In Quality Assurance, we aim to improve our product by enhancing manufacturing methods. Continuous effort is made to ensure work meets plant standards, with each employee fulfilling their role.
Even so, businesses that have a very narrow view of quality might be overlooking an important aspect in fostering a quality culture. For example, older truss operations often functioned under minimal conditions. I’ve visited truss plants with equipment on bare asphalt, no roof, and makeshift shelters of cardboard and pallets. Remarkably, plant management did not see the need to provide proper shelter for their workers, but at the same time I remember a production manager mentioning the difficulty of hiring employees.
I remember visiting truss plants where every piece of equipment was marked with graffiti and offensive language. The equipment was often damaged and malfunctioning. The workers generally lacked enthusiasm for their work responsibilities.
In many plants, provisions for employee break areas and personal storage, such as for lunches, jackets, or phones, are often minimal. Workplace regulations likely require basic amenities, though some facilities may only meet these standards marginally.
Today’s workforce has many options besides working in your truss plant. These alternatives often offer a more comfortable and a potentially safer work environment.
Would you rather work at a truss plant where your bathroom breaks are in a pleasant environment, or would you prefer minimal basics?
Consider this photo of the men’s bathroom at Huskey Truss and Building Supply, Murfreesboro, Tennessee. I was extremely blown away and impressed by this example of investing in the daily conditions for the plant’s production personnel. [For both photos, See PDF or View in Full Issue.]
Over the past several years, Huskey has constructed a genuinely nice break area, private storage areas, and clean places to break. In turn, there is renewed appreciation by the employees, and the team’s attitude has been positively impacted.
So, my question to you is where would you prefer to work? A plant with nice facilities or the plant where the second photo has been taken? Which facility helps create a culture of pride? In defense of the plant, please note that this photo was taken at a facility with very reasonable accommodation. The portable toilets are being used temporarily so they are closer to the workforce, and it is hoped this will be a temporary measure.
The Bottom Line
When you take a narrow view of quality, you may overlook important aspects of your plant that indirectly play a role in your business output. Do you treat your employees with respect? Do you provide the kind of facilities that you too would be willing to use? Do your employees think they are valued as an integral part of the business? What kind of message are you sending to your employees, and how does it affect their lives and your bottom line?
An ANSI/TPI 1 3rd Party Quality Assurance Authorized Agent covering the Southeastern United States, Glenn Traylor is an independent consultant with over four decades of experience in the structural building components industry. Glenn serves as a trainer-evaluator-auditor covering sales, design, PM, QA, customer service, and production elements of the truss industry. He also provides project management specifically pertaining to structural building components, including on-site inspections, expert witness and ANSI/TPI 1 compliance assessments. Glenn provides new plant and retrofit designs, equipment evaluations, ROI, capacity analysis, and CPM analysis.