Every business faces cycles of busy and slow times. However, the construction business can bring those swings to extreme highs and lows. Everyone in the business is challenged with balancing the ability to serve customers with the costs of doing business. Those who succeed in the long run are willing to look at new ways to squeeze the rat through the snake.
We are in the middle of the first summer of our tenure at FabTech. We are very busy with both current work and backlog. Our customers all want product faster and faster. I noticed that Wausau featured a new program offering shorter lead times. Their announcement specifically called out the shortening build cycle. While Wausau specifically calls out their strategy, all of us are trying to squeeze timelines while still putting out quality work.
So, what can you do? Bottom line, the time to attack the busy season is during the slower times. If you talk to your people and customers about pain points ahead of time, you will have time to implement some solutions in small steps (think lean manufacturing or Kaizen).
OK we are all too busy to spend any more time now. GET BACK TO WORK – YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE WAITING!
PS – With the Olympics in the news, I have seen some of the chatter on the blog boards about China. I traveled to China last year on business. It is a fascinating place. It is a land of contrasts. I saw very modern factories with huge investments in automation and technology. Really world-class stuff. Then, across the street is an ox cart or even corn drying in the middle of a 4-lane highway.
I saw raw sewage in the gutters of Guangzhou. This is a city of 9 million plus. Massive advances and wealth alongside ancient sites and immense poverty. Contrast, contrast, contrast.
My take is that the central government of China is still very controlling and doesn’t care about the health and safety of workers. Also, the wealth being created by the West’s appetite for cheap goods is not being used to improve infrastructure beyond the large cities.
That being said, they will host a hell of an Olympic games. When "the man” controls everything, the big things will run smoothly. Just don’t look behind the scenes—the backstage is very messy.
2 comments:
Good Blog,
I am a big fan of China and the culture that has endured for thousands of years. I am not a fan of the leaders and "investors" who are in it to make a quick buck.
Steve Jobs and Apple opened up a factory a couple of years ago, to make the i-phone, contracts were signed and production began. A make or break part of the deal was working enviroment. Minimum wages were established, max working day was 10 hrs and every one must have at least 1 day off per week.
Of course when Apple was dominating the market, competitors "leaked" a story about abuse of Chinese workers. It turns out,workers were working 14 - 16 hours a day - no OT - 7 days a week for less than the minimum wage agreed to.
It took the threat of pulling their (Apples) business to force the Chinese "Directors" to comply with the contract.
There is a lesson in there somewhere.
Keep up the good work
Jim F
Jim,
I could go on for a long time about my experiences and opinions. I agree the people and culture are both great.
However, the government and business leaders are not what we are used to in the West. What is strange to this Midwestern guy is that the workers don't question anything. Their culture is just to follow the rules and not question anything. Not the American way...
Post a Comment