UK
Many manufacturers struggle to fill shifts for a variety of reasons. On one hand, workers can get sick. On the other, in an effort to protect their margins, manufacturers also try to limit overtime pay. This problem has persisted for quite some time but has been exacerbated by the shortage of skilled labor in the United States. Unfortunately, without people on the floor, production grinds to a halt, customers are unhappy and profit margins shrink.
Filling shifts on short notice has long been a pain point for manufacturers. Without the right tools in place, managers have to call an untold amount of people until they find enough workers.
In the meantime, the show must go on, and the line needs to keep moving. This is where a critical communications system with quota calling features can be particularly helpful.
Using Quota Calling to Automate and Streamline the Process
The ideal critical communications system (commonly referred to as a mass notification system or MNS) includes quota calling features that enable you to automatically call your contacts until a predetermined number of employees respond to your message. For example, if you need to fill 15 shifts, the system will automatically call all available employees until you get 15 people to confirm they’re able to work using their keypad.
Whereas in the past, managers would have to place all of these calls manually, quota calling expedites the process with automation. Once the quota is filled, the system will stop calling the next people in line.
Quota calling delivers a number of benefits to manufacturers, including:
- Time Savings: Instead of spending a good chunk of their days making phone calls, managers can focus on other important areas of operations—the things you hired them to do in the first place.
- Productivity Gains: Not only will you free up managers to spend their energy on other mission-critical tasks, but you’ll also ensure business continuity and make sure the line keeps humming along.
- Cost Savings: By saving time and keeping the line moving, your organization will also reduce operating expenses and increase profitability. It’s a win-win.
- Happier Employees: Because employees will be getting more shifts, they’ll be making more money. In addition to the above advantages, your company will benefit from a happier team that is more productive, more engaged and less likely to look for other work, reducing turnover.
Additional Benefits for Quota Calling
No two workers are the same. While some people prefer communicating via the phone, others prefer emails and still others prefer SMS messages. With the right MNS in place, administrators can send out notifications in a variety of ways. This, in turn, increases the chances that employees receive the notifications and that shifts get filled on time.
What’s more, a trusted solution also gives employees the ability to list multiple phone numbers, such as a home phone and a cell phone. This increases the chances that they’ll be reached in any scenario—even when they’re on the go.
Thanks to automation, quota calling also gives managers the peace of mind that comes with knowing they can set it and forget it. Simply initiate the process and let technology do all the heavy lifting on your behalf.
Other Ways to Use a Critical Communications System
Versatile by design, a critical communications system can be used for more than just quota calling. In fact, the technology can help your organization in a variety of ways, including the following:
Rapid Incident Response: Suppose your manufacturing company’s network is breached and hackers gain access to sensitive information. You can use a critical communications system to automatically alert IT staff of the nature of the incident, accelerating response and resolution times.
Emergency Notifications: In the event of an emergency—such as a fire or an intruder on campus—you can use an MNS to immediately notify all team members of the emergency and let them know the next steps.
Equipment Failure: Let’s say you have enough people on the line and you’re producing at a steady pace when all of a sudden a machine breaks and production ceases. A mass notification system enables you to send out alerts to a number of mechanics, speeding up response times by ensuring the closest available worker can respond quickly.
Shipment Tracking: Whether you’re waiting on supplies and materials to produce your products or you’re shipping supplies to another company, an MNS can help you keep tabs on where packages are in transit via phone, SMS, fax and email.
Weather Alerts: Imagine there’s a huge blizzard heading your way. Employees are the most important part of your operation, so the last thing you want is to put their lives in danger by having them drive through unsafe conditions. A mass notification system can help here too, enabling you to quickly notify your entire team about the situation and advise them regarding which actions to take next.
Looking to Learn More About Critical Communications?
For years, manufacturing companies have struggled to find employees to work on short notice. Filling shifts required a tedious, time-consuming process of calling phone number after phone number and hoping that people picked up and were available.
By leveraging a comprehensive critical communications product/mass notification system with quota calling, you can automate away the busywork while making sure that shifts get filled and production continues as scheduled. You’ll also be able to spend your time focusing on more pressing matters, enabling you to unlock additional productivity gains.
For more information on how a critical communications system can help your manufacturing company get to the next level, request a demo from OnSolve today.
