A core concept in the martial arts is to position yourself such that when you throw a punch it doesn’t have to travel very far. In traditional boxing, they call this doing your footwork. With the right footwork, your punches seem much faster than they actually are. You’re not punching any faster, but your punches get there in less time.
You can use this “real speed versus apparent speed” concept at work while handling repairs. Rather than work faster, position yourself so that you get the job done in less time without actually going any faster.
How can you do this? Begin by setting up smartly-stocked toolboxes in strategic locations. A repair tech can arrive at a machine in the finishing area, walk 20 ft to the rolling tool box that’s already there, and move it to that machine. Compare this to just one trip back to the shop or central tool depot.
In addition to standard tools, a smartly stocked box will also have for the equipment in that location all the special tools, jigs, etc. that may be required for the most common repairs.
