A Clean Start

January 4, 2009

Well, in the end, maybe he was dopey. Or pessimistic. Or one of the most-prescient economic observers of the day. (Given that the fabricator turned out to be Rick Coon at Racoon Stone and Tile Works in Georgia, he’d probably opt for a mix of Columns A and C.) He turned out to be right.

Schwartzkopf

   The current business-article fashion is presenting ways to cope with an economy that still hasn’t finished its decent, although it’s likely on the final glide path before taking off again. General-interest magazines – the ones that are left, anyway – used to run comparisons of luxury SUVs; now, it’s a feature-by-feature review of the best refrigerator box for on-the-street living.
   It’s tough to write a happy piece exuding boundless optimism for our trade, because it’s not really honest at this point. Things could be a lot worse – think 1979, let alone 1929 – and there’s still good business out there. The era of easy pickings, though, is long, long gone.
   If I could recommend the three things you can do to double your profits this year, I probably wouldn’t list them here for free. Luckily, I don’t have those answers, so you can put the wallet back in your pocket.
   However, to start off the year, I will offer a Checklist for Survival. It’s not specific to the stone trade, but it’s also not one of those canned pieces of editorial oatmeal. I came up with it one Sunday this fall while watching the San Diego Chargers perform their weekly swan dive; maybe that’s strange inspiration, but it worked.
   These are simple goals. Not easy, as Ronald Reagan would point out, but simple. And you may be surprised at the results.
   So, for 2009, try the following:
   1. Clean the place. No, not just a sweep-up and painting the nicks around the door. This is literally a top-to-bottom washing/lubricating/vacuuming that involves moving everything that isn’t bolted down. Mop and hose down every square inch of the shop floor – after you pick up every dropped tool and leftover bone.
   This also involves more than the shop; go through desks, file cabinets and hard drives. Be ruthless about getting rid of old paperwork and files. Clean the carpets and refinish the stone flooring.
   A Big Clean is far more than a time-killing exercise to satisfy neat freaks. While you’re moving work stands, desks and other items to clean, it’s a lot easier to consider different shop and office layouts to make workflow more-efficient. It’s an excellent opportunity for employees to point out inefficiencies that can be remedied at little or no cost.
   Cleaning the whole business usually leads to finding all sorts of items you thought were lost or forgotten, which leads to ….
   2. Inventory. While you’re cleaning, take particular care to sort equipment, tooling, remnants, supplies and other items of value. Then, start counting, and count everything.
   Taking stock of what’s on hand usually leads to several surprises, mostly pleasant. The breakneck pace of good times invariably leads to losing, misplacing or forgetting about consumables. You may think you know what you have, but you often have more.
   Some in the shop may see this as a suggestion of employee theft. Don’t even hint at that, even if you have your suspicions. Treat this as a way to save money and possibly turn up needed tools and goods, and make better purchasing decisions through the year. In other words (or one word) ….
   3. Evaluate. Cleaning and performing a detailed inventory often turns up plenty of consumables and equipment that get limited use, if any. These are valuable clues on some parts of your workflow that you haven’t seen in the past few years.
   Let’s face it – unless you’re back there on the saw or router every day, there are plenty of things that the shop guys (and gals) will do that escapes your notice. Sometimes, it’s a routine that you’re unaware of, or it’s being hidden from you. And it’s rarely malicious; you may want things done one way, but the shop practice is something different.
   A good evaluation goes deeper than determining how many boxes of pencils you’ll consume in 2009. You may need to make hard decisions on products, equipment and personnel; whether it’s to cut back, refocus the main business, or expand in different fields to find new dollars, you need a good handle first on your assets. And, to utilize them to maximum potential, you need to ….
   4. Cross-train. It’s a rare shop that doesn’t multi-task its workers, and some people are always going to be better than others at certain parts of the job. It’s imperative, though, that anyone can switch with another to run equipment, do finish work, and install jobs. (Front-office and sales aren’t exempt in their areas, either.)
   This is going to cause the most grumbling, since it smacks of getting ready to can a few people. Grab this one head-on; when work orders are slim, there may be too many people around the shop. Having a cross-trained staff allows a shop to try more-flexible (read: fewer hours) work schedules to keep everyone employed, and deal better if anyone leaves the crew.
   And, at worst, someone that’s well-trained has a better chance of getting another job if it comes down to getting the pink slip. That’s cold comfort at the time, but it pays off later.
   That cross-training doesn’t apply to just the wage-earners, either. Owners and supervisors need to do the same. It’s also a good way for management, as they deal with running a saw or grinding a seam, to learn the true value of their shop staff.
   It’s a pretty simple list, but you’ll learn plenty about your business in the process. And, you’ll develop a strategy to survive and grow as the economy recovers. Besides – if the Chargers managed to get into contention last year, you’re a cinch to make it in 2009.
   Emerson Schwartzkopf can be reached at emerson@stonebusiness.net. His weekly blog can be found at www.stonebusiness.net and stonebusinesseditor.wordpress.com.