Page 17 - IEC Insights Sept-Oct19

STEP 4 STEP 5

Review your Redesign your process

process A distributor orders, stores, inspects and moves material, just like a contractor
does. Without coordination, redundant work can raise costs by 25 percent.
Now that you’ve set the groundwork
for an improvement strategy, It also represents a missed opportunity. A distributor is more than the sum of its
it’s important to identify the parts – they’re a logistics expert, used to designing and managing supply chains.
problem you want to tackle.
Teaming up with a distributor early in a project leads to greater efficiency
Start by reviewing critical or down the line. If a distributor knows the details of a contractor’s job plans, the
frustrating processes. distributor can go beyond merely fulfilling a PO to provide value added services
such as packaging and delivering those materials in a beneficial way for the site.
During a recent project, how often were
your electricians idle – for example, To ensure a more accurate, complete, and timely process, it’s important
while waiting on a delivery truck? to have someone with experience in process redesign assist with your
How much time did they spend on improvement efforts.
unnecessary tasks, such as redoing
existing work or transporting
parts across the jobsite?

An unexpected amount of non-install
time on a jobsite often signals a bigger
problem in the contractor’s process.
Work that would be unnecessary on an
ideal project may be required by the
current supply chain. Employees might
be spending extra time unloading
fragile pallet shipments, for example.

www.ieci.org | September/October 2019 | Insights Magazine 15