Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 21

M
oving projects out the door when promised is key to keeping
customers happy and sanity intact but getting a handle on
job scheduling can be tough. Although setting production
priorities and communicating these to customers has always
been important, this need has become even more urgent as
shops continue to deal with staffi ng and supply shortages. A look at some of
the job-scheduling tactics others have deployed may prove helpful to those still
struggling with this aspect of their operations.
Understanding how long jobs realistically
take to complete is a good fi rst step,
which is something Canvasworks Inc. has
calculated, says Jennifer Smith, business
manager. Located in Cokato, Minn., the
company fabricates products for the marine
industry, as well as producing commercial
building awnings and original
equipment manufacturer (OEM) products
and offering two of its own lines-
SnoCaps Trailer Enclosures and DogsUp
Ramps.
" We've broken it down to the various
components of a job based on average
employee times to complete that component, "
says Smith. " For example, on a
pontoon cover I know it's going to take
my fi tter four hours, my sewer three hours
and the installer one hour to complete that
cover, " she says. " I know how many work
hours I have available for each of these
components in a week by each employee's
skills, so I can avoid overscheduling. "
Who goes fi rst?
Then there's the matter of scheduling the
job order-should it be fi rst come/fi rst
served, by when the project is needed, customer
importance or something else, like
staffi ng or materials? For Canvasworks, it
depends, but generally staff availability-
there are 14 employees and two owners-
is the biggest determinant.
However, customer priority counts the
most for Tecsew Ltd., a Lee-on-the-Solent,
Hampshire, U.K., manufacturer of
boat covers, marine upholstery and garden
canvas products with 16 employees.
" We service many trade contracts, and
these are always about deadlines, " says John
Bland, managing director. " If a dealer sells
a new Beneteau, they want the handover as
quick as possible; as such, fi rst in/fi rst out
doesn't work. The trade side of the business
is very important to us, so we need to be
able to react, to change schedules, slot projects-the
whole process is fl uid. "
www.marinefabricatormag.com | 21

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Marine Fabricator January/February 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Marine Fabricator January/February 2022

Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - Cover1
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - Cover2
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 1
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 2
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 3
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 4
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 5
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 6
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 7
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 8
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 9
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 10
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 11
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 12
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 13
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 14
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 15
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 16
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 17
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 18
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 19
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 20
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 21
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 22
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 23
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 24
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 25
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 26
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 27
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 28
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 29
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 30
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 31
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 32
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 33
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 34
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 35
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 36
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 37
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 38
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 39
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 40
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 41
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 42
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 43
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 44
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 45
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 46
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 47
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - 48
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - Cover3
Marine Fabricator January/February 2022 - Cover4
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