Process Mapping Blog

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Process Mapping Blog

Guest writer Sara Hanks helps us with a key detail for continuous improvement in her “Process Mapping Blog” today.

Continuous improvement in an organization requires implementing projects. Projects also mean change, which is often met with resistance. In the early stages of a project, I recommend using process mapping to facilitate effective change management.

In one of my first IT projects, I was creating an inspection software for manufacturing quality. The project was significantly delayed, and the former project manager had left the company. To create something quickly, I deployed an off-the-shelf software. Completing the inspection plan turned out to be a giant pain and added significant cycle time. A year later, we ended up redesigning the entire inspection software after so many complaints from the users. It was not worth trading off an understanding the current state process for the speed of implementation. I should have known better, after many years of training and practicing lean at GE. 

When lean was a corporate initiative at GE, the business planned large transactional lean events to conduct process maps in a session that was sponsored by senior leadership. Attending these events was a privilege and a great way to network with senior leaders. These sessions, often led by a trained facilitator, were highly interactive with post it notes and giant sheets of paper. Over time, the initiatives shifted, and the leaders were no longer engaged at that level. However, I require my teams to conduct process maps 100% of the time.  

Process mapping is a necessary step towards implementing change as it helps to understand the current state. A process map is a detailed diagram that articulates each step of a process. While these can be created by interviewing people, they are best conducted in a conference room environment, with representation from each function involved in the process. With enough prework, the session can be completed in 4-8 hours, depending on the complexity of the process. 

Prework to the Process Mapping Session 

Create a RASCI chart. A RASCI chart identifies the process steps, as well as the roles or people who need to participate in each step. RASCI stands for: 

  • Responsible – the person who completes the step
  • Approver – the person who needs to approve the work conducted by the responsible person 
  • Supporter – roles that provide inputs to the process step
  • Consultant – an expert who provides expertise 
  • Informed – the people who need to know about a process step being completed 

It’s important to note that every step needs a responsible person or role, but the other categories are not required*.  At minimum, one person from each function that owns a step should participate in the session. 

The output of the prework is to schedule time with the team, as well as a report out session with the relevant leaders.

Conducting the Process Mapping Session

  1. Review the RASCI chart with the team. It is important to obtain consensus that the process steps are complete, as well as who is involved in them.
  2. For each step in the process, the team will identify the following details:
    1. Inputs to the process step, as well as who provides the inputs. Sometimes the inputs are not part of the process itself but are used to make a decision or to harmonize information. For example, a purchasing specialist may refer to quality data before choosing who to buy parts from.
    2. The details about what happens during the process step. If the process is a decision, what criteria is used to make the decision should be included. 
    3. The time it takes to complete the step, as well as how long people are waiting for information.
    4. The system of record for the process step – whether it is an email, an IT software system, or even paper records.
    5. The outputs of the process step
  3. Review the process map one final time and ensure that the times noted are reasonable.
  4. Evaluate the process for waste. Waste identification should be brainstormed silently first, then shared with the group. Waste in a process could include:
    1. Rework of a process step, or returning to an earlier step in the process
    2. Waiting for inputs
    3. Excess processing such as creating reports that are not used
    4. Manual efforts that could be automated

Once the waste is identified, the team will see themes of similar waste. These can be grouped into categories and should be quantified in terms of time or cost. 

At this point the team and the project manager has a thorough understanding of the process, as well as the opportunities to drive improvement through waste elimination that can be considered in the project plan. Some process mapping events use the team to design a future process collectively, but that’s a blog for another day. 

Report Out

When people are asked to take time out of their day to support process mapping, a report out is helpful to justify the time with their managers. In addition to the management team and the participants, any people who are approvers in the RASCI should review the outcome of the process mapping session. The report out can be summarized as a Value Stream Map, which is a high-level representation of the process and includes the cycle times. It is helpful to include the waste impact in the Value Stream Map as well. 

Conclusion

Process mapping helps project managers understand the current state thoroughly which helps prevent issues when implementing the project. The biggest benefit of conducting the process mapping session is that it engages the stakeholders and subject matter experts. Process mapping exposes frustrations about the current state, so the subject matter experts are more likely to understand why a project is happening. Additionally, it highlights what works about the current state, so the project manager can consider keeping these best practices. When the stakeholders are understood, they are more likely to accept or even embrace the change.

NOTE: Some sources say that the A means accountable, but I prefer approver because if a person is responsible for completing a step, by default the person is accountable.

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What Makes a Great Customer Experience?

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What Makes a Great Customer Experience?

Guest writer Alex Kraft asks a question that matters deeply when you are in customer service: What Makes a Great Customer Experience?

I recently had an awful customer experience with a large retailer.  I’ll spare the long-winded details because we’ve all been there. From the 30,000 ft. level, what’s incredible is how everything falls on the customer to make things right. All I did was purchase something and now I’m the one who has to exert a ton of effort to get the refund or a resolution? How is it my problem? The experience made me appreciate what makes a great customer experience and/or great customer service. I’ve started to pay more attention to this in everyday life.

For this blog post, I don’t want to necessarily discuss equipment related themes as Ron has other contributors who’ve spent 40+ years in heavy equipment service departments. I’d rather delve into what factors into a positive customer interaction. What makes customers want to come back to your business?

Two major components that we all appreciate as consumers are competence and a ‘give a damn’ factor. Competence is something that you can recognize very quickly and puts a customer at ease. I think of a restaurant. We’ve all had a server that within 60 seconds you know will be attentive, knows the menu, and has a great demeanor. It makes your entire experience better knowing that the person waiting on you is competent. It doesn’t have to be a five-star restaurant either, this can be your local chain or even a coffee shop. We’ve all had the opposite as well: where the server is overwhelmed, isn’t able to answer questions concerning the menu, blames the kitchen, and has a poor attitude. Many times, we wonder, ‘why is that person a server if they don’t like interacting with people?’

I’ve had ongoing shoulder pain for a few months. Upon returning from vacation, I decided that I had to do something, so I booked a massage. When I arrived, I told the therapist about my shoulder. Just by looking at me, the therapist says, “your hips are out of alignment, your right shoulder is higher than your left, and it looks like your right leg is a tad shorter than your left. All of these things contribute to your shoulder pain”.  Before the massage began, I knew that I came to the right place. Afterwards, I’ve made a couple adjustments to my daily routine, and voila! My shoulder feels a lot better. Apply that to your teams. You don’t necessarily need a customer survey to have an idea of how your people represent your company. Does your sales team exude competence when dealing with customers? When you speak with your sales team, do they speak in generalities or do they have a command of your products and their customers? Do your parts and service representatives embody competence when customers need help?

My personal favorite is the ‘give a damn’ factor.  I don’t know of any formal ‘give a damn’ training classes, but maybe Ron will add one to his curriculum. What I’ve seen happening at more companies than I can ever remember, are employees that are quick to tell you that they can’t help you. This manifests itself as ‘I’m sorry, that’s not my job’, or ‘sorry, I can’t help with that’, or “you’ll need to speak to ______”. While I was waiting at this large box retailer, the person in customer service answered the phone with ‘How may I direct your call?’ They couldn’t pass the customer off fast enough.  Yet every single company touts their “customer service”. What customers want is to feel like their issue is YOUR issue as a company. They want someone to take ownership of their problem and see it through to resolution.

You don’t have to be an expert to give a damn. Those employees that understand this concept personally see to it that the customer ends up with the appropriate person who can solve their problem. They don’t make the customer start all over from the beginning, try to find someone else, and retell their story. Companies that are great customer service companies make sure to drill these points home to everyone. This isn’t ‘going the extra mile’, it should be what’s expected on a daily basis.

We find reminders every day of great customer experiences. I encourage you when you’re at lunch, at the doctor, Whole Foods/Publix, wherever you visit, compare those visits with how you believe customers feel when dealing with your company. Like I mentioned above, we don’t need surveys to tell us certain things. If you’ve been at your company for a while and know your people, I’m sure you have a good idea. Trust your instincts, maybe it’s time for some refreshers.

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Safety First! But, Why?!

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Safety First! But, Why?!

Guest writer Bill Pyles tackles OSHA regulations in his guest blog entitled “Safety First! But, Why?!”

Summer is here and this time of year I’d put some notes together for the next team meeting to give a safety update; specifically, how to recognize heat stroke. I cannot say enough about OSHA’s excellent heat index ap. Go to your app store and download OSHA/NIOSH Heat Safety Tool. Do it today, now!!! 

Heat stroke is a killer that does not need to darken your doorway.  As I write this the outside temp in central Florida is 89oF. The heat index is 102oF and into the “danger zone”. Another day in sunny Florida! 

Here are some symptoms of heat stroke.

  • Confused, blurred speech
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Red, hot, dry skin or profuse sweating
  • Very high body temperature
  • Seizures 

 

If you suspect a person has heat stroke, call 911. 

  • Stay with the person until medical help arrives
  • Move the person to a shady, cooler area
  • Remove the person’s outer clothing
  • Cool quickly with cold water or ice bath if possible; wet the skin, please cold, wet towels on the skin, or soak clothing in cool water
  • Fan air around the person
  • Place cold, wet towels or ice on the person’s head, neck, armpits, and groin.

 

Through my 48-year career, the one constant is safety. Let your guard down for a moment and you may get an unpleasant safety reminder. The other constant throughout the last 48 years is the barrage of safety memo’s, fact & figures, testimonies, yellow lines on floors and more. What was missing is the “why”. Too many times a safety inspection will reveal some infractions such as garbage in front of the electrical panel, spray paint left out on work benches, spray containers on tech’s toolboxes not marked or labeled, bench grinder “out of adjustment” or no lid on the shop trash cans. The shop manager will get the safety write up, make the necessary corrections and life (pun intended) goes on. But has the shop manager or the people working in the shop learned from the experience? My guess is no; other than forming opinions that the safety guy’s job is to make everyone else miserable, slow down production and nit-pick. He needs to get a “real” job and leave us alone! 

Let’s look at some common safety infractions and discuss the “why.” 

Please note that some of the items noted may have different or more safety regulations than noted below.

  1. Full oxygen bottles are required to be stored with the bottle caps on and the bottle secured in a standing position.
    1. Why? A full oxygen bottle is charged with approximately 2,200 psi of oxygen. If the bottle should fall over and break off the off-on valve, the bottle becomes a rocket which will be capable of going thru cinder block walls, smashing anything in its way. Google “Oxygen Tank Rocket” and it should make you a believer!
  2. Electrical panels require a clear zone 36 inches to either side and 36 inches to the front of the panel. No clutter or nothing leaning against the electrical panel.
    1. Why? I was working in a contractor’s shop, pulling the steering clutches out of a Cat 977L. The contractor had installed electric overhead hoists in his shop. I had the Cat setting on stands with the tracks and roller frames removed (also doing the undercarriage at the time) and the bucket was raised and supported by a safety bar on the lift cylinder. The stands were at the four corners of the machine. As I was trying to feather one of the clutches out of the case, I noticed it was hung up on the steering clutch flanges and the back of the machine came off the stands. I quickly let go of the hoist button, but the machine kept going up. The up button was stuck! I had no idea where the electrical panel was that supplied the power to the hoist.  One of the customer’s techs working with me quickly ran over to the electrical panel, opened the door, and switched off the breaker just before the Cat was about to fall off the stands. You can only imagine the alternate outcome if there had been something blocking access the electrical panel. Fortunately, the only casualty this time was some soiled underwear!
  3. All secondary containers must be properly labeled. 
    1. Why? We have all seen techs work benched or toolbox will have spray containers on their work bench or toolbox. These secondary (secondary means the spray bottle was filed from another container) spray containers could have glass cleaner for cleaning cabs, solvent for rusted hardware, or plain water and soap mixture for tight seals. If tech sprayed a flammable near a heat source, there could be an explosion and or fire. If a tech was accidentally sprayed in the face, not knowing what the liquid was in the container could delay the proper remediation. 
  4. All flammables must be stored in a flammable safety cabinet.
    1. Why? Most shops also do welding (get those welding shields up) and cutting which create a fair amount of sparks. Most paint cans, PB Blaster cans are very thin metal and most oil containers in one gallon or less containers are plastic. Welding and or grinding sparks can ignite one of the containers mentioned above. And if it’s a pressurized can, you’ll have another bottle rocket to deal with.
  5. Bench grinder is out of adjustment.
    1. Why? I’m not sure why, maybe because this is a tool everyone uses but no one is responsible for. The shop bench grinder is almost always out of adjustment, but everyone keeps on using it. The correct gap of the tool rest should be 1/8 inch from the tool rest to the grinding wheel. Any larger gap and you’ll run the risk of pulling a finger or a tool in between the tool rest and the grinding wheel. 
    2. At one OSHA inspection, I was asked for the proper steps to change a grinding wheel.  Piece of cake I thought then proceeded to go thru the simple process of changing a grinding wheel. I thought I nailed it, but the OSHA person just stood there and looked at me, informing me I’d missed one of the most important steps. The “Ring Test”. What??
    3. Before mounting a grinding wheel, inspect it visually for any cracks or chips. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which regulates worker safety in commercial and educational facilities, recommends testing the integrity of a grinding wheel by performing a ring test prior to mounting. 
    4. Support the wheel in a horizontal position on your fingertips and tap the wheel using the plastic handle of a screwdriver about 1″ from the edge in each of the wheel’s four quadrants. The sound of an undamaged wheel will give a clear ringing tone. If cracked, there will be a dead sound, and the wheel should not be used. Make sure the wheel is dry and clean before applying this test. After you test one side, turn the wheel over and repeat on the other side.

 

On a side note, I’ve seen the results of a grinding wheel exploding. It can cause serious operator injury. Usually, the wheel explodes due to being cracked or becoming unbalanced. There is no warning. 

I’ve visited hundreds of shops during my career and usually the shop knew I was coming to visit. It did truly bother me that at times, the shop would shut down a day before my visit or a high-level OEM visit, to get the shop presentable. This was an indication to me that safety was more show then go. I’d spend more time with the shop manager to help him understand safety is what ensures we all go home at the end of the shift in just as good of shape as when we came to work. I’d take the shop manager and the techs around the shop for a quick look-see safety inspection. When I’d find a safety violation, I’d point it out, explain what the hazard could be and why a safety rule was in place to prevent the hazard. I wanted them to know the “why.” Equipment, shop tooling, facilities have no concern for your safety. You are responsible for your safety and the safety of those working round you. 

Your family is depending on you!

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The Basics of Marketing, how to avoid the “What were they thinking” Moments

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The Basics of Marketing, How to Avoid the “What were they thinking” Moments

Guest writer Bonnie Feigenbaum introduces her lecture series with this debut blog post: The Basics of Marketing, how to avoid the “What were they thinking” Moments.

Marketing is all about creating a connection between your company and your customer, a permanent place in their lives for your product and a permanent place in their heart for your brand.  In 1971, as a very young child I remember belting “I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony, I’d like to buy the world a coke and keep them company… “learning the iconic Coca-Cola Hillside singers’ ad by heart.  The ad was so popular that Coca Cola had Hilltop Reunion in 1990 and brought back the singers to recreate the commercial. 

There are many times I watch marketing campaigns roll out and wondered who was the marketing genius who came up with that! For example, McDonald’s does so many customer connection points right and really raised the bar on creativity in my mind when they launched their pizza line in 1989. The traditional golden arches were angled to make the Zs in pizza to communicate with one picture and one word that this is McDonald’s Pizza, a logo within a logo.

In 2018, I was intrigued by Nike’s decision to use Colin Kaepernick as their brand ambassador. I read the article by the Montreal Gazette columnist Scott Stinson, “Nike stands with a bet that outcry from Trump and his allies won’t cost them business.”   Kaepernick choose to “take a knee” using the moment of the U.S. national anthem to protest racial injustice and lost his football career in the process. The US was sharply divided on whether Kaepernick protesting during the anthem was disrespecting the flag. Nike, it would seem, was placing a large bet on the support their target market has for the issue and on Kaepernick’s sacrifice connecting with them.   Would the tagline, “Believe in something.  Even if it means sacrificing everything” resonate?

Nike’s choice did create a social media fervor as some more ardent opponents of their choice of influencer created a boycott hashtag and posted videos of them burning their own Nike shoes, socks and carving the Nike swoosh out of their garments. I would like you to remember one thing these people already paid for the products. Nike already had their money. The only person who was losing was them, as they had to spend money to replace the martyred items. Ironically, putting in practice the Nike/Kaepernick tagline. Nike did their research right, sales increased in the wake of the controversial advertising campaign, with online sales growing by 31% in the holiday weekend after the ad launched, according to researcher Edison Trends.

However, there are other times where I wonder to myself, what were they thinking and how did nobody throughout the whole creative and control process clue into the customer disconnect.

Let us go through some of my favorite fails

Urbn Outfitter was founded in Philadelphia in 1970 and is an international clothing corporation that has retail stores located in Montreal.  My fashion marketing students were trying to determine why there was a significant decrease in sales over the past year.  The Urbn Outfitter store brand sales were declining while the parent corporation’s other brands Anthropologie and Free People’s net sales had increased by 2% and 5% respectively at the same time. Through research the students were able to prove that in general the retail sales for the target demographic had been enjoying a continuous increase in revenue. So, what was the problem?

They investigated further and discovered that the year earlier Urbn Outfitter had launched controversial clothing lines featuring edgy and questionable mental health and body shaming crop tops with messaging like “depressed” and “eat less” while their direct competitor, Forever 21 T-shirts proclaimed positivity with “eat more” and “love yourself” on their tops.

 

We also discovered that some of their product line choices left a lot to be desired.  There was a Kent State University sweatshirt with blood spatters on it, a black and white horizontal striped T shirt with a 6-point yellow star on it reminiscent of the Holocaust and T-shirts in a colour Urban Outfitter identified as “Obama black”.  For the life of me I cannot understand how these items got through the approval process.

 

Another example of product fails because the company did not even think to take the customer reaction into account is Simons, a Quebec retailer. In September 2018, Simons launched a line of bralettes, a type of women’s lingerie. The story goes that when the Simons team was looking for a vision for their new lingerie line, they looked at inspiring Canadian women that were respected and admired. The line was meant to honour women who made historic contributions to Canada. The bralettes were called the Elsie, the Clara, the Nellie and the Beverley. So, while the last names were never used, the ad copy made it clear that the designs were inspired by aeronautical engineer Elsie MacGill, trailblazing lawyer Clara Brett Martin, suffragette and politician Nellie McClung and jurist Beverley McLachlin, the first woman to be appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. 

Now Simon’s never sought permission from the estates of the first three women to use their names or even to ask if they wanted to be bralette brand ambassadors. Nor did they ask the sole living “honoree,” the Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin who had just retired in December after spending 28 years at the Supreme Court including almost eighteen as Chief Justice.

After receiving a call from McLachlin, the president Peter Simons, immediately gave in to her demands for her a public apology and a request to get involved with fund raising campaign for the Cornerstone Housing for women emergency shelter organization in Ottawa.

 

In his apology, he stated that he sincerely regretted the naming mishap citing the lack of judgment on his part and that they decided to discontinue and destroy all materials related to the line following the call. During the media storm, I wondered where were the women in the room?  I noticed a line in one article, “Simons apologizes for bra named after former chief justice Beverley McLachlin,” by Tara Deschamps of the Canadian Press where Simons acknowledges that there is a deficiency in their corporate culture, a lack a comfort of the staff to stand up and express concerns.

That is what my basics of marketing series is all about.  I will give every employee the tools to spot the potential problems and recognize the opportunities to improve the customer experience.  But it is up to the management in the company to embed that into the corporate culture, empowering their employees to put customer connections above corporate politics.

We will start by reviewing the marketing process which is a good opportunity to show a relationship between several concepts we will be discussing, during the lecture series. During the first half of the series, I will focus on introducing marketing, the marketing environment and then market research. I will explain how we use the secondary data to develop marketing information systems. We will then delve into Consumer Buying Behaviour, comparing it with Business and Institutional Buyers’ Behaviour. We will then discuss the segmentation and positioning process that work in conjunction with the company’s marketing strategy. We will also cover the marketing mix, where we implement our strategy using our 4 Ps-Product, Price, Place & Promotion. In our final lecture, we will put it all together and discuss how to prepare the full marketing plan.

I look forward to helping you discover the full potential and powers of a full formed marketing process for your company.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me by e-mail at bfeigenbaum@sympatico.ca.

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Lifelong Learners

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Lifelong Learners

In this week’s blog on education, curriculum designer and writer Caroline Slee-Poulos shares the big picture of why we do what we do: lifelong learners.

In education, we like to express the most important goal of any classroom as creating lifelong learners. This takes shape in different ways at different ages. At the younger ages, it is obviously the standard reading, writing, and arithmetic. As adults, it becomes a bit more complex,

We have to ask about goals and the big picture when it comes to adults. As adults, we want to move forward: we want promotions; pay bumps; increases in job title.

I would posit that what we really seek is GROWTH.

Realistically, growth is what we all seek.

As employers, we want hires who know the business. We are noticing that students are not graduating school with the necessary skills for the business. Trade skills are in short supply and require more education than the standard K-12 that is available to students today. Funding at the high school level for the trades has been reduced to a point where students are graduating high school without the necessary skills for our industry.

Take our industry out of the equation.

What does it say about us that our graduates are not prepared for the world of technical work?

I think it says that we are in a situation of catching up. Academics are not quite at the point we need them to be when it comes to “work ready” employees. We can’t expect high school graduates to know everything they need to know when they graduate high school. The reality is, if you invest in your people, they will invest in you.

What we want to see at every level are people committed to learning. This doesn’t mean the stereotypes of the ivory tower. This means having people who consistently strive to better themselves, who push for higher levels of understanding and accomplishment.

At the end of the day, education is all about creating the foundation that leads to lifelong learning. Lifelong learners are known for consistently striving to better their performance and their results.

Aren’t lifelong learners what you want to see in your business?

As Ron would tell you, the time is now. When it comes to your commitment to learning, I would posit that the time is always.

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The Importance of Service

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The Importance of Service

Guest writer Mets Kramer is back with a new blog post for us. Read on to learn about The Importance of Service.

Over the past few months, I’ve been travelling to visit numerous dealers all over the US and Canada. During my visits we tend to have long conversations on the state of the equipment market. Everyone agrees it’s been a challenging time and wild ride. Many have never seen such lofty heights, prices and volumes. Machines were both in demand and hard to get and many have had some of the best years. Rental has been strong and many have preferred to rent than sell or buy. One other thing that everyone has in common is a concern about when the music will slow down or stop.  

It’s this unknown future and concern about slowing machine sales that reminded me of my experiences in 2008. In April 2008 I had just joined Terex to help develop the service operations of the new construction equipment group. I was excited to work with my new colleagues and change the organization into a full operating manufacturer.  

Yet, no sooner had I started, then the recession (read collapse) happened in the market. Over a few short months some of the group companies saw a drop of up to 85% in sales. At the same time, I kept in contact with past colleagues at other dealers. There I heard the same, machine sales, regardless of make were down significantly. “But”, they said “The shop is really busy”. It turned out that even with a clifflike drop in sales, people were still out working their equipment.  Furthermore, as the recession continued, more machines came in for major work in place of replacement.  

So here we are again, this time more able to see the economy changing and many dealers are in the same place. Many have not focused over the past years on developing their service business.  This could mean activities including, understanding their currently market share, developing service products or changing the type of work their shop is engaged in. It’s understandable why many dealers have not done this. It’s been a busy time of turning around rental machines or prepping sales machines. Plus, technicians are hard to find and not cheap.  

Yet there is one statement that we have all heard: “Sales sells the first, Service sells the rest”.

With a slow down likely or imminent, now is a great time to start planning what you can do to develop your service business, support your existing customers and deepen your relationships with customers.  

First, understand where you are now. This can be looked at through several traditional metrics but requires some analysis of your business data. Try and find parts and service sales data both by customer and by machine serial number. Group them into behaviors that define your customers.  Consider parts sold through parts, and parts through service. Measure the balance of your labor sales, internal, customer pay or other. You can look at sales vs inventory and so many more. By analyzing this data, you should be able to group your customers, understand what machines generate the most revenue and what percentage of the product support market you’re capturing.   

Second, consider service and parts volume as a measure of engagement. Just like we talk about digital engagement, after sales volumes are a measure of how involved you are with your customers. If you’re not supporting them who is? If someone else is supporting them, are they in a better position to get equipment rentals or sales when customers have more choice during an economic slowdown?

Third, when you understand the situation, develop parts and service products to match the opportunities you’re seeing. Many of these strategies are tried and true and we all know them, like PM filter kits. Personally, I think one of the best programs is a PM program. Why? Because no one really likes doing them, yet they must be done. PMs also bring value and get you a touch point with customers every 250 or 500 hours. A good PM program also lets you measure how much your customers are using their fleets. Are they continuing to work? Are they busy? Parked?   A PM program will give you insight and opportunity to talk to your customer, even when they don’t have any need to buy equipment. During a downturn your sales reps are equipment and fleet managers!

When you do start a PM program here are some rules  

  1. Don’t leave it to your customer to call you! Find a method to monitor all the equipment.  Many machines have telematics from factory, others can be retrofit with hardware for minimal cost. Include it in the cost. Leaving it to the customer increases the likelihood they never call. You are providing a service, make it full service
  2. If possible, set up hourly based PM programs that charge the customer a per hour rate.  Yes, it’s a little more work to run invoices monthly for customers, BUT it builds up a pool of money that will encourage your customer to make sure you do the work. If they pay per service completed, they also have incentive to stop. It also fits their usage, if it’s parked, the PM program costs them no money. 
  3. Follow up! Make sure you use inspection software on every service, take pictures, make notes and come back to your customer with what you found. This shows you’re a great business partner and gets you extra work.  

Finally, developing your service business has one other really important benefit, it keeps your techs working. One of the worst outcomes of a downturn is losing (through layoffs) the people you need to count on when you get busy again in sales. Developing a service program lets you retain your talent and possibly even pick up some new talent. 

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People Don’t Resist Change

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People Don’t Resist Change

Guest writer Sarah Hanks deconstructs the challenges of change in the workplace in her blog post for this week: People Don’t Resist Change.

“People don’t resist change. They resist being changed!” – Peter Senge

 

On Monday, I was delighted to have the luxury of being a guest on the Industry 4.0 LinkedIn Live to discuss the learnings from success and failures. While the interview was pre-planned a question was asked that surprised me, “You stated that you’ve been doing digital transformation for a decade. What is different now than what you saw then?”

A few years ago, my team was implementing a shop floor quality system. One of my husband’s colleagues was complaining about the IT system that my team was deploying. He called me and I went down to the shop floor during my lunch break. In the conversation with the employee, I learned how frustrating it was to add cycle time to their data input and he didn’t understand the purpose. That single conversation led me to adapt the deployment strategy.

I explained that the goal was to connect the quality process from supplier to customer and drive a systematic improvement to quality. I also shared the link to collect feedback. The implementation went smoother, and the inspector provided feedback. This feedback was included in the future design, making the system better for everyone. When the application was expanded into other areas of the factory, I had several conversations with every employee on every shift. 

Throughout the following years, the end user’s adoption and support has become a top priority. Here are 5 tips that I’ve adopted into my process:

5 Tips for Frontline Team Buy-In

  1. Know the problem
  2. Prioritize a user-friendly interface
  3. Explain the why to everyone
  4. Create a feedback loop
  5. Celebrate wins as a team

Let’s look at each element:

Know the problem. 

Understanding the problem that the technology solves

is important. With the ever-changing technology and continued focus on Industry 4.0, it is easy to get sucked into the popular thing to do. Connecting sensors to machines alone does not add value. However, using those sensors to prevent unplanned downtime is both value-add and it is measurable, as an example.

Prioritize a user-friendly interface. 

Training is a cost to a business. If the user interface is easy to learn, the cost to train the employees decreases considerably. We don’t take hours of training to learn Facebook and shop floor applications should be the same. 

Explain the why to everyone. 

Take the time to have a conversation on the why with every employee. In my experience, these conversations help team members understand the value, ask questions and connect with the project.

Create a feedback loop. 

Collect feedback from everyone and let them participate directly in the journey. Don’t forget to follow up, whether the idea is incorporated or not. Communicate ideas that have been accepted broadly.

Celebrate wins as a team. 

Select a target, such as # of records, # of clicks, or length of time and connect it to a reward. Even a simple pizza party can help continue motivating people through the change.

In summary, the frontline team members are an important consideration in a digital transformation journey. Providing a purpose and easy to use solutions will allow the successful implementation of your digital transformation strategies, and achieve the estimated ROI.

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Global skills shortage and how to solve the problem of a tight market?

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Global skills shortage and how to solve the problem of a tight market?

Guest writer Sonya Law tackles a topic that is plaguing every industry write now: the global skills shortage, and how to solve the problem of a tight market. 

“Be an organisation who truly understands what candidates want and values will put you ahead of the pack.  Before you try to fix the talent shortage problem, be clear about your EVP (Employee Value Proposition)and how the conversation will go with prospective candidates.  Work strategically and in partnership with your Talent Acquisition (TA) teams and vendors to solve this problem together.  Organisations who do this well, will secure top talent now and in the future”

The problems we are facing globally are not new in staffing organisations what is new is what candidates prioritise as important.  Candidates know their value in the market and are now going after what they want, we need to be both tactical and strategic on how we do this.

This shift is largely because of the pandemic and is also stress driven, those experiencing burnout are opting for roles where they can work remotely and less hours.  Other considerations are there needs to be investment into management training on how we engage our remote workforce.  

  1. Competitive Salary – Candidates know their worth in the market. Employees who are not being valued and remunerated to that level are also weighing up their options of whether to stay or go.  These conversations need to be taken seriously and acted on and be part of the system of work.
  2. EVP – Benefits are important to candidates in their evaluation of prospective employers.  What is important to the effectiveness of these programs is that they are communicated to candidates. Use of social media and particularly videos and organizational story telling are powerful tools in communicating the benefits of working with an organization.
  3. Flexibility – Post Pandemic candidates expect flexible, hybrid work options and opportunity to negotiate where, when and how work gets done. It is different for everyone and is not a one size fits all approach.
  4. Psychologically safe workplaces – Candidates want to work for organization’s who support mental health and wellbeing is important, who create space and awareness for those conversations is important. Fostering ability to have mental health conversations. Progressive organizations are investing in MHFA (Mental Health First Aid) training and removing the stigma by educating and supporting leaders on how to have supportive mental health conversations.
  5. Purpose, Vision, Values lead organization – Important to candidates is alignment between personal and organizational ‘purpose’ driven statements.  When recruiters can have a conversation with candidates about ‘purpose’ attraction and retention of that candidate throughout the life cycle of the hire improves exponentially.  It also serves to mitigate risks of offers from other prospective employers, when you have built that trust with the candidate.  It is very time consuming and exhausting for a candidate to engage with multiple job offers, if you have built a good relationship, they will happily deal with you to the exclusion of others when this is achieved.
  6. Diversity is not just a token – Lean in, listen and learn.  Organisations who do this well will differentiate themselves from other job opportunities.  Be ready and prepared to have conversations about social impact and CSR (corporate social responsibility) in the interview process, give examples of where this is happening in your organization.
  7. Innovation – Organizations who are focused on Innovation and who have adopted innovative approach like design thinking will be ahead of the game. 
  8. Giving and receiving feedback – radical candor does not work its brutal, we still are not doing this well.  Feedback needs to be timely, specific, constructive and respectful and is more likely to be taken onboard from someone we trust.  Candidates appreciate feedback and not being ghosted by HR and recruiters; we need to improve in this area.  This sets a tone for how feedback is handled within your organization. There is a direct link between proactive and constructive feedback, for increased opportunities for learning, internal promotions and remuneration conversations.  Feedback is important.
  9. Fear of failure – Optimistic organizations thrive when it comes to innovation, recognise that failure is part of learning.  It’s an iterative process, what’s important is implementing a learning culture and growth mindset approach. We need to create an environment where employees can practice new skills without the fear of failure.
  10. Developing leaders – to build their emotional intelligence and to see themselves as a coach and to set them up for success to manage a remote workforce.  Also, the democratization of learning where learning is valued and encouraged at every level.  A culture that promotes that everyone is a leader in their ability to influence at every level.  To foster collaboration and involve the team in what they focus on, and their goals will lead to better outcomes. Employees are more likely to take ownership of a goal when they’re involved and take responsibility for their success. 

How well we do in these areas will define the success in attracting and retaining talent in a tight market now and in the future.  

‘Take care of your people and they will take care of business’ Sonya Law.

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The Key to Equipment Dealer Marketing: Use the Right Lead Sources

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The Key to Equipment Dealer Marketing: Use the Right Lead Sources

Guest writer Debbie Frakes reviews the importance of generating leads in multiple ways in this week’s blog post, “The Key to Equipment Dealer Marketing: Use the Right Lead Sources.”

The only way for equipment dealers to achieve consistent success is by having a steady stream of new leads coming in through the door. If an equipment dealership doesn’t have that, then your business will slow and eventually cease to be successful. That means you have to find productive, reliable lead sources for your sales reps to focus on. 

The most important lead sources for equipment dealer marketing and sales 

When it comes to determining the best lead sources for your sales reps, the key thing to remember is that it’s not all about new prospects. You also have a wealth of leads for your reps to reach out to from current and past customers. Here are a few of the ones you should focus on to improve your sales and equipment dealer marketing.

Email open reports 

Emails are essential for any marketing strategy, because they remind customers and prospects of all your products and services, and they can encourage them to purchase. When it comes to lead sources, emails are also a very valuable tool. Your sales reps should be reaching out to recipients who have opened and clicked on your emails. They can even tailor their sales message to what the customer or prospect may be interested in, based on which section of the email they clicked.

Last purchase reports 

Last purchase reports are an excellent resource for sales reps to find leads to contact. They should be regularly calling anyone who hasn’t purchased something from you in an average time period for your industry and market. 

Customers from different parts of the dealer business 

Equipment dealers are actually several different businesses rolled up into one. Critical for your success is to link them together and make sure your various departments are sharing leads with one another. For example, if one of your customers comes in for parts, they can become a lead for the service, rental, and equipment sales sides of your operation. Your sales reps should be reaching out and offering to fulfill all of your customers’ needs! 

Your website 

A lead generating website is important for equipment dealer marketing strategy. Your site should make it simple for leads to give you their information, ask you a question, or sign up to receive emails. Once they have the lead’s contact information, a sales rep can then reach out to them, answer any questions they asked, and ask them if all of their equipment needs are currently being fulfilled. 

Lead generation should be a constant activity 

Your business requires new leads, and using the most productive lead sources is the best way to bring them in. At Winsby, we help equipment dealers develop and implement successful lead generation plans using proven strategies. By combining effective emails with professional, easy to use websites, email list verification, calling, and reporting, we can help ensure a steady stream of new business. 

Contact Winsby Today.

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Hire Slow and Wait… Just a Minute Before You Fire Fast

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Hire Slow and Wait… Just a Minute Before You Fire Fast

Guest writer Floyd Jerkins walks us through the process of hiring and firing in a way that transcends industries in Hire Slow and Wait… Just a Minute Before You Fire Fast.

If you’re responsible for direct reports, then you’ve heard the hire slow and fire fast statement. Yea, you may have even heard that from me over the years. Before you actually pull the trigger, I’d like to ask you to consider a few things.

Should Management Be Fired First?

I am a huge proponent that you make sure that management has done their jobs right before firing someone. Firing someone who’s had a poor manager or having been managed by a poor set of systems and processes is like knowing your car is nearly out of gas and getting on a turnpike and blaming someone else for not putting gas in the car. It’s a recipe for failure and disappointment. Who’s really responsible?

In assessing an organization, I would interview key employees. One of the questions centered around their understanding of their job description. I was always curious to learn how close the description is to what they really do. It was alarming how many employees didn’t have one or if they did, it didn’t relate to their job functions.

Accurate Job Descriptions and Orientation Steps

One of the very basics is to have a current job description that properly matches what you want the employee to do. This is a guidepost to not only their performance but setting expectations. It is also the baseline of a performance review.

The start of creating a good or even great employee is when they are new. In the interview, you may have said how great your company is and how well everyone gets along. As soon as the new employee is unleashed into your business, the realities are exposed. Old employees will tell new ones the strangest things.

Make sure the new employee receives a proper orientation. They are already dealing with a new job, a new way to drive to work, and a host of other issues. Make it easy for them to assimilate into the business. Show them the lay of the land. Introduce them to all the key players. You might even consider not having them perform in the role until they get settled in.

Every new hire needs to be frequently evaluated. You want to make course corrections early on, so you do not allow bad habits to settle in. Also, be cautious about the volume of pointing out the negatives. You have to find successes and highlight the positive behaviors to help with the new hire’s phycological aspects.

In the orientation, offer a dedicated systemic feedback system. Depending on your cultural issues, this needs to be in a formal and informal style. What you want to create is an open communication process where this employee can ask questions or verify certain systems or procedures.

Was there enough coaching to bring them along? Did we hire them for the wrong position, and could they be better doing something else for us? Should we set them free? All these kinds of questions need to be asked before you fire.

Why Did You Wait to Fire Someone?

Normally, when you decide to let someone go, it’s came after a long time of evaluating and talking, and well, it can become exhausting. If you think you should have fired someone months ago, you are probably right. Why didn’t you? Did you think that there would be some miracle?

Firing fast is all about making the decisions you should have made. But it should always come after you’ve made an honest evaluation of whether or not the management team has done their jobs right. 

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