Effective communication becomes mandatory during the transfer of a task/responsibility from one team member to another. Such transfer of information might take place towards the end of a shift. The shift handover can be between employees working at night and the ones working during the day, or during a shift involving multiple organizational areas, like operations and maintenance.
Shift Handover – How Does It Work?
A shift handover is a process of communicating information from one departing employee to the other. It is the current employee who chooses to share the crucial information with the other employee so that he can work efficiently. This particular process is usually seen as unidirectional.
The main aim of the handover is to convey task-related details across multiple teams with the change in the shift precisely and reliably. It assures the safe and effective continuation of organization operations. Here are some components that are a must for the smooth handover:
- Departing workers getting ready.
- The information is exchanged by departing staff and new staff
- The information received from the shift scheduling software is verified by the newcomers before taking over responsibility for a task.
Several accidents happen during shift handover or shift changeover. The reason for this is usually reported to be poor functioning of shift handover software which further leads to poor communication between leaving staff and new staff.
These days, when critical day-to-day operations are carried out by different organizations, the demand for more effective, accurate, and reliable data is surging. And the reason for this is to avoid insufficient shift handover protocols that already have led to major tragic incidents. It is because of complex shift software that the company’s risks and inefficiencies are on the rise.
To protect employees working in plants from tragic accidents, it is mandatory for the companies to instantly adopt easy-to-use shift technologies facilitating effective communication between the teams. For a successful transition to occur, it is important to incorporate openness and transparency in the communication process. Any discrepancy in this message could lead to dangerous accidents.
It is the installation of shift scheduling software and also shifts log software that helps an organization set a timetable that helps employees operate according to a predetermined schedule. The changeovers between two shifts can be scheduled in advance with the help of this software.
It is a well-known fact that there is a fixed timeframe for some jobs, including crucial repairs or unloading raw materials. The competition of such activities usually takes two or more shifts and different teams. For example, it can take weeks or months to complete major repairs.
A set method is followed by shift software that further helps in achieving consistency along with reduced mistakes. It is the operational needs of the businesses, based on which different methods are designed by the organizations. Due to this, handover processes vary in different organizations. While some businesses might adhere to the highly rigid and defined process and others might depend on employees to communicate with a new team or owner.
Tips To Make The Most Out Of Shift Log Software
These guidelines can help in creating an effective shift changeover strategy. You can implement it in your organization with the help of an efficient shift scheduling software:
#1. It is necessary to record tasks, operations, and teams in a safe and organized logbook. Having an electronic logbook for this step will be an ideal choice.
#2. The information being shared between shifts must convey both the “what” and “why”.
#3. The time when it is considered ideal for communicating between the competent employees familiar with the procedure and the job being done is between the shifts.
#4. Proper support should be given for continuing process audits and training.
#5. Coordination and linking are two vital requirements for any open permissions, isolations, etc. the information should be ideally stored in a centralized database system.
#6. It is a must for all stakeholders to have easy access to pertinent information, no matter what media is being used for communication.
#7. Businesses must work on establishing an appropriate connection between the handover parties. It can be short, medium, and long-term production objectives.
#8. Communication between the individuals must be open and clear during the change in shifts.
#9. The management system should assign, track, and communicate during handover or production meetings.
Wrap Up
An ideal shift handover system is a lot more than just about the content of your business notes. Inefficient communication between leaving staff and new staff or between shifts can leave room for confusion These can further lead to severe mistakes causing serious consequences.
Hence, the primary goal of the operations management must be to implement an open and clear shift handover system with high-quality software to guarantee workplace safety. Fortunately, these nine secret tips will help your teams communicate clearly across shifts and thus, avoid any mishaps.