Last month, I talked about how things were “back in the day” as compared to now. The Servo Revolution is upon us, and we must all work to keep up with technology. Modern technology drives our businesses, both literally and figuratively. Even so, technology is not the sole element in the equation. At the end of the day, business is about human interaction.
As I wrote when I began this series, the objective is not to impress you with the advanced power of the servo—it is to impress upon you the importance of keeping up with advancements, both as individual companies and the industry as a whole. While we’re doing that, we also have to remember—we are all (only) human.
Training and Trouble-Shooting
Today’s Equipment Operators have replaced the Sawyers of the past. They are called upon to perform countless duties which are essential for keeping production running smoothly. Unfortunately, everyone is not always “up to speed” on best practices, or sometimes even basic ones.
At the Hundegger service call center, we receive a variety of calls from customers’ operators and maintenance people. Recently, we received a call from a Maintenance Technician who did not even know how to turn on the company’s Volt Meter. Obviously, we took the time to walk him through that. Our shared goal, of course, is to get the saw up and running—but we can only play a role from our side of the phone. I guess what I am saying is, If you are expecting equipment manufactures to up their game, you better be prepared to “up yours” (see what I did there?) and make sure that you are putting employees into roles that they’re prepared, and trained, to handle. It could mean the difference between 30 minutes of down time and 2 hours of down time. Again, this goes back to the need to graduate employees from Sawyer to Equipment Operator.
The role of preventative maintenance can’t be underestimated either. When I was a carpenter, I learned to take care of my compressor, my nail guns, and my skill saw. Keeping my level clean and safe meant it would stay plumb. Scheduled maintenance, like regularly changing the oils of my compressor, was critical. Today, preventative maintenance remains essential for keeping machinery in proper working order. Too often, crises at the plant could have been averted if only a saw and its accessories had a regular 50-Point Inspection that checks every part of your equipment to ensure it is operating the way a saw should. Having a knowledgeable, in-house Technician with proper training can mean the difference between losing a couple hours of production and losing a day’s worth.
In addition, Tech Support is not what it used to be. Today, Tech Support is as much figuring out what something isn’t, in order to figure out what it is. Often, today’s CMs expect the equipment Support Tech to just “log on” and make a quick assumption about what is going wrong, but that can end up being very inefficient for everyone. Diagnosing modern equipment is ruling out things first, then moving to the hardware and wiring. From there, diving into potential software issues. You’d be amazed by the number of issues resolved with relatively simple steps like making sure everything is plugged in and set up correctly. You’d also be amazed at how often manufacturer settings are changed in inexplicable ways.
Customer Support for CMs
Just as communication is key for the relationships that CMs develop with their customers, communication is essential for the relationship between CMs and their suppliers. This is especially true for equipment manufacturers. We are here to help you, and we need your help and cooperation to do just that.
Patience is still a virtue, and all parties need to talk and listen while explaining things in technical but simple terms. Technology has brought us together, and tools are being developed to keep us all on the same page. For example, Hundegger has a special feature built into the software that provides a saw operator the ability to take a digital snapshot of an error or a mis-cut. Anytime an issue is suspect, there is a simple way to create a diagnostics file. This file records who, what, and when the saw is cutting, which produces a report packed with so much data that we can tell you who was running the saw, determine if a sensor is acting up, and then we can have the sawyer/maintenance techs check if it is loose, broken off, or dead. By working together, we can diagnose problems and get back to business, and production, in less time.
Investing in Success
In addition to investing in equipment, a company’s success will depend upon its investment in its most important resource—people. Contrary to the “video-game mentality” which would have us believe that today’s new Equipment Operator jobs are composed of simple steps and parts, reality is much more demanding.
I keep hearing CMs say, “The component industry is a place a young person can build a good career.” As we discussed last month, today’s Technicians are expected to perform a wide range of tasks. For that, they need adequate training. In addition, they need reasonable compensation. The advances in technology are not an excuse to lower the skill expectations and corresponding pay level for Saw Operators because the equipment is automated; rather, a Technician, particularly one competitive with other industries operating high tech equipment, can command a higher salary than a company might at first be willing to pay. Then the question becomes—how best are you able to strike the balance between production costs and profits. Companies like Katerra are loaded up with smart, motivated people who see construction as a high tech and rewarding industry.
The Servo Revolution is here, and we must all continue to address how technological developments can be best incorporated into our businesses. Are you keeping up with the changes?