Soldiers from the militarys chemical units take part in a drill organised by the New Taipei City government to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, in Xindian district on March 14, 2020. - Over 450 medical staff, community volunteers, government employees and military personnel took part in the drill. Despite being so close to the original outbreak in mainland China, Taiwan has just 48 confirmed cases of the Covid-19 disease with one death. (Photo by Sam Yeh / AFP) (Photo by SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images)
As your business recovers from its losses from shutdowns caused by the novel coronavirus, you need to find ways to increase production and cut waste. Take these steps to boost your efficiency and stay ahead of your customers’ orders.
Schedule Maintenance Appointments in Advance
Rather than waiting until something breaks to schedule maintenance appointments, make them a few months ahead of when a machine is likely to break down. This gives service providers, such as wastewater treatment companies, more time to fit you into their schedules and decreases the amount of time that your machines are not operational. It is much faster to perform regular maintenance than to try to figure out what is wrong with a piece of equipment and then fix it. If you make your schedule correctly, you can even have maintenance done when a machine is not in use.
Update Your Technology
Use the most current communication technology to avoid missing important meetings and orders. For critical news, text or call your employees rather than relying on email or other forms of communication that take a while to see. If employees do not want to give you their phone numbers, use a group text app, such as GroupMe, that allows you to text people without seeing their numbers. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new productivity apps that track your hours and allow you to upload your progress for the day. Offer incentives such as extra breaks or company apparel to employees who are willing to test new apps and programs.
It’s hard to get back on track after a long, unplanned shutdown. Rather than panicking and rushing all your orders, focus on the parts of the situation that you can control, such as maintenance and technology. Once you have your equipment and communication tools ready, you can meet your customers’ needs as quickly as possible.
