Labor around the Sawmill

[DanG]

Get a video camera and set it up on a tripod where it can film the entire work area.  I'll bet you can find a dozen ways to pick up speed while watching a 2 hour tape. ;)

DanG, 

This is exactly what the Japanese do when they want to streamline a production process.  Before video cameras, they would take a new engineer out onto the shop floor and draw a chalk circle on the floor.  The new engineer was then required to stand in the circle and observe the manufacturing processes around him until he could identify at least one improvement to an existing process.

-w-

Back in the early 90's, the phone company I worked for did a "Work Process Analysis".  I was on the team that analyzed the processes in my department.  We would sit for hours with a stopwatch, pencil, and legal pad and write down every movement a worker made, even down to the picking up of a pencil.  After all that data was recorded, we had a series of meetings to analyze the analysis and came up with ways to streamline the processes.  It was a very effective tool, and saved the company millions of dollars.  Whole departments went away, but their workers were transferred to other departments, where their work wouldn't be duplicated.  The "savings" were manifested in additional earnings, through efficiency.  One tiny example of the things we did involved staples.  This was a 24/7/365 operation with 8 worker positions.  We had 2 staplers and one stapler remover in the whole place! :  With a $40 expenditure, we put staplers and removers on every desk, and saved about $40 per week in wasted motion.  Most changes were much larger than that, of course, but all of them reflected greater savings than expenditure.  The key to the whole thing was objectivity.  The teams were made up of all levels, from file clerks to upper-level managers, and everything in between.

You could do the same thing by filming yourself in action, and picking out things you could do differently.

[backwoods sawyer]

DanG, 

Back in the early 90's, the phone company I worked for did a "Work Process Analysis".  I was on the team that analyzed the processes in my department.  We would sit for hours with a stopwatch, pencil, and legal pad and write down every movement a worker made, even down to the picking up of a pencil.  After all that data was recorded, we had a series of meetings to analyze the analysis and came up with ways to streamline the processes.  It was a very effective tool, and saved the company millions of dollars.  Whole departments went away, but their workers were transferred to other departments, where their work wouldn't be duplicated.  The "savings" were manifested in additional earnings, through efficiency.  One tiny example of the things we did involved staples.  This was a 24/7/365 operation with 8 worker positions.  We had 2 staplers and one stapler remover in the whole place! :  With a $40 expenditure, we put staplers and removers on every desk, and saved about $40 per week in wasted motion.  Most changes were much larger than that, of course, but all of them reflected greater savings than expenditure.  The key to the whole thing was objectivity.  The teams were made up of all levels, from file clerks to upper-level managers, and everything in between.

You could do the same thing by filming yourself in action, and picking out things you could do differently.

Sounds like the Perforex system we used here in the big mill when a new owner wanted to stream line the already effective operation. If you can shave 1/10th second off the time it takes to position a log, saw, chipper, cant or flitch it can mean thousands of dollars in savings. However, the $1,000,000 that the Perforex system cost to be implemented not to mention the added paper work that kept the pulp mill in operation and all the time spent in meetings to determine when to have the next meeting, was considerably more then the $100,000 savings after 2 years.
This was proved by there own data when after a year of no improvements they reorganized the three crews so that the most experienced crews were on day shift, and night shift and every six weeks they would switch. Flex crew had the least total experience yet consistently set higher production rates then the other two crews. So they switched flex crew to day shift and the production went down. The other two crews production fluctuated depending on which shift they were on.
Why?
They were over analyzing everything that was done, and the crews would slow down to make sure they were not perceived as having done something wrong.
Did I mention that the flex crew also had the best safety record of the three crews.

Another words you have to trust the people that work for you, and make sure they have the best training that you can give them, and instill a desire to want to work for you that goes beyond the paycheck. It does not happen over night, but it is a necessity to being an effective business. The alternative is an unhappy employee that will cost you more then he or she ever thought of making.

As several have stated, stream line your operation. Analyze how you run the milling operation and find where you can save some time. Consider hiring a bookkeeping outfit to free you up to have more time for maintenance, milling ect.

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

Thanks Ron ;) ;D

Bull Ive worked a few smaller mills this is the mill i sayed at for 3 yrs and still do some work for now in 2001 when i was 20yo i was getting 27.50 per hour subbying + a $30 fuel allowance as I was doing a 170 mile round trip to work and back every day I was sawing on my own most of the time once I got to above $2 ks t/o per day id get $50 extra and every $500 to above that an extra $50 so on and soforth I had to prepare , saw and stack between 2500 and 4500 bft per day on my own I used to do 9 to 12 hrs per day plus driving time and I made some dang good money and had plenty of time to do the things I wanted to do usually took 1 week of every 4 to 6 weeks
Like i say go hard or go home  ;) :D ;D ;D

Down here you can subby if you have an ABN (aust buisness number / TAX) , insurance the only real thing that the employer needs to provide is a safe work place above all

Reguards Chris

[Banjo picker]

Extra pay, bonuses, incinitives, etc what ever you call it has its place, if its done right. 

Dang called what they did "Work process Analysis" I believe.  That is a first cousin to what I would call a production enginer.  Something similar has to take place before the emplorer can expect to know how much of an incinitive to offer.  (ex. you have to know that x number of people working at a good clip can cut x number of rr ties is they stay busy...you also know that if they really turn it on they can produce 15 more per shift.  The incentive is for the extra 15.  You are probably not going to get them in a normal setting, but if a small bonus if there to make over production...they make a little more, employer makes a little more.

But on the cameras, I don't like them.  I have had to work some for companys that used them, and no body likes them.  My two sons and I worked at a plywood mill under construction at Oakdale La where Marko (Jonnie Martin) was building , one of the biggest osb plant in the country.  They had several cameras, the first thing when someone hired on was they get shown where they were hidden.  The agenda there was not for production.  I think they hurt production,  I had a crew of about 10 men, and they would go out of their way to set up their work station where the camera couldn't see. 


If you are going to do a production analyis it is best to not even let the people know you are doing it.  I have seen a production enginer at a work station observing someone, to set production.  I bet you they will slow down so you won't expect as much, which would flaw your final results.   

Tim

[DanG]

The program I talked about wasn't about cracking the whip, at all.  It identified places where things could be done differently to increase production without adding people, which is exactly what Just-Sawing wants/needs to do.  We did things like adding more Xerox machines, and shifting responsibilities from one work group to another.  Morale actually went up along with production, because the job got easier instead of harder.

I suggested the camera so the solo worker could see where he might be wasting motion, not to spy on other workers.  A manager who has to rely on the latter, isn't much of a manager, IMO.

I increased production at my mill by about 100bf/day by just removing a couple of trees and clearing some bushes to make more room behind the mill.  Just-sawing might increase his by adding an edger, live deck, forklift, kiln, or even replacing the mill itself, instead of hiring someone.  He may even determine that he really does need to add help. ;)

[OneWithWood]

If I installed a camera to record my activities in my barn, you know, milling, stacking, ciphering, drying, stacking, etc.  the resulting footage could keep us all entertained at the piggy roast for hours!
:D :D :D :

[DanG]

I could record my activities lately with an oil painting. : :D

[mike_van]

I could record my activities lately with an oil painting. : :D

:D :D :D :D      Thanks Dan, almost lost my coffee  :D

[Ron Wenrich]

There are a lot of different types of studies you can do around the mill.  Time and motion studies is pretty much like what DanG has described.  They are pretty useful when used properly.  For most of the smaller to medium sized mill operations, a study would involve watching the primary log breakdown area.  It shows where the bottlenecks occur in the mill, and how to avoid them so they don't effect productivity.

I think the smaller operations would benefit greatly from those studies.  But, I have yet to find a mill that doesn't know what their problems are or how to solve them.   ;)

[Cedarman]

Question?  Why are you moving lumber that way?
Answer:     Because that is the way we moved lumber yesterday.

[Tom]

what I have experienced is consultants.  when the company upper management feels that they have lost contact with what is going on, it seems that the best thing to do is hire a consultant.  Maybe even a bunch of them.  It doesn't matter what they are trained in.  The general synopsis is that the best consultants are Accoutants.  Accountants study things in detail, make sure that everything has a place and is in place, and them trims it all down so that the books show that a profit is being made with a minimal expenditure.

The reason that it works is because the upper management wants change.  They expect change.   The consultant, none to shabby in the brain department, knows this, and will find something wrong whether there is anything wrong or not.  After all, that is what he is being paid to do, find something wrong.  As a result, the higher paid, most experienced employees, are sent packing.  They are replaced by those who worked for them, at half of the salary, and those lower slots aren't filled.  Since there is no longer as many people doing the work (streamlining they call it) much of the equipment can be discarded and sold to bolster the bottom line.  Overtime replaces extra workers and schedules can be made that allow the company to use 80 percent of a workers time.  After all the company doesn't benefit from the time spent with the family, so the 20 percent of "extra" time can be used for sleeping, eating, healthcare and entertainment. That should keep the worker happy.

What with the increased schedules, diminished tools, minimized workforce and a freeze on hiring, the bottom line will begin to look pretty good.  If it isn't good enough, there is always a target of retirement, vacations, sick days, breaks and other nonproductive time periods that can be cut to help the company when times get tough.  If times get too tough, and the product isn't being produced, they can always hire another accountant consultant.  It's cheaper than hiring more help and it worked last time.  It's a win/win situation.  :P ;D

[DanG]

Just-Sawing doesn't have a prayer of getting one of those consultants, Tom.  They're all tied up telling GM to sell less cars so they won't lose so much money, and telling Sears to close stores because they're losing money.  Heck, I can tell him that he is producing too much lumber to make any money.  He needs to lay himself off! ;D :D

[just_sawing]

I retire from public work in two days. I have been running WM for 15 years for this day that I can get er done. With Workmans comp osha fica income tax I will be hiring two less people. The equipment is paid for I am investing 60k in a forestry Mulcher paid for and will work family or contract workers that keep up there own taxes ansd insurance. If the goverment wanted less unemployment they would make it eaiser for people like me to do the right thing.

[DanG]

I retire from public work in two days.

WOW!  That's a biggie right there!  Congratulations! 8) 8) 8)

[Meadows Miller]

I retire from public work in two days. I have been running WM for 15 years for this day that I can get er done. With Workmans comp osha fica income tax I will be hiring two less people. The equipment is paid for I am investing 60k in a forestry Mulcher paid for and will work family or contract workers that keep up there own taxes ansd insurance.

A big congrats on the career change Mate   ;) ;D ;D 8)

If the goverment wanted less unemployment they would make it eaiser for people like me to do the right thing.

Like thats Ever going to happen   ;) :D :D :D  We all look more like cash cows to them  :( >:(   ;) :D :D :D

Reguards Chris

[Handy Andy]

  My experience with help was, I wound up doing all the dirty work, keeping everything fixed and replacing the tools the help took home, doing the rest of the work the help didn't get done, and dealing with all the paperwork, and boy if you don't get some form sent in on time, the fines are ENORMOUS.  More than the original amount owed.  I have found that equipment is cheaper than help.  So help your productivity by buying something.

[Brucer]

Reguarding the paperwork:

My best customer started as a 1-man show.

When he started to hire employees, he hired an accountant. But his (my customer's) idea of record keeping was to hand the accountant a shoebox full of invoices, bills, chequebooks, etc. So the accountant told him to hire a bookkeeper -- paying an accountant to do clerical stuff will bankrupt him.

So next he hired a part-time bookkeeper. That saved him a bundle in high-price accounting fees. But she ended up spending 2 days a week just to stay on top of things. And soon she was answering phones, doing invoicing, and all sorts of clerical stuff. So she told him to hire a clerk.

Good help is hard to find these days, but finally he found a neighbour who was available for 6 months, so he hired her as a part-time office manager. Now he was saving a bundle on unnecessary bookkeeping fees. And just as she was ready to move on, he heard about another young woman who wanted to move to the area and work part time. She came highly recommended so he hired her, based on one very casual meeting.

What a difference she made to the business. Invoices got sent out promptly. Delinquent accounts got polite but firm reminders. Payroll got done on time. Government paperwork got submitted on time -- no fines levied. Regulations got changed? She was on top of it. If someone needed to find the boss, she knew exactly where he was -- and who not to tell where he was ;D.

In fact she made such a difference to the business that within 6 months she got 2 raises and was asked to increase her hours.

Now ... this business had between 8 and 15 employees, depending on the season. But even a very small business can benefit from a part-time clerical person. Doesn't have to be an employee -- there are people operating out of their homes who can take care of the paperwork for you. The key is to find the right kind of person -- some one who will "git 'er done".

[cptbob06]

Consultant- Someone who came from more than fifty miles away

[pineywoods]

Consultant- Someone who came from more than fifty miles away

Carrying a briefcase ;D

[Ron Wenrich]

I've heard a consultant described as a guy that knows how to make love to a woman 101 different ways, but doesn't have any girlfriends. 

[Meadows Miller]

:D :D :D :D :D :D Thats because he had plenty of time to read the books ;) :D ;D

There Ambition exceedes there Ability sometimes  ;) :D :D ;D

[bkaimwood]

I know this is an old and stale thread, but came across it while looking for something... So here I go...I was a flat rate auto tech for 25 years...I can tell you for fact, with minimal thought and planning, incentive and bonus plan as discussed, WORK!!! It won't motivate everyone, but it will make potential stars shine, and make it easy to recognize the ones drifting to the 5:00 paycheck. The latter of the two are unfortunately 9 out of 10 these days...you can weed them out quicker...

[drobertson]

I've heard a consultant described as a guy that knows how to make love to a woman 101 different ways, but doesn't have any girlfriends.

for the small business this could not be said any better,  1099 forms contract work and let the cards fall.  there will be good help and not so good, many folks do a lot of travel between employers and the check in the mail. Its a scam, and a sham, the main reason if my sons can't help me, I go alone,  too much crap to put up with.  going big with lead men that call the ball,, this is a different equation.