Efficiency....what are your methods that make jobs go easier?

[Richard Cranium]

Years back, I had a boss that tried hard to be efficient. I worked in construction where sometimes the profit margins were made or lost on how productive the employees were.
Ron made it a point to use all the materials that we could to minimize waste but that was just the tip of the iceberg for him.
One thing that he also encouraged was to not waste your steps.
Example: You are driving the forklift and going back and forth between the work site and the lumber cut and storage yard. If you needed to get another unit of plywood from the yard, look around for something that needs to go back to the yard and take that with you, then return with the plywood. His thoughts were to avoid driving the forklift unloaded unless it was the only way. This saved time and fuel.
That principle stuck with me.
I called it avoiding wasted steps. Don't walk over the same path multiple times without doing something.
At home, I always try to carry something with me to the kitchen or garage if I'm heading that way for something.
While I am up, I'll let the dogs out or do something else that might require getting up again.
With cars, that "efficiency" has led to what some call mission creep, the snowball effect, (like how a snowball increases in size when rolling down the hill) the "while I am here" syndrome....
While you have something apart, it does make sense to fix other surrounding things because it is open and right there.

What levels of efficiency do you use that save time and trouble?

You're retired now, stop thinking about work!

 

[Cranky]

You're retired now, stop thinking about work!

But...but but but.....it never stops!!

 

[chargervert]

When I shovel the snow in the driveway,I have an efficiency plan to get the job done. I get exactly three beers. I place a beer at the beginning of the driveway,another in the middle and one at the end. It increases my efficiency greatly!

 

[68BabyBlue]

When I shovel the snow in the driveway,I have an efficiency plan to get the job done. I get exactly three beers. I place a beer at the beginning of the driveway,another in the middle and one at the end. It increases my efficiency greatly!

When I was driving a moving van years ago, an old timer told me to buy a case of beer, and let the lumpers know they would get it when the trailer was empty. Worked like a charm on a hot day.

 

[eldubb440]

When I shovel the snow in the driveway,I have an efficiency plan to get the job done. I get exactly three beers. I place a beer at the beginning of the driveway,another in the middle and one at the end. It increases my efficiency greatly!

a man with a plan!

 

[eldubb440]

wife called me in for dinner......I had a very efficient 3 hours

 

[Kern Dog]

Here is some efficiency....
Boil hot dogs in water and eat them.
Serve the kids the water also known as hot dog soup.

 

[fourgearsavoy]

I've been a flat rate mechanic for almost 40 years and the time saving thing is something you have to do to make a decent amount of hours everyday. When they were designing the new shop I picked the stalls closest to the brake lathe and tire machines. I also have the stall near the exit so I don't have anybody in my way when leaving the shop.
I have the basic "think 2 steps ahead" engrained in my head after all this time.
Gus

 

[multimopes]

Being a shift worker for most of my working life; I don't know where I am half of the time. There is no incentive to go & do extra anything because you seldom get recognition for it, but maybe a little better raise when that time comes around. Not to mention being groggy much of the time. If you do something extra, usually all you get is a warm fuzzy feeling and maybe a pat on the back; (if you lean against that picture of the hand on the wall that is.) On top of that, you get assigned to do more work as you have proven that they can count on you. However, as mentioned, being efficient does count. At home, my son & I usually eat while watching the idiot box as there is precious little time to waste. Working smarter is also important as you do get a little more down time if you get the crap out of the way as soon as you can. Just so you know, myself & several other rotating shift operators that I know on this site, (usually) are at work while surfing here. So, if working smarter is a better way, just know that when I am on here, I am USUALLY multitasking at work, so in a sense, I am being paid to do this. Lol! By the way, the scum bags at my old high school wouldn't give me personal typing my senior year, (over 50 years ago); & my hunting and pecking takes a lot longer than many other folks. You might not know how that, but it pretty much, still pisses me off to this day! I worked in a computer room for over ten years and cussed those bastards a million times! I am getting a little better, spell check & such does help to a degree, but sweet senility is encroaching on me slowing me down....
Anyway, "God Bless Us All, Everyone"

 

[f569]

.... Serve the kids the water also known as hot dog soup.

I love a good dog, did a bunch on the grill last night but the thought of that actually made me gag a little!

 

[Hey-O]

In our industry, labor is the majority of cost on every job. Therefore labor most often has the greatest potential to make or break a job financially.
I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir to most, if not all, of the building trades folks here. And likely many in other industries.

On the job:
"Whenever possible, never walk between two points empty handed. Always make the most of every trip."
This applies to tools, material, equipment, etc.

At home working in the shop or on a house project...same rule applies.
I keep a 5 gallon bucket with me nearly always as I walk back and forth from the house to the shop. There's always things I can throw in there to get more done each trip.

At work, one of my jobs was process and how to help get an assembly line job done efficiently in twenty feet, no more, no less....... One of the things I always figured in was, something my father said all the time, don't go back empty handed. The tricks go on from there.

 

[68BabyBlue]

By the way, the scum bags at my old high school wouldn't give me personal typing my senior year, (over 50 years ago); & my hunting and pecking takes a lot longer than many other folks. You might not know how that, but it pretty much, still pisses me off to this day! I worked in a computer room for over ten years and cussed those bastards a million times! I am getting a little better, spell check & such does help to a degree, but sweet senility is encroaching on me slowing me down....
Anyway, "God Bless Us All, Everyone"

In 1970, my mother, who had been a substitute teacher, managed to sneak me into the high school typing class as an auditing student, receiving no grade. In that era, men didn't type. I was an oddity when I typed my exams in law school, and the edge it gave me in speed helped overcome some of my academic shortcomings. It also gave me a major advantage when my trucking company employer went to computers, and promoted me to management in the 80s.

 

[68BabyBlue]

I'm an efficiency freak, but I can't really put it into words....... all the shop functions are turn-key, and everything is on wheels

efficiency of the job at hand is all about the order of operations, and always looking several steps ahead

inefficiencies make me twitch

and I still have issues with "drawing the line" .......

......headed out to the shop for an efficient evening, enjoy

Wheels also increase efficiency when scavenging for parts at Carlisle. When I started using mobility aids at the shows, my Ford buddy Scott and I put together a system that made things easier for both of us. I use the wheelchair until Scott reaches the threshold where he has too many parts to carry, then I switch to forearm crutches, and we move the parts stash to the chair. We got more than a few comments on our operating efficiency.

 

[Scott Engelhardt]

My wife hates it when I pee and brush my teeth at the same time. I tell her it’s called time management.
At work I always try to have the correct and best tools. Get rid of a drill bit that will not cut. Sawzall blades same thing. I try to keep my van well stocked and organized. If I have to stop on a job to go get longer cement anchors is a huge time suck. I try to order parts while I eat lunch. I am a one man show so if I see a tool or something that will make jobs easier or save time, I make sure I have it. I sometimes work with a guy that has terrible time management skills and his van is a mess. You can not see the floor. I have no idea how he gets anything done other then looks for his parts and tools. As I get older time is more valuable to me then then extra money I can make. Don’t get me wrong extra money is always nice, but I can not make more time the clock keeps moving.
I will never sacrifice quality to save a few minutes or dollars. If a customer is paying for a service I will always make sure they get the best quality I can.

 

[kiwigtx]

Top Tip for efficiency......

1. Create a thread,
2. Post it up on multiple forums at the same time.
3. Then sit back, relax, and watch the Likes roll in.

 

[RemCharger]

Top Tip for efficiency......

1. Create a thread,
2. Post it up on multiple forums at the same time.
3. Then sit back, relax, and watch the Likes roll in.

Now that's interesting!

 

[GetX'd]

My efficiencies were: For my work:
ALWAYS do it right and completely the FIRST time.
I distained repeating myself -and all that worked for me knew it.
Hold people accountable and make sure they did what they were supposed - and make sure everyone knew it.
Make sure I held those same accountancies for those above me and my responsibilities to those below me.
Retired at 55.

Of course there’s a lot more that goes into it - but that’s why retirement at 55….. Lol

 

[Hey-O]

Top Tip for efficiency......

1. Create a thread,
2. Post it up on multiple forums at the same time.
3. Then sit back, relax, and watch the Likes roll in.

The best way was, put the laziest guy on the job and he'll figure out the easiest way. Worked everytime.

 

[Ron H]

to sneak me into the high school typing class

Hmm, I don’t know if I would have opted for typing class I might have been rejected. HS football player, huge guy, did take Home Ec (cooking) and it was all the scuttlebutt. Lol, I used to try to take the classes where I knew more girls would be, not considering it, duh. Yeah, it was a hassle when I was assigned a laptop to type reports instead of handing the dictation tapes to a secretary. After some 35 years, I’ve managed to type faster than I can write. At one time I had nice penmanship, not the case now. I don’t use it, so I lost it.

 

[68-500]

Until

Now that I'm retired I can share one shortcut from powerline construction. I learned it from a production Foreman many moons ago. In Line construction, everytime you have to move a bucket truck and set it up, it's lost time. Knowing where to setup your pulling/string points is very important. We would set new poles with the crossarms and neutral attachments on the poles along with leader ropes with blocks all at once. When we reached the pulling rope machine we just had to walk the pulling ropes back to each pole, hook it to the leader ropes and pull it up through the blocks. Rinse and repeat for approximately 30-40 spans until we got to the wire machine. The rope/tensioner would then pull the wires/conductors back, then sag each conductor temporarily. Final sag would occur during "clip in" at each pole, hence one digger, one bucket setup per pole. We could normally these build this grouping in 4-10 hr. days.
Distribution only, Transmission work is a totally different animal. And this kind of results only works with really good crews and PFP (pay for performance) jobs. Hint, bonuses.
It paid to pick my crew, and they knew they would be taken care of.
We were never out of work.
Sorry for the Lineman lingo.

Works good until the grunt or ape losses a pea line then your setting up anyway. I rarely set a pole with dollies on it, seems like as soon as I do I end up going back and moving them and only pea line dollies if it a reconductor job. We usually string rope lay it up and dolly up 1 step. I can justify it because, we dig, frame and set on 1st setup.