NUMBER 43… 43… What’ll ya have boss?

I’m waiting my turn for the third day at the chef’s window at the hotel, admiring the operation as I answer the
question before me.

“An omelet with tomatoes, mushrooms, sausage, peppers and cheese” I reply.

Doug, the chef, repeats back to me my order as he grabs the ingredients into a small pan to place on the burner. He hands me a ticket with 17849 printed on it and says I’ll call the last two numbers out for you… “Grab some coffee while you wait.” he says.

As I sip my coffee I’m struck by the efficacy at which Doug works. My pan has been added to the 5 already on the burners. He takes the pre-scrambled egg mix and places it on the griddle to begin cooking and then moves systematically through the cooking process on those 5 other egg puddles. When he puts the cooked ingredients, folds, and then removes the completed omelet off the griddle with ballet like grace, he moves each puddle left to right along with the identifying tickets. Theres a pulse to his movements as if he’s got an inaudible pulse that his movements are tuned to.

“NUMBER 44… 44!”

As he turns back to the griddle, he flips all the ingredients in the pans and observes progress on the cooking eggs. Seeing that everything is happening to plan, he cracks and adds fresh eggs to his scramble mix, and whisks away all to that same pulse. When done, he savors some of the recommended coffee then it’s back to it. The far-right omelet and the one next to it is completed, this one with egg whites, and again everything moves down.

“NUMBER 45, 46… 45,46! What’ll ya have miss?”

As Doug takes a new order to add to the progress, I’m struck how what I’m observing is the way a maintenance operation looks when run effectively. We perform multiple tasks, in different facets of the same physical space, for customers while preventing future loss or lack of resources. The maintenance team needs to predict what’s happening, while taking care of ourselves (with coffee) and serve residents (customers) with orders (service requests).

“Number 47… 47!”

<to myself: That’s a different one… it’s a bacon and egg sandwich that wasn’t advertised as an option… maybe tomorrows breakfast order needs to change>

If we use this “short order maintenance team” analogy as a concept, what questions could we ask to re-frame our operations?
•In the same way that Doug had a production system in place, does our site teams have one?
•How can we develop the internal “pulse” or “rhythm” Doug had which kept him moving?
•Can we offer our residents “coffee while they wait” type service?
•How many steps is it from resident to service request. Doug had one step. Should residents communicate directly with maintenance? <I think no is the answer to this one. How much more efficient could Doug be if someone else was taking orders and calling the numbers? Speaking of…>

“NUMBER 49… 49! Thanks Boss, have a great day!

Echoing Doug’s sentiment to you, reader… Have a great day!