M ACdverti$er
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omponent
anufacturing
Don’t Forget! You Saw it in the
Adverti$er
June 1st, 2016 #09203 Page #61
Design of the Day The Last
Word... Monotasking
Strong designs can lead to good-looking structures, but projects may not begin very well. This Design of the Day pays homage to inauspicious beginnings!
Readers on LinkedIn may have seen some of this discussion on inadequate plans: “I seem to get them all the time...the customer who brings in a floor plan drawn on a napkin, or the frequent small printout from an online plan site... What type of waiver documents do you use to make your customer understand that any quotes on anything less than a full set of plans may not be accurate? Do you use a form by itself, or a title block on the quote or layout?” – Tim Rooks, Truss Designer, Bankston Truss Company
Joe Kannapell - Senior VP We better learn mono-tasking (and MiTek Industries, Inc. forego multi-tasking) if we are to excel www.mii.com at component design. Experts tell us that even a 2-3 second interruption can double the number of errors in an assigned task. Ouch! Every designer knows the painful personal toll of errors, and every plant manager knows the incredible cost. All the more reason to establish periods of near-isolation to escape distraction from customers, from the shop floor, and from our incessant and insistent smart phones. Improving mono-tasking requires lots of homework, beginning with formal education, and continuing with internet based (self) instruction, especially on quantitative subjects. Often after work and family hours, away from the truss plant. Practice makes perfect. Quiet time improves designer productivity. Mono-tasking also improves human interaction. It enhances the ability to focus intently on, and to connect with, the person to whom you are speaking. This practice is essential in resolving dimensional and other detailed technical issues that must be resolved to provide quality component designs. And it can’t hurt spousal relations either. Research has shown that even the presence of a cell phone inhibits mutual understanding in the course of face-to-face conversation. Mono-tasking pays off via the good results of your dedicated work, and by improving communication with customers and co-workers. (Much of the content above was based on the May 1 New York Times article, “Drop Everything and Read This” by Verena von Pfetten)
“Once it’s quoted and the price is approved, I'll email both homeowner and contractor the layout and truss drawings for review. I state on the quote itself any questionable areas which may increase the price. We also have a standard waiver on our quotes. I find by emailing 3D jpegs and a few truss profiles/sections, it can save a lot of headaches and cover yourself cost-wise if there's something they don't understand. I use the snipping tool a LOT.” – Joe Noseworthy, Truss & EWP Designer, WG Garland Ltd. Would you like to participate in this on-going discussion? If so, just send us your comments!
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