speed question

[electricalperson]

is being fast part of being a good electrician? i dont really know if im fast or average. i tend to take pride in my work and try to do a good job at what i do. if i try to go fast things start to get missed or screwed up. i dont drag my feet around all day i try to do the best i can and work as hard as i can without killing myself

 

[chris kennedy]

I make a living by being slow yet thorough. I get flack from the owner of our company, so I remind him I don't get warranty call backs. I'm out working on the next money maker.

Spending a little more time initially can save a lot of time later.

 

[celtic]

Speed is an important part of being an electrician. Speed = time = money.
If a job is bid at z amount of hours, but the end result is z x 1.25% ...that's a problem.

There are some things that can be done to increase speed in a measurable w/o even breaking a sweat.
The 6 P's:
Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Production

On any given job, this can be implemented...from the "simple" CF job to a mega story office building....most times, once you "get your head in the game", the chips all seem to line right up ~ unless, of course it's Friday at 3:00PM and you have a date at 5:00PM

 

[electricalperson]

I make a living by being slow yet thorough. I get flack from the owner of our company, so I remind him I don't get warranty call backs. I'm out working on the next money maker.

Spending a little more time initially can save a lot of time later.

i take my time especially wiring houses. i never have shorted wires or miswired circuits. never had any call backs either on new wiring. and i never had problems with arc fault breakers due to messed up wiring i better knock on wood. just sometimes the owner says "your still not fnished?" and that makes me think im slow or whatever

 

[celtic]

Did we just say the same thing Chris?

 

[chris kennedy]

Did we just say the same thing Chris?

I think so, but you use a lot more words.

 

[MikeGee]

My foreman is pleased with my speed as long as there are no call backs. he has been in the field for close to 35years owner has been in the hvac for for a lil more then 15years. The owner however has said to me that we need to pick up the pace on perticular job pulling wire that is not time and material. These particular job were bidded with a helper but once again my linemans ended up being my helper. I love my linemans.


I feel that electric is a little different. It's something that can not be rushed to keep mishaps to a minimum. I look over my work serveral times before I call it a job well done. I've only had one call back in my career and it was because I left a tool. Needless to say it was not my linemans.

 

[nyerinfl]

To me speed is very important, I'm always under the gun. I also believe that this is a game of repition, after doing it 1000 times you should be able to give the same end product in a fraction of the time, always look for ways to be a better producer.

 

[cowboyjwc]

Had a boss comment one time that he always thought that it looked like I was working slow, until he realized that I was getting more work done than the other guys.

Like Chris and Celtic, do it once and do it right or smarter not harder, whichever you like.:smile:

1. If it's a smaller job, you should never need to go back to the truck.
2. Move the ladder once
3. Take what you know you'll need and then take some extra
4. Don't just dive in
5. Don't start anything you can't finish that day. That's how things get forgotten.
?
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[chris kennedy]

To me speed is very important, I'm always under the gun. I also believe that this is a game of repition, after doing it 1000 times you should be able to give the same end product in a fraction of the time, always look for ways to be a better producer.

But your not doing 64 town homes. Your jobs are diverse and in many municipalities. How can you apply production work to that?

 

[iwire]

Lets say a crew of five guys, each one gets 30 minutes less work done each day being 'extra careful'. In two weeks they burn up 25 hours.

Troubleshooting a few bad spices, installing a missed receptacle and moving a light fixture. maybe 8 hours. Also consider even when not being 'extra careful' many times the job will still be done right the first time. :smile:


If you want make money you have to be reasonably fast and very efficient. You don't have to run to work fast but the goal IMO should be to be quick and good.

 

[nyerinfl]

But your not doing 64 town homes. Your jobs are diverse and in many municipalities. How can you apply production work to that?

If I was doing 64 town homes then obviously there would be areas of the project that would require more attention then others. On the other hand the guys roping 64 town houses should be able to do them in much less time after they had done a couple. There are many areas that are so repetitive that you should be able to teach yourself the fastest cleanest way to get it done, such as roughing in a plug or switch.

Is the OPs project these town houses you reffered to?

 

[480sparky]

Every boxx, super & foreman who complained about my speed (or lack of it) I simply reminded them of the lack of needing to go back and do it over again.

If you don't have the time to do it right the first time, where is the time coming from to do it a second time?

But your not doing 64 town homes. Your jobs are diverse and in many municipalities. How can you apply production work to that?

Mike, you nail up the boxes. Dave, you get the ladder & drill. Tom, you pull all the 14/2. Steve, you get the 14/3. Penny installs the panels. Ray pulls the feeders in. Fred does CATV & telephone.......

 

[petersonra]

I am not a fan of emphasizing speed, but in general the job needs to get done as quick as it can be done in an appropriate manner.

 

[Cow]

When you walk back to the truck to get something, take something with you that you're finished using. Or, if you're working with a helper ask if he needs anything when you go back to the truck. It's simple really, but some people just don't get it.

 

[mattsilkwood]

Lets say a crew of five guys, each one gets 30 minutes less work done each day being 'extra careful'. In two weeks they burn up 25 hours.

Troubleshooting a few bad spices, installing a missed receptacle and moving a light fixture. maybe 8 hours. Also consider even when not being 'extra careful' many times the job will still be done right the first time. :smile:


If you want make money you have to be reasonably fast and very efficient. You don't have to run to work fast but the goal IMO should be to be quick and good.

i argee with you to a point. let me start by saying whatever your doing needs to be done efficiantly. if your doing resi or commercial then yes speed is where your money is at and you can afford a mistake ao two. but if your doing industrial where you are dealing with millions of dollars worth of equipment then a mistake can be a very bad thing so it pays to be very sure of what you are doing.

 

[iwire]

but if your doing industrial where you are dealing with millions of dollars worth of equipment then a mistake can be a very bad thing so it pays to be very sure of what you are doing.

I agree there are aways been times where that can be true. :smile:

But at the same time when running the conduit for that equipment you can hustle. As long as that expensive equipment is not doing what it was bought for it is wasting money.

 

[mattsilkwood]

I agree there are aways been times where that can be true. :smile:

But at the same time when running the conduit for that equipment you can hustle. As long as that expensive equipment is not doing what it was bought for it is wasting money.

i couldnt agree more

 

[Ebow]

I do not work for speed, I work for consistancy. I set a steady pace and stick to it.
No extended breaks or lunches, no yacking on the phone to the wife about something that should have been talked about over breakfast or at dinner. In fact I have a set rule with my wife - two calls a week, one minute or less.
Plan ahead as much as possible, make every trip to the truck count as two or three if possible, contain the garbage do not scatter it all around for later pick up. Just about all the things you guys have said before.
We do so many things over and over again, we should have a procedure memorized. And that helps speed the project up. Having the right tools for the job helps speed the project up. Having the right materials helps too. I have a set line for those who ask me how long is it going to take - "You want it done fast or do you want it done right?"
We work with electricity. Something that has the potential to harm or kill someone. At the very least it can destroy every possesion people have worked to own. So no, to me speed is not top priority. That is why my tag line is what it is.

Gene
_________________________________________
Remember - Speed Kills and its not always you.

 

[LarryFine]

Lets say a crew of five guys, each one gets 30 minutes less work done each day being 'extra careful'. In two weeks they burn up 25 hours.

Troubleshooting a few bad spices, installing a missed receptacle and moving a light fixture. maybe 8 hours. Also consider even when not being 'extra careful' many times the job will still be done right the first time.

Now, compare even half of those 8 hours to a single crew getting 30 minutes less work done each day.