When a company plans its work well, it creates peace of mind and overview for its employees. Additionally, timely delivery of products and services keeps customers satisfied!
Often, you get so immersed in operations that you lose track of the big picture or don't take the time to look for optimizations. That's why we've compiled a list of 6 signs that indicate there's still room for improvement in planning and executing tasks.
📝 You plan tasks on a whiteboard, physical planning board, or with post-its
Every new task is written with a pen or marker on a physical planning board or whiteboard. Due to limited space, you can't provide much information about the task, at most an order number and customer name. The planning is always 'alive,' and changes in the planning cost you a lot of time. It can be much easier.
Your work order is already available in software you use, such as accounting or ERP systems. So why would you still copy information from it onto a whiteboard or paper planning card? Integrate your existing software with a digital planning board. Not only does it save you a lot of time, but you also have all the information available with just a click instead of just a title on a post-it.
📈 Your salespeople often ask when they can deliver again
Almost every company recognizes this. The sales department asks operations when new products/services can be delivered. Your sales colleagues want to give potential and existing customers a good expectation during a sales process. It's no secret that friction often arises between operations and sales.
When you digitally manage your planning and give your salespeople access, they know exactly when there is availability again. This saves a lot of unnecessary discussions, calls, and emails. Of course, salespeople only have a read function in the planning and cannot make changes 😉.
🧠 You plan based on gut feeling or memory
You've been working at the company for years and have knowledge of all the products and processes. As a result, managing everything by planning it in your head still works. We have a lot of respect for you, but it is a potential problem. Imagine you are temporarily absent or leave the company after years of loyal service. What then? The company will face significant problems. Who now knows what needs to be done?
Take the planning out of your head, make it visual, and create overview and peace of mind. The entire company has access to and insight into the planning. You can now enjoy your 3 weeks of vacation much more confidently!
⏰ You deliver your products late to your customers
Having a product delivered a little later once is not a problem for your customer. But if this happens structurally, there is a good chance your customer will look elsewhere. The fact that you deliver your products late can have various causes, such as missing materials or insufficient capacity.
By planning with a digital planning board, based on capacity, you get a clear overview right away. You can deliver more reliably because you receive clear signals and can make decisions quickly. Additionally, you can communicate a well-founded promised delivery date to your customer in the pre-sales process.
😴 Your employees or machines are idle too often
Every company wants to use its employees and machines as optimally as possible. It's a waste if your colleague has nothing to do for a while. It's not fun for the employee, but the company also incurs unnecessary costs. The same goes for machines. Additionally, it's not nice if employees constantly ask you what they 'should do next'. Be proactive rather than reactive.
By creating an online schedule, you can manage every resource. Give them a clear overview of what they need to execute. You know exactly how many hours are planned and how many hours of availability are still there. You easily share the schedule online with your team. Changes are immediately shown to them. This way, you optimally schedule your team!
📋 You still use a lot of paperwork on the shop floor
To get work done, you print out the entire job with the accompanying documents. The stack of paper is handed over to your employee. There is a good chance that a sheet gets lost. Additionally, finding the right information can sometimes be a real challenge. Also, registering results, such as hours and/or material usage on paper, is not efficient. The filled-out papers also need to be processed at the office. This results in unnecessary manual work.
Make sure the work order is also digitally available to the employees. In addition to planning, work execution can also be done without paper. Use a PC, tablet, or mobile phone to view the work order. Let your team easily register the work, from time registration to signing off with a signature. Status updates are made via the floor, so the office is immediately informed. No unnecessary walking around, and you can all communicate within one solution!
Do you recognize any of these problems?
Do you recognize yourself or your company in one or more of the mentioned problems? We are happy to take on the challenge of solving these problems for you with vPlan.
vPlan is an online planning solution to plan, execute, and analyze all your activities. All with the aim of making your company more productive and keeping the work enjoyable. Due to its flexibility and ease of use, vPlan can be used for any work process. vPlan serves companies in various industries: from landscaping to carpentry and from marketing agencies to clothing printing companies. vPlan ensures more control, more peace of mind, and better collaboration.