is hard to see. I agree. This is why time management
in processes should be an item that's constantly under review
and continuous improvement. And yet there are some simple
things I see in most dealerships that are serious time consumers.
Let's start with an easy one: The parts order process for
service departments.
In most
dealerships the mechanic walks from his work station to a
parts ordering area. This ordering area is typically out of
sight for the mechanic from his bay and also out of sight
for the shop foreman from his workstation. We've put all manner
of tools in the parts ordering area to make the job easier
and more accurate for the mechanic. A paper library, microfiche,
CD's or computer screens to access service manuals to facilitate
ordering the right parts. We have a parts department employee
available to help in the parts order process. This parts employee
enters the information for the mechanic directly into the
dealerships computer system. The mechanic then waits while
the parts department processes his order and gives the mechanic
the parts and then he returns to his work area.
Now if
we look at this process critically there is a lot of "time
wasted". And it's expensive time because the mechanical skills
we need are in short supply.
To eliminate
wasted time we can:
- Have
parts order stations on the shop floor
- Have
the mechanic enter the parts he needs directly into the
parts system
- Have
the parts department deliver parts to each mechanic at the
mechanic's work station
Here
are some other time tested ways we can eliminate wasted time:
In the
70s, we developed order processes that allowed mechanics to
place parts orders by telephone. They called into a call center
where order entry clerks took the orders and entered them
into a computer system. The time savings are huge.
We then
developed systems to deliver the parts, and pick parts up
at the end of the job, that allowed the mechanic to stay in
his work bay rather than walking around. The time savings
are huge.
Finally
the process shifted such that the mechanics themselves were
able to enter the orders into the computer system without
anyone else involved in the process. The time savings are
huge.
So what
do you think? Do you do all or any of these things in your
shop parts ordering process? Do you have processes and systems
that "waste" your mechanics' time?
To learn
more, check out the offerings from Quest, Learning Centers.
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