Page 52 - Australasian paint & Panel Sep-Oct 2021

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BEST PRACTICE
PAINT&PANEL SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2021
54 FULL 360 • 56 PPG AUDIT • 59 AXALTA VIDEO LEARNING
WORKSHOP BEST PRACTICES
ACHIEVING LASTING RESULTS TAKES COMMITMENT, HARD WORK AND CONSISTENCY HOWEVER JUST LIKE LOOKING AFTER OUR BODIES IT CAN BE WORTH THE SHORT-TERM PAIN SAYS PARTS CHECK. HERE’S FIVE GREAT WORKSHOP PRACTICES.
2PROVIDE A GREAT WORKING
ENVIRONMENT
Everyone deserves a safe environment with the right tools and equipment to do their job effectively. Have you implement- ed a proper Covid-19 sanitation process that protects your staff and customers? Do you keep your hoist maintained and certified or your paint scales calibrated? Are you up to date with spraybooth ser- vicing, is your test and tag on point? Good habits and preventive maintenance can save you time and money and avoid unexpected expenses and disruptions to your workflow. What did it cost you last time the booth broke down?
Planning regular maintenance of your plant and equipment not only makes you compliant, it also shows that you care about the safety of your team.
3
No matter how big or small your work- shop is, you will most likely have various levels of skill and expertise within your team. Are your staff multi-skilled and can they easily move around the different ar- eas of the workshop? If you have a painter
1
COMMUNICATE AND CREATE CLEAR
EXPECTATIONS
A happy workshop is a pro- ductive workshop and implementing clear communication practices can help with this. Afterall, your most valuable asset is your staff and good communica- tion fosters good working relationships. This in turn improves morale, perfor- mance and staff retention.
Whether you use a management sys- tem, a whiteboard or pen and paper to plan your work it is vitally important that you share your plan with your team. What’s the point of organising each day, week or month and then keep- ing it to yourself? The only thing you’ll achieve is frustration, both for you and your team. Don’t just assume everyone is on the same page as you. People don’t know what they don’t know.
It’s easy for team members to become frustrated as well if they don’t know ex- actly what is expected of them. It could be as simple as having a morning tool- box meeting to discuss the tasks for the day and what obstacles lie ahead. Try asking for feedback, you might be sur- prised by the options available and dis- cover untapped leadership skills within your team. Create a culture where team members are valued and where people can appreciate the impact they have on the success of the team.
There has been a lot of talk in the repair industry on increased staff turnaround with higher wages on offer elsewhere. Al- though you might not be able to compete on wages don’t underestimate the impor- tance of valuing the people you already have. Research has found that happy work- ers do not work more hours than their dis- contented colleagues – they are simply more productive within their time at work.
USE YOUR TEAM
EFFECTIVELY