Skip to main content

using subs is blasphemy


Not using any subs, WOW, come on man.  Our future will continue to move towards a blended workforce, those internal to our organization and those external. Trust, visibility of subcontractor individuals, and clarity of work scope are the three primary elements that prevent most contractors from leveraging subcontractor labor with any regularity. Certainly I would be remiss by not adding our "ego" to that list, those service organizations that are still hung up on "I must self-perform everything". Times are definitely changing and if your organization is not prepared to deal with external labor then you will be left behind.



Let's define for a moment what we mean by subcontractor: most of the time we refer to an organization as well as one-person companies.  Consider some of these concerns and potential remedies:

  • Trust:  how many times has a sub poached our customers and / or employees?  Or, as you ask for help they go around you and squeeze you out of the bid?  You can't spend enough time working on your support eco-system, always recruit and work on your subcontractor and vendor relationships.
  • Visibility:  in many cases our relationship with the subcontractor is business-to-business. What we really need is the ability to see the skills and experience of their workforce. We can then choose the appropriate resource to work for us on our jobs. Software does exist that helps add clarity add visibility to your subcontractors workforce, seek it out!
  • Clarity:  you would think if you're sending a worker to do a job that you would be crystal-clear to make the most of that valuable resource.  However, this is often not the case and subcontractors fail in many instances simply due to the level of instruction, or assumptions of knowledge or job awareness, that the contractor believes they should already possess.  Keep in mind that my belief and your belief are different and if not communicated are simply called confusion.



Your ecosystem of trusted partners will only increase the value for your clients and build your bottom line.  Make a concerted effort to "ready" your organization for our ever-evolving workforces of the future.



-----

Next post:  what is the perfect service call from a client's perspective?

-----

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

resilience, do you believe?

Seeking out the closest spot to the door of the office was not a common practice; however, at 07:00 on August 24th, 2022 the temperature was already 96' and 98% humidity.   The building would have a hell of a time keeping up today, rolling black-outs and brown-outs would be inevitable.   It likely won't be an outright equipment shut-down, instead we will have to endure the impending "brown-out" conditions, a slow, low voltage and high amperage stressing of our electrical infrastructure and connected systems. Our deliberate and continuous leverage of Industrial IoT (IIoT) technology and the companion AI prescriptive models have positioned us well. It had to be around the year 2018 when we invested in IIoT.   Heck, most were comparing our endeavors to the "Nest" thermostat, a pioneer (yet very fundamental) entrée into home-based IoT.   Naysayers were laughing that we would never see the benefits; however, our fragile National infrastructure and Mothe...
Post a Comment
Read more

is your "score", you?

Avid Andy begins to wonder if he may be schizophrenic.   Or could it be a sign of true genius when he can see a problem from all sides? Andy was reflecting on a service meeting that happened last week.   Conversation was around our ability to objectively measure things and make better decisions. At the center of almost any measurement environment are the fundamentals of math. To determine priority or influence, it seems logical when dealing with inanimate objects like sensors, assets, and sites in a portfolio to move towards "point-based systems". The real dilemma for Andy seemed to comes when we begin scoring humans and letting pre-determined algorithms establish an individuals path. Our service meeting quickly changed from tactical to philosophical discussions and one of the technicians, Pragmatic Paul, made mention of a black mirror program (Netflix) named "Nosedive".    In this futuristic episode, an individuals score dictates their behavior and those ...
Post a Comment
Read more

In$pired

As the steam from Avid Andy's coffee fogged his glasses on this crisp January morning, he reflected on last year and thought enthusiastically about the year ahead.   Sometimes the noise of business is deafening, we rarely take the time to contemplate our moves, instead are often thrown one direction or another.   Hey, face it, if you are reading posts to gain perspective you fall in the group of folks who pride themselves as obsequious hoop-jumpers.   We live to help others and expect that all of those around us feel the same way.   I just love Influential Irene.   Okay, it is out in the open, she is an inspiration for me and so many others.   Irene reminds folks every year, without fail, these three statements which she fondly refers to as "the punchline" (although this is no joke).   Businesses, of any size, will be successful if they remember that it is people that make a company.   Put this advice into practice, today: Sincerity |...
Post a Comment
Read more