Problem guide
Rework isn't recorded
Rework goes unrecorded because fixing the part is quicker than writing it up, and nobody downstream asks for the record. Make logging rework take seconds, charge the time to the job it belongs to, and review the log every week, so you can see which jobs, parts and steps keep coming back.
What it usually looks like
A batch of brackets comes out of the brake with one flange a few degrees off. The operator catches it, resets, and reforms most of the batch before lunch. He does not write it down because it got fixed. His hours go against the job as normal run time. Two months later the same customer reorders the same brackets. The estimator quotes from the original hours, which look fine, and the job loses money again. Nobody connects the two because the only record of the first rework is the operator's memory.
Signs you have this problem
- Jobs run over their hours and nobody can say where the extra time went
- The same part or customer keeps needing a second pass, but it only comes up in conversation
- Operators fix problems quietly so the job does not look bad
- Rework time lands on the next job or on general shop time instead of the job that caused it
- Quotes for repeat work ignore the rework it always needs
What usually causes it
- Writing up rework takes longer than doing it, so operators skip the paperworkThe exception swamp
- Rework hours and scrap never reach the job cost, so the job looks fine on paperThe invisible queue
- What went wrong is known on the floor but never passed to estimating or the officeThe handoff gap
What to try this week
- Keep a rework tally for two weeksPut one sheet at each station with four columns: job, what was redone, rough time and why. Tell people it is for finding causes, not for blame.
- Use a short list of reasonsGive people five or six reasons to choose from, such as wrong drawing, handling damage, setup error or bad material, plus other. Short lists get filled in.
- Charge rework to the job that caused itAsk operators to log rework time against the original job number, not shop time or the next job. Then the job cost tells the truth.
- Review the tally every weekSpend fifteen minutes a week looking at the tally with the leads. Pick the one cause that shows up most and talk about it with estimating and the office.
Where do-it-yourself stops
These steps start a record and show you the biggest repeat causes. They still depend on paper tallies that someone has to collect and add up, and the time rarely makes it into the job cost unless someone retypes it. A lasting fix captures rework at the station in a tool built around your own job and costing system, so every redo lands on the right job automatically. That is what a Workflow Spec designs.
Questions people ask
Why don't operators record rework?
Because it is faster to fix the part than to write it up, and nothing good happens to the person who reports it. Make it quick and make it clear it is not about blame.
How much detail do we need?
Job, what was redone, rough time and a reason from a short list. More than that and people stop filling it in.
Should rework be charged to the customer?
Only when the customer caused it, such as a changed drawing. The first job is to record it on the right job so you can tell which is which.
Is rework the same as scrap?
No. Scrap is material you throw away. Rework is time and material spent doing a step again. Record both, but keep them apart so you can see each.
What is rework actually costing us?
You cannot know until you record it. Keep the tally for a few weeks, then price the logged hours and material with your own rates.
Next step
Want this fixed for good?
This guide is how to find it and work around it. If it keeps coming back, the fix is usually a tool built around how your crew already works. Start with a free twenty-minute fit call.
Fox & Santiago, Genesee, Idaho. Home territory: the Inland Northwest, where we respond fastest. We fly anywhere in the United States for paid engagements.