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Best Practices in Shift Work Operations (Part 2 of 6)

Operators and Sanitors should be the same people.  The sanitation process associate with all food manufacturing processes is often a time-thief.  It takes away from valuable production time. Many such operations will have a separate sanitation crew that specializes in sanitation but is not skilled or staffed to run the lines.  This has two negative … Continue reading “Best Practices in Shift Work Operations (Part 2 of 6)”

Best Practices in Shiftwork Operations (part 1 of 6)

Whenever we meet with a leadership team at a facility, the question always comes up, “What are other sites doing that works?” The second most asked question is, “What are other sites doing that doesn’t work?” Operations managers want to hear the answers with regards to other operations while Human Resource managers want the answers … Continue reading “Best Practices in Shiftwork Operations (part 1 of 6)”

5 Things Human Resource Managers Need to Know About Shift Work

Let’s start with this: my intent with this post is NOT to tell H.R. how to do their job. Rather, I want to round up some of the most important aspects of shift work that seem obvious but are easily overlooked. So, let’s get to the list… #1: Beware of the lone messenger.  No one … Continue reading “5 Things Human Resource Managers Need to Know About Shift Work”

When should Management consider a Shift Schedule Unsustainable?

Most production managers have been there. Demand is higher than their ability to supply ― without the use of overtime.  The logical, and possibly, the best solution in the short-run is to go ahead and produce more by using overtime hours. What is going on when you ramp up overtime?  What are the costs?  What … Continue reading “When should Management consider a Shift Schedule Unsustainable?”

What does the New Year Bring to a Tight Labor Market?

During our 30+years of cross-industry experience we have found that once unemployment drops below 6%, companies find it hard to staff adequately to meet production demands.  At the current 3.6% unemployment rate [1] a labor shortage is the single biggest production problem many companies are facing. For as many as eleven states, unemployment falls to … Continue reading “What does the New Year Bring to a Tight Labor Market?”

Have you Made Your Business Resolutions Yet?

If you want happier employees this year, you may consider doing some things differently than last year. Otherwise, if you do what you did, you’ll get what you got. Employee engagement, better-work life balance, and improved communication might be at the top of the wish list. But what comes after establishing these resolutions? How to … Continue reading “Have you Made Your Business Resolutions Yet?”

12 unexpected insights ―When it comes to shiftwork, do you know what you don’t know?

All companies are unique. We found this to be true while working with hundreds of organizations across multiple industries. However, commonalities do exist. The following 12 insights tend to be universally true in a broad sense. Interestingly, some of these insights may run counter to your intuition. There are always variances, exceptions to the rule; … Continue reading “12 unexpected insights ―When it comes to shiftwork, do you know what you don’t know?”

12 most frequently asked questions from business leaders before undergoing a schedule change

Once Operations and Human Resource Managers realize that some pain points may have a common root-cause, they may put their heads together and come to an agreement – their shift schedule may be causing many of their biggest problems.  Some proactive steps must be taken. As an exploration gets underway, questions arise from seemingly every … Continue reading “12 most frequently asked questions from business leaders before undergoing a schedule change”

Seasonal and Unbalanced Scheduling: A Case Study

Operation Managers and Human Resource Managers know that if your workload has seasonality, then you need a plan to deal with it.  Maybe your strategy is to maximize gains or maybe its to minimize lost opportunities.  Whatever your priority is, we can help you develop a staffing and scheduling strategy to achieve it. The case … Continue reading “Seasonal and Unbalanced Scheduling: A Case Study”