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:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

why transform?

Why do I want to change, who said anything was wrong with my stack of papers and sea of Excel files?   We solve problems, that is a key characteristic of any successful service organization, if it isn't broke why fix it?   Often, when discussing a transformation from paper or cobbled together systems to a cohesive digital approach, folks struggle with the gap between what they currently do and how digital tools can help.   You really need to look at where the pain points are in your organization and how these compare to your business objectives.   Consider writing down these points on the whiteboard in no particular order, spend a few days shuffling and consolidating into a prioritized list.   Once you have the "why" and the "what" identified, the old remaining step is "how".   Some of the most popular observations over the years have been; Slipping through the cracks :   you know, not the major muscle movements, instead those little i...
Post a Comment
Read more

entusiastic about preventative maintenance

Why do I really care if my field technicians are enthusiastic or not? When you look at a person's work output, as directly related to workforce sciences, you come up with three primary ingredients required to achieve your desired results.   These ingredients are; attitudes, attributes, and capabilities and when mixed properly with enabling tools can yield unbelievable outputs. So what does any of this have to do with routine maintenance? If your maintenance routines actually become way too routine then pretty soon performance will be replaced with complacency. In order to keep any piece of equipment running as trouble-free as possible the maintenance performed, and the thoroughness of the inspection and tasks at hand, have a direct impact on the asset's life expectancy.   There are some strategies that help service organizations keep the enthusiasm at all-time highs. Switch techs from time to time :   One of the best ways to ensure maintenance is being performed...
Post a Comment
Read more

show me the money

This could definitely be one of those topics where you may be hearing voices. One voice, used when speaking with others, is telling folks that your career and the ability to make a difference is much more important than what you are being paid. While on the other hand your other voice, and I have noticed this voice gets louder and softer depending upon your age and circumstances, may be screaming get as much as you can for the work you're currently performing.   Isn't it really all about purpose?   How else can you explain schoolteachers, police and firemen, and the United States Military; all driven by the visceral desire to help and change people's lives. We certainly know, with the exception of a few in the aforementioned careers, they are not in it for the money (indeed, something seems very backwards here).   Evidence exists (@mercer) that shows if you are paying a worker within the normal range of income for their position then it is likely that being motivated ...
Post a Comment
Read more