Keeping up with the Times

Last Friday was a busy day in the Lincoln office.

I understand that what we do at Willmar Electric is install and maintain the electrical systems within large buildings.  That is what "pays the bills" so to speak.  Friday however we were busy in the Lincoln office updating some systems that allow our support staff to better help our projects get their work done better. 

The first item that took place was iPad training for several Foreman. 

Currently we have 4 Foreman, 4 Project Leaders and 3 support staff people that are equipped with iPads.  On Friday we added 4 Foreman and another Project Leader.  With two more Willmar based Foreman set to join the iPad generation in the next couple of weeks we will have over half of our Project Leaders and Foreman using iPads to manage Willmar Electric's projects and keeping them more organized. 

You might be asking how does that help us with our core business of "wiring big building?"  That is a good question.  The current iPad users say that using an iPad save them up to half of their "paperwork" time.  That means they have more time to be in the field helping the craft worker with planning work and lining up the resources it takes to work in a high productive, quality and safety manner.  (Helping projects Meet the Customers Needs.)

The Foremen in the test group of iPad users also reported several other benefits including: 

• The ability to efficiently take p[roject's drawings into the field by carrying the iPad with them.  It is my understanding that Luke Fosket was never far from the Super Saver drawings because he had the iPad with him at all times.
• The ability to work on an as-built drawings as the project moves along.  Chris Mohr was able to discuss the plans with Design professionals right at the point of installation.
• The ability for crew members to use Facetime from their cell phones to connect with the Foreman to literally show a foreman remotely what situation he was faced with.  Lucas Jung reported how an a day when he was off site he received a Facetime call from a craft worker that showed him live video of a problem we were facing.

Those examples showed us that the iPad can and should be a tool (not just a fun or cool toy.) 

There is no question that it is fun to have something like an iPad to use on a daily basis but it is also a huge productivity gain and stress reliever to have the iPad on site.  To us providing iPad is Thrifty/Financially Prudent!

The second item is a new phone system that we had installed within the office.   The Kearney, Willmar and Oklahoma offices are also getting the same phones in the very near future. 

The new phones have several new features on them, those features and some new habits are going to allow for the support staff to spend a little less time on answering the phones and contacting each other.  The new phones are going to make the support staff easier to get ahold of. 

The new phone system and new habits will make us more effective because field personal should be able to get ahold of support staff quicker, more often and more reliably.  All of that helps them focus more on the task at hand, which is also the task that we get paid for. 

It will allow for support staff and Project Leaders, who are also really support staff, to have more time to be supportive of the field. 

The more we can streamline our support staff's functions the more work we can support. 

Doing more work  for the same overhead.  Sounds like a great plan.  Sounds like a win for everybody at Willmar Electric, even if you aren't one of the people that got a new phone for your desk.  Sounds we are being both Thrifty/Financially Prudent!