Electronic Consulting

Send Dan a videotape of a job that you are struggling to improve (see tips on videotaping workplace tasks).  He can provide:

  • direction and guidance

  • ideas based on what he's seen that works or doesn't work

  • possible vendor sources

Usually the value in evaluating a tape is brainstorming with you to find solutions, so after reviewing it, he will call to discuss the tape and kick around ideas:

  • What have you already thought of or tried?

  • Have you thought of a, b, or c?

  • What are the constraints that keep you from doing x, y, or z?

Conference Calls

You may want to invite several people to participate in this telephone brainstorming.  Involving a group also helps make sure that the important aspects of the task are known.  Employees and supervisors may know about the problems and engineers or maintenance personnel may know about the constraints and what it would take to implement an idea. 

Video Conferences

Furthermore, we can organize a video conference on line so that Dan and your group can discuss the tape while watching it simultaneously.  This allows Dan also to show photos of solutions that have been implemented elsewhere as the discussion evolves.

Quantification

Dan can perform a quantitative evaluation of the task if necessary.  For example, you may need to help prove that there is or isn't a problem, or you may want to evaluate two possible alternative solutions, or you may want to document the before-and-after comparisons.  Often, the video footage is sufficient for such numerical analysis, perhaps supplemented by some information that you can gather.

Contact Dan regarding costs, options, and logistics.

Guarantee: if he can't help, he won't send a bill.