Comments on: Labor Waste – Over Use Of Temporary Workers http://blog.tugboatsoftware.com/labor-waste-over-use-of-temporary-workers/ Tue, 01 Feb 2011 15:58:54 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Jennifer http://blog.tugboatsoftware.com/labor-waste-over-use-of-temporary-workers/comment-page-1/#comment-60 Jennifer Tue, 17 Feb 2009 19:16:03 +0000 http://www.tugboatsoftware.com/blog/?p=11#comment-60 Resistance from front line managers when implementing a labor scheduling solution happens for a variety of reason. One reason being that the order has been brought down by corporate, unfortunately there is always resistance to any software solution that is sent down the pipe from corporate whether it be a good solution or not. Often front line managers feel their current practices are adequate. They do not realize there may be better alternatives and they might not buy into the big picture benefits. They need to get product out the door and don’t have the time to focus on what looks like a lot of work for little improvement. Let’s face it if they can’t see how the solution affects the bottom dollar of their labor budget right away they see no point in focusing on a new project. This can lead to a setback for the project and can contribute to a downfall for the facility. This is unfortunate because the long term benefit - controlling labor cost - far out ways the short term impact on front-line managers. Besides, there are other very sort-term benefits. Schedulers have more time to focus on operations and other management responsibilities. Getting the right qualified worker on the right job is much simpler. The labor scheduling is done according to the rules that the facility has agreed on. Managers and production planners have the ability to make last minute changes and create “what if scenarios”. Analysis of your labor utilization can be done with reports. All of this is impossible to do when you are managing labor scheduling by hand. Altogether, the solution saves time for H.R., payroll, supervisors, and schedulers. It is not easy to put a dollar value on these kinds of savings and flexibility. Resistance from front line managers when implementing a labor scheduling solution happens for a variety of reason. One reason being that the order has been brought down by corporate, unfortunately there is always resistance to any software solution that is sent down the pipe from corporate whether it be a good solution or not. Often front line managers feel their current practices are adequate. They do not realize there may be better alternatives and they might not buy into the big picture benefits. They need to get product out the door and don’t have the time to focus on what looks like a lot of work for little improvement.

Let’s face it if they can’t see how the solution affects the bottom dollar of their labor budget right away they see no point in focusing on a new project. This can lead to a setback for the project and can contribute to a downfall for the facility. This is unfortunate because the long term benefit – controlling labor cost – far out ways the short term impact on front-line managers.

Besides, there are other very sort-term benefits. Schedulers have more time to focus on operations and other management responsibilities. Getting the right qualified worker on the right job is much simpler. The labor scheduling is done according to the rules that the facility has agreed on. Managers and production planners have the ability to make last minute changes and create “what if scenarios”. Analysis of your labor utilization can be done with reports. All of this is impossible to do when you are managing labor scheduling by hand. Altogether, the solution saves time for H.R., payroll, supervisors, and schedulers. It is not easy to put a dollar value on these kinds of savings and flexibility.

]]> By: Fitz http://blog.tugboatsoftware.com/labor-waste-over-use-of-temporary-workers/comment-page-1/#comment-45 Fitz Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:59:27 +0000 http://www.tugboatsoftware.com/blog/?p=11#comment-45 It is sometimes the case that the variability of production demand of a wide range of product SKUs on a day-to-day basis can be a major contributor to ‘labor waste’ and the demand for temps. Certainly, an immediate call for a particular product must be addressed. However, within a week’s timeframe, the ability to juggle which products are run on a particular line on a particular day can provide a very real savings opportunity. Testing such scenarios to evaluate the optimum combinations which minimize the use of overtime or temps adds real value to production planning. It is sometimes the case that the variability of production demand of a wide range of product SKUs on a day-to-day basis can be a major contributor to ‘labor waste’ and the demand for temps. Certainly, an immediate call for a particular product must be addressed. However, within a week’s timeframe, the ability to juggle which products are run on a particular line on a particular day can provide a very real savings opportunity. Testing such scenarios to evaluate the optimum combinations which minimize the use of overtime or temps adds real value to production planning.

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