January 6, 2016
Best Practices Checklist for Professional Operations
Best Practices Checklist for Professional Operations
Staff and training
Image
Scheduling
Execution of work
Staff and training
- Train regularly — build it into your budget. Poorly trained staff do poor work
- Hire for attitude and train the facts or skills. You can’t train someone to smile
- Set consistent standards for behaviour. Monitor, reward and reprimand accordingly
- Motivate employees to engage a professional image. Train the nuances
- Have a written employee handbook or manual. Train and sign-off on it
- Have written employment agreements with all staff
- Have a well communicated H&S program with regular, relevant training
- Be clear, ethical and fair with staff
- Encourage certification and apprenticeships
- Have an effective communication system, so that all departments are in the loop
Image
- Have uniforms and clearly marked trucks and equipment
- Insist on clean vehicles and equipment
- Ensure a process is in place for ensure attention to detail and finishing touches
- Brand your company image, i.e. consistent logo, vehicles, uniforms, correspondence, phone manner, etc.
- Ensure staff know proper conduct for communicating in person with customers
- Ensure staff work at consistent pace and in a respectful manner
Scheduling
- Show up when promised
- Know the limits of your resources. Don’t over-promise
- Have a schedule plan several weeks in advance and adjust as needed
- Ensure proper material quantities, labour budgets and equipment requirements are in place before commencing a project or task
- Manage down-time (breaks, travel time, etc.) effectively
Execution of work
- Delegate tasks to competent people
- Use the best tools available. Good tools make work more efficient.
- Incorporate safe work practices in to every task and technique
- Ensure staff are competent and well-paced to keep job costs on budget
- Ensure equipment is well maintained and back-ups are available
- Think proactively, have a plan B and someone to execute it with speed
- Ensure all involved in each job know the scope and are competent.
- Have clear documentation to report all materials and labour on every job