24/7 Strategies Group - Principles

From working with approximately 500 facilities over the last decade, through consulting, seminars and strategic planning assistance, we have developed an interactive, personalized approach towards each client situation. We realize that no two facilities need exactly the same assistance to achieve their optimum goals. However, some truths remain constant. People tend to resist change, and major schedule revisions disrupt operations. The keys to minimizing the disruption, maximizing good results and overcoming resistance are a series of principles we live by:

The problem must be identified and understood throughout the organization
Converting to a new work schedule is a huge change for everyone involved. In order for your management team, supervisors/team leaders and hourly work force to embrace a change of this magnitude, they have to understand that there is a problem for the business, themselves or both. The problem must be identified and effectively communicated throughout the organization.

Solutions must fit with the specific situation, resources and needs
We rarely encounter a plant which has sufficient demand to run the entire facility 24/7 immediately. In addition, the culture at each location is unique, fitting with the corporate values, local leadership style, product being manufactured and geographic location. Moving to 24/7 or an alternative work schedule is not a "one size fits all" proposition. The first part of the process is to determine exactly what the problem demands and options are, and how to establish, or perhaps evolve, an alternative schedule to the best advantage of the company and its manufacturing facilities.

We do not apply a formula, but rather a process
The most crucial element is consistency in the process used to plan for and implement the change, fitting with the local culture and values. To be successful, the most important principle is to use an open process with the people heavily involved. The key step is for the hourly work force to choose the work schedule, after boundaries are set by leadership to be sure that the business needs are met. This leads to solutions which are owned by as many people as possible. Otherwise, if a small leadership group makes the key decisions such as determining the work schedule, the decision then has to be sold to everyone, often without success.

We help you document and communicate the need for the change
The entire leadership team needs to document why the change is needed, and make the goals clear. This is important for several reasons. First, it establishes parameters for what types of creative schedules can be utilized and for how the facility may operate. It also defines when success has been reached. This step is essential to success.

The biggest challenge is the magnitude of the change
Every person in your facility will be affected, not just the hourly work force. While the people in the hourly work force face a change in their work schedule, the support groups, supervisors (many of whom will also face a change in their schedule), and the facility management will all be affected in one way or another. It is important for an organization to recognize this and plan for it, developing a revised operating approach to fit with the needs of a 24/7 environment.

It will be a big change in your employees' lives
To quote one shift worker when they were reviewing the schedule in his plant, "The foundation of our entire process was the belief that the work schedule has one of the biggest impacts on a person's life resulting from one's employment." Schedules need to have some permanency about them, not changing after a short period or frequently during the year. This is where the creativity comes in, developing an operating plan which not only meets the business needs but also works for the hourly work force.

Flexibility does not preclude working within boundaries
To assure that the business needs are met, leadership needs to define what we call "Boundary Conditions" for the work schedule. Then, the hourly employees select their own schedule as long as it fits within the Boundary Conditions. This ownership is required for the schedule to be accepted and meet the goals of the business. We can guarantee that whatever the schedule, it will not be the first choice of everyone in the plant. However, everyone needs to feel that they participated and that the schedule selection process was the fairest possible.

We enjoy working with people
This seemingly banal characteristic is often the most important factor in our success. Shiftwork changes involves people, everyone in the facility. We spend time with the hourly work force (we particularly enjoy this part of the process) to educate them about alternative schedules and help them come to schedule decisions that will work best for them. Our genuine concern and the presentation of alternatives and empowerment often makes the difference in how the entire work force will react and perform after the change. This may be why companies who have used our services in making shiftwork transitions have close to a 100% success rate in implementing the change.