Minutiae
Drone videos are all the rage. This literal eagle's eye view presents a perspective not available to the flightless person. Whether it's a mountain top, a sporting event, or a construction site, the ability to view an object from a distance great enough to reveal its entirety enables a greater appreciation for the subject. And while grand, sweeping panoramas of nature and human activities can be thrilling and uplifting, this blog is about the small things. Functioning at a high level requires attention to details.
Incinerator management at Pinicon is one of Alex's duties. It includes regular analysis and removal of the residual debris. Before we turned our attention to this practice, disposing of a dump truck load of mixed ash, metal, organic waste, and plastics was a bi annual headache. Today, in addition to regular Team feedback on burnable item compliance, Alex takes fifteen minutes weekly to scoop out the ash, sort the handful of unburned items into a dumpster or scrap bin, and spread the cleaned ash in the field. This change has reduced the volume of waste to a fraction, saved time, and improved the efficiency of the trash disposal process. The accidental discovery was that trash burns more thoroughly leaving less residual when placed on a level, dry, impervious surface vs. an uneven mound of damp detritus.
Shop Organization is one of Calvin's areas of responsibilities. His written reports highlighting violations of shop use procedures are accompanied by a powerpoint presentation with images of MIA tools, unfinished projects, and general messiness. This initiative has improved our ability to keep shelves stocked, manage tool inventory, and kept the shop a safer and more desirable workplace. Everyone on the Team, regardless of their natural inclination for tidiness, sees benefit in this practice.
As our fleet has grown, the need to create a parking plan and educate the staff on its use became evident. In the design phase, we realized we had to construct area's with adequate carrying capacity and space to handle the category of rolling stock assigned to that space. From start to completion this was a two year endeavor culminating in street signs, numbered truck stalls, and storm water drainage system upgrades. The end result is an intuitively arranged yard with highest frequency units parked closest for convenience, ample space for each group of machines, and a shared understanding of where to find the vehicle you need.
The list of organizational, safety, and operational initiatives goes on, but you get the idea. As awe inspiring and heart pounding as videos of crop dusting, field work and nature's beauty set to catchy tunes can be, the degree to which mundane everyday tasks are standardized, optimized, and exercised is fundamental to the seamless execution of a company's purpose. Metaphorically, this is the mortar in your foundation, the subsoil under your footing. These details may not be as exciting to describe or envision as the game time highlight reel, but they will give you sustainable advantage. This is what separates the elite from the mediocre.
Next up, a kick ass drone video on how spiffy our headquarters looks from 250'!