Melissa Bolton, Perlon-Hahl Inc. Human Resource Manager/Director.
getty
During these challenging times, it is more important than ever for businesses to run lean. In the manufacturing world, lean operating is one of the best practices you can adopt. To run lean simply means to do more with less; frankly, I believe this should be going on at all times for every company.
As a human resource manager for Perlon-Hahl Inc., my job requires me to help our operations keep running during good times and bad. It is my job to make sure we have enough staff — or as I like to call them, family members — to run our plant along with ensuring we don't have too much overhead in the process. Let's face it: Every business needs to make money. You are in your position for a reason, and my reason is to make sure we are staffed and properly positioned as needed.
During the pandemic, it has been difficult enough to keep a company open, let alone staff the company and run it as lean as possible. Yet it is the most important thing leaders can do right now. Here are a few ways to get your company's operations to a lean place:
1. Take a look at all salary positions and determine whether each is a necessity or if some can be combined. For example, some companies have accounts payable and accounts receiveable as one position, and some have them split into two. Is there a need for both a supervisor and a team leader? During tough times, a company should reevaluate the number of employees in certain departments. This is a way of taking a step back and reevaluating a salaried position and the need for it — not for the goal of eliminating positions, but to help the company survive.
2. Cross-train all staff so that all employees can help out in all areas in case of attendance issues or turnover. This helps make sure everyone is working as a team. As a human resources manager, could you put your boots on and go to the warehouse if need be? Would your operations manager working in the plant when needed? Can the sales team help out with packing in a pinch? This is what I call working as a team — when we are all one and we are willing to help out where needed.
3. Do not spend excessive money on things that you may not need at the moment. Does your company really need a uniform service right now? Does your company need the extra cost of staffing agencies right now?
4. Renegotiate contracts for a lower rate. Right now everyone is going through hard times with sales, so it is actually the right time to renegotiate pricing. Contact your vendors and see if they are willing to go down on their rates of material or services to save your company money.
5. Review each department and take the time to see if you have wasted movement or time. What I consider wasted time and or movement would be walking on our plant floor and noticing an employee standing around and doing nothing, or seeing an employee doing the same thing twice due to lack of training or skill set. If employees are not meeting the expectations and metrics established for them, then you have wasted movement or time that should be figured out so you can utilize the abilities of your team to their fullest potential.
These are only a few of the steps you can take to help lean your company so it can survive during this pandemic and even save money and strive during normal times. Each penny you save can be seen as more money that can be put toward your dedicated employees.
Some people say it takes too much work to lean things out, but if you do not put in the time and effort, you will fail at anything you do. Put in that time and hard work so you and your company will succeed during these tough times and thrive during the good times as well. Lean operation works — and if you do not believe me, just try it for yourself and see how it can change your employees' attitudes, profit, turnover rates and the all-around success of the company.
Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
