I was at a customer site last week and we were discussing the use of math on the production floor…
Supervisor
The operators always seem to have trouble counting up how many profiles are on each cart. All they need to do is use a calculator to multiply the number of profiles across by the number high.
note: During this discussion, I asked the supervisor where the operator would get a calculator for this purpose. He searched around and realized they would have to walk all the way across the production floor to locate one.
My Suggestion
Mount a calculator to each profile dump table so the operator can both count the profiles and use the calculator at the same time. Once I made the suggestion, he started to point out other tools they should also make readily accessible to improve the operator’s job performance such as pens, job booklets, quality standards, etc.
Additional Thoughts
Keep in mind that many employees will often skip a step, or substitute something rather than go out of their away to locate something crucial to their job. It is your job to ensure your employees have the tools and skills necessary to succeed at their job.
-Andy