Take a day off from your busy schedule, and go to a few of your job sites. Don’t call your foreman or your lead guy and ask them to accompany you — just show up unannounced. Once on site, say hello to the workers, but then just casually walk around and really take note of what’s going on and how the site looks. Grab a bucket, and take a seat. Be patient, and take your time. Really think about what you’re seeing.
1. Do you see your labor moving material around or trying to find specific items they need to complete a task?
2. Do you see two people carrying a pipe?
3. Do you see someone putting a few bends in conduit where you would only put one or maybe none?
4. Do you see your employees taking a box of screws while they only need a few?
5. Do you see your people walking a few floors down to get a floor box or pipe?
Make note of these types of activities, and document them by taking photos. Look at the photos in this gallery. Do you see anything on your job site that resembles what’s being depicted here? Sometimes a “day in the life” of an electrician turns into risk that the company ultimately ends up carrying.
The guidance offered above is based on Ohno’s circle. Taiichi Ohno, developer of the Toyota Production System, taught people how to see waste in a process by standing in a circle and observing work activities — sometimes for hours on end. Remember, you cannot fix a problem if you don’t recognize it. So keep on looking for that waste!
Dr. Daneshgari is president and CEO of MCA, Inc., Grand Blanc, Mich. He can be reached at [email protected].
