While agreeing with the article, the cashier appeared to be more focused on the numbers then the customer. This seems to happen quite frequently so while the manager is on the phone dealing with a complaint from the customer, the cashier continues to create additional dissatified customers. This requires the manager to spend even less time with the team on the floor.

During active training of this cashier, observation of the technique for scanning would have been noted and corrected to the standard procedure for scanning items. Change control should have been utilized by the cashier so that the adjustment to the scanning technique could have been evaluated and implemented by all cashiers if the change would result in a more efficient process.

Most importantly, where is the rest of the team or does this cashier work in a vaccum? Fellow cashiers should feel the environment collaborative enough to help each other to achieve the overall best numbers for the team. If all cashiers adjusted the scanning procedure in this manner, it would quickly become visible to the organization and corrective action taken. Supervisors should not wait around for management to come see the results and implementation of the latest set of measurement goals communicated but should participate actively and provide feedback.

As managers set goals and measurements for the new year, it is important to develop the measurements and guidelines for measurement with input from the team and tie them to tangible business goals. Why measure scanning speed when the goal is to move the customer through the checkout line as quickly as possible without errors and in a manner that will leave the customer satisfied?

Good question. I have some perspective on an answer. At one of our manufacturing plants, we have been challenged to reduce the high number of customer complaints. After spending time to make sure that the correct quality practices and processes were in place, we then conducted four levels of interviews including the plant manager, the plant management team, supervisors and shop floor operators. We asked four basic questions: (1) Did they have the right process? (2) Were people trained and knowledgable about the process? (3) Did they have the right resources (gages, tools, materials, people, etc.) to execute the process? (4) Did they have management and technical support to execute the process? One of the findings was that supervisors, managers and technicains had so many demands on them that they didn't have the time to spend on the floor in support of the shop floor operators. Now that we are part of a Japanese company, we are practicing Gemba walks to "go and see" what the root cause is (rather than spending time in the office, in meetings and especially answering email).
Jim Beckham

I agree: Managers are spending time fixing problems that they could have prevented by being on the floor more; managers have a misconception about what their what their role really should be; ill-conceived metrics drive undesirable behaviour. Why are they measuring individual productivity anyway? Surely there are more important and relevant things to measure than the things that suggest Big Brother is watching and has his thumb on you!

i have seen most of the time people spend time with attending meeting,meeting and meeting. In a meeting lot of problems are discused which are almost forgoten after the promises and coming out side the war room. In shopfloor what runs is only production and how much of the target is reached/revenue presures... If you are looking for a true efficient theory then some of these things may be really necesary, like people involvement,change in culture,education,proper planning,inspections, analysis etc.

if a measurement system in Performance appraisal talks about cost cutting in material procurement. what else can we expect to happen. shopfloor full on inferrior grade,damaged,rejected goods. But if the performnce was based on cost savings due to improved operation then the result will be complete turn around.
If we measure a wrong parameters then we have a bypass system developed by it self because every one is worried about the hike/salary and thir own growth.
In the world of commerce only revenue ,profit and stock matters...so wht we can expect from a company driven by figures rather than by values... here too effciency is a theory.. measurement is by commerical values...

Something similar happened to me at a local Wendy's restaurant. The cashier at the drive-in window asked me to pull up while the order was being filled. I told her that I would pull up if anyone came up behind me. She told me that there was a timer set for how long a car sat in front of the window.