checklist-style approach to our work? The Power Of Creating A Checklist Reducing errors and minimizing avoid-able mistakes are obvious benefits of a checklist-based approach, but the value goes far beyond procedural rigor. Working through the process of design-ing a checklist in the first place can help to dig deeper and take a more systematic approach to balancing risk factors and conducting cost-benefit analyses. Given the time, money and lives that can be saved, that seems well worth checking a few boxes. That said, simply having a process is not good enough; the goal is to create proce-dures that are clear for every employee to execute and generate a consistently high-quality end result. Consequently, setting clear and con-sistent standards — even for seemingly mundane tasks — is essential. A checklist can help to facilitate and for-malize that process, and do so in ways that deliver maximum efficacy and efficiency. Understand that, no matter how well-established your processes and proce-dures may be, there is always room for improvement. The motivation to upgrade and refine processes and identify new efficiencies should be especially clear in healthcare and educational environments, where lives and health are at stake each day and seemingly mundane details can have lasting conse-quences. The automotive industry is another good example of how a similar mentality of con-tinuous improvement can pay long-term dividends. The automotive supply chain has embraced procedural rigor and checklist-style processes, subsequently developing a system that is remarkably efficient from beginning to end. In the case of carmakers, this approach is a necessity — the professional ecosys-tem is so closely interconnected that any error in the production process causes global disruption. There is no reason why adopting an approach that leads to high degree of consistency and continuity would be any less valuable in other professional environ-ments. Getting The Team Onboard One of the most underappreciated aspects of checklist-based process improvement is the importance of buy-in. Even the most elegant and effective pro-cesses only work if employees utilize them correctly and consistently, and facilities management decision makers need to be proactive and persuasive in explaining why these steps are important; a checklist is a value, not a burden. Empower your team with the knowledge that they’re making a difference and work to educate and inform about them about the importance of the checklist and each process. Ultimately, everyone in a company is responsible for its success, and the more employees know about the impact of their actions, the smarter and more diligent they will be in applying new ideas. Details matter: In environments where cleanliness is paramount and health and safety are at risk, details can save lives. Like a checklist, improvements happen one step at a time. Whether it’s an upgraded process or bet-ter training for those who are implementing and following those processes, sweating the small stuff is how progress is made. And, in the final analysis, paying attention to the details is what makes the difference between mediocrity and above-average performance; details are the difference between good and great. As service professionals in what is, at its core, a service-based business, rigorous and passionate attention to detail is at the very heart of what we do. CM Scott Rice is chief operating officer (COO) of Powerlink Facilities Management Services, bringing process improvement expertise from his years in the manufac-turing and automotive industries to building manage-ment. Based in Detroit, Powerlink provides building maintenance and management to clients in the health-care, education, manufacturing and corporate sectors. Learn more at www.PowerlinkOnline.com. Easy. Find out about the cleaning solutions Ultra Chem Labs has to offer and be prepared to be amazed. Contact us today. www.ultrachemlabs.com toll-free 1-(888)-858-7224 I local 1-(909)-620-0949 I 1462 E. Mission Blvd, Pomona, CA 91766 USA Product Information no. 201 on page 24 www.cmmonline.com 35
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