Optimizing Multi-Shift Operations: Best Practices

Introduction:

In the highly competitive process industries, facilities face significant pressure to reduce costs while enhancing service quality. Operating around the clock demands effective shift management to ensure consistent high standards. Multi-shift operations introduce challenges such as frequent personnel changes, which can increase the risk of incidents, disrupt operations, decrease efficiency, and elevate waste levels. Managing multiple shifts can be akin to running several independent entities, each with its own team dynamics and objectives.

The Multi-Shift Operations Course addresses these complexities, offering participants a thorough understanding of shift work issues and equipping them with strategies to maintain high performance across all shifts.

Objectives:

Upon completion of this course on Multi-Shift Operations, participants will be able to:

• Understand the challenges associated with 24/7 shift operations.
• Identify strategies to address these challenges effectively.
• Enhance communication between shifts.
• Ensure smooth transitions during shift handovers.
• Achieve uniform procedures across shifts.
• Resolve staff issues related to shift systems.
• Manage fatigue effectively.
• Evaluate alternative shift schedules for improved efficiency and job satisfaction.
• Implement continuous improvement (Kaizen) around the clock.
• Develop skills for effective shift supervision.
• Benchmark performance against industry best practices.

Course Outline:

Unit 1: Understanding The Issues Associated with Shift Working

• Communicating effectively
• Ensuring continuity of operation
• Maintaining consistency of approach
• Managing shift handovers
• Addressing fatigue and its impacts
• Managing people-related issues

Unit 2: Building a Competitive Advantage

• Benchmarking world-class operations
• Analyzing performance results from successful plants
• Conducting self-assessment of your plan

Unit 3: Effective Communications

• Delivering effective management communication to all shifts
• Improving shift leader-team communications
• Developing effective interfaces across shifts
• Using proven cross-shift communication tools and techniques
• Installing a world-class Visual Management system

Unit 4: Effective Shift Handover

• Best practices for effective shift handovers
• Conducting start-of-shift meetings

Unit 5: Ensuring Continuity of Operation

• Performance management
• Weekly planning processes
• Developing effective standard operating procedures
• Training and developing shift teams

Unit 6: Developing Effective Shift Supervisors

• Evolution of the supervisor role
• Training and developing effective supervisors
• Enhancing technical and leadership skills
• Benchmarking supervisor performance

Unit 7: Continuous Improvement/Kaizen in 24-Hour Operations

• Understanding Continuous Improvement (CI)
• Implementing workplace organization and 5S
• Learning from the Toyota Production System (TPS)
• Developing continuous improvement systems involving all shifts
• Creating and implementing cross-shift teams
• Enhancing management visibility and GEMBA

Unit 8: Dealing with Fatigue

• Understanding the body clock and circadian rhythms
• Identifying causes of fatigue
• Implementing ergonomics and countermeasures
• Successfully managing cross-shift teams
• Leading multi-shift operations and developing high-performance first-line leaders

Unit 9: Pros and Cons of Different Shift Systems

• Managing the challenges of shift work
• Debunking myths about shift scheduling
• Assessing the value of different shift plans
• Exploring examples of 8-hour and 12-hour schedules
• Comparing stable vs. rotating shifts
• Designing and implementing lean shift schedules
• Analyzing issues related to delegates’ shift schedules

Unit 10: Coping with People Problems on Shifts

• Managing performance issues
• Addressing poor performance
• Implementing disciplinary measures
• Ensuring consistency in approach
• Developing counseling skills