Most times, I don't mention work here. Today I am. It has been a dizzy week.
With the seasonal flux in orders, production, personnel, inventory, and the seasonal shift in product being built, it has just been nuts.
While one side of the biz drops off, the other usually climbs. That allows us to make shifts, people wise. Not so much at this time. In fact, we've been a bit on the heavy side with people. That was rectified easily enough and the numbers dropped back into reason. Unfortunately, that meant a blending of established crews and abilities. Well, we can work with that. Not pretty but do-able.
The production schedule was next. We are only building "what's hot". And to do that, we are moving people from one area to another on a daily basis. "Can you say 'confusion', boys and girls?" as a famous red sweater-ed person would quip to the audience.
Now that everything built is "hot", the crews get rolling on a product, then get told they are being pulled off part way through. Why? Because, though this is hot, that is hotter. And a truck is actually sitting at the docks waiting on THAT.
Of course, it helps if the parts to build THAT are in house. Sometimes yes, other times, not so much.
When you combine the constantly shifting people and product, add in the "maybe variable" of the parts, then hop the whole mess from spot to spot, it gets down right interesting. Like following a conversation between two auctioneers amped up on meth. Makes your head swim after a little bit.
Having lived through seasons like this a few times, "I" at least, have a clue. Others do not. Trying to tell them to "take a breath, calm down, and regroup", is like telling the gladiators in the Coliseum not to get excited about the lions.
And almost as entertaining to watch.
Vertigo happens.
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