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