HOW TO FIX ANYTHING
HOW TO FIX ANYTHING : PART 3
Timing Is Everything
I
hope you have enjoyed the first
two installments of How to Fix
Anything, and by now, you should
begin to notice that this simple, yet
abstract, analysis of problem solving
is constructed to help solve much bigger
issues than a broken dishwasher, or a
faulty widget machine. Whether your
goal is to repair something physically or
metaphorically, most of the steps required
can be very similar. Each part of the
process can be looked at as an individual
component; one that can be cleaned,
adjusted, modified, replaced, or even
eliminated altogether.
So far along our journey into fixing things,
we have recognized a few critical steps;
Step 1; we must identify with our target
audience on an empathetic level, in order
to realize what Their issues are, rather
than Ours. Once we diagnose what They
really want, we must then be able to take
apart our process to a more specific set
of actions, or parts of that process. We
will call that Step 2. By disassembling our
process, now we can examine the different
parts and pieces, clean up each component,
spread them all out on the workbench
(or white board), and pinpoint what parts
are broken. Maybe nothing is broken,
but pieces were assembled in the wrong
order the first time, and just need some
rearranging. Or, maybe there are too many
parts altogether, slowing things down.
How do we determine what to fix and what
to replace and what to throw away? Time
to get our hands dirty. Step 3 is to organize
our collection of parts and pieces.
BUILD A BETTER MOUSETRAP
We know our problem, we took apart the
machine, we spread out all of the pieces,
30
we plugged them into a calendar, but
we don't see anything broken. At least,
not right away. Lets organize the parts
and pieces in such a way that they can
be moved around, adjusted, duplicated
and/or eliminated. For our theoretical
discussion, we have determined that our
services are being delivered too close to
deadlines for the comfort of our clientele.
So lets arrange them in a linear fashion,
on a timeline. A timeline is a graphic
representation of events; what happens
when, and how much time does that
process occupy? When does the process
begin? When can we expect completion?
But the big question is; how do we make
it better? Arranged on a timeline, we can
clearly see gaps, overlaps, delays, and
most importantly, opportunities. We can
clearly visualize where we can improve
our process. If it doesn't jump out right
away, we can simply move a component
forward or backward on the timeline, and
predict its effect. We can shrink a part of
the process, or draw it out longer. We can
even omit a step in a process, and see what
happens.
same poorly designed part back into our
machine, it will continue to break, right?
We are customers too, and recent history
has proved that forward thinking
companies are the ones that thrive. From
farming, to media, to auto industry, to
banking and finance, and retail, everyone
must adapt to our changing environment,
or be left behind wondering why. Let's
be on the pointy end. On the output
side, we can create a timeline that will
illustrate to our customers exactly what
happens and when. We can examine the
parameters necessary to be effective in
our chosen industry and, (gasp), manage
the expectations of our clientele! More on
that in the next issue. +
TALKING ABOUT A REVOLUTION?
Maybe, the way our suppliers do business
is adversely influencing our production
timeline. It is quite possible that their
inefficiencies are directly affecting
our output. All industries must evolve.
Sometimes change is hard, and companies
resist. They may say things like, "that's
not the way we do it," or "the industry
doesn't work that way," or even, "that will
cost too much to fix." Okay, let's find a
supplier that is willing to follow us along
our journey. If we just keep putting the
BY: STEVE RODERICK
JGS INSURANCE
Steve Roderick has recently entered the
Insurance Industry and brings with
him a completely new perspective. With
over 20 years in the Marine Industry, it
was evident that Steve was destined
to fix things, whether it be procedures,
operations, or anything else that crosses
his desk. He works closely alongside
business owners and property managers
to solve their issues through exceptional
customer service.