General Questions Flashcards
When looking at your electric bill, what does “demand charge” mean? How is it determined and calculated?
- The demand charge is premium paid for usage during peak demand. It is calculated based on the highest demand during the period.
- Our peak demand should be out of the electrical company peak demand time to keep our cost low.
If your electric costs are running high, what areas should you look at to reduce this number?
- Daily meter readings on the location level
- Look for opportunities with lighting. Areas that are commonly unoccupied should be on motion switches. Look for opportunities with equipment.
- Use timers and locked programmable thermostats on AC units.
- Air compressors run on electricity and are the most expensive utility we have. Check these for air leaks.
- Inspect electrical panels frequently for loose connections which will result in voltage drops and increase current load.
What are the top four or five areas in your plant that you would consider pulse points in your operations?
- Look at the soil bay and the amount of work waiting to be processed.
- Look at shake-out and determine if there is excess work in progress. The wash alley should be producing just enough work to keep shakeout busy.
- Look at wrap out and determine what day is being tied off and how much work in progress is in the sorts. The plant runs best when the flow of goods from the wash alley to wrap out is steady and consistent and no bottlenecks are occurring. When a problem is identified by watching the pulse points, it is indicative of a deeper-rooted issue, such as partners not meeting RE’s, or problems with processes that have caused upsets elsewhere in the flow.
Who will have the final say regarding the holiday schedule at your operation?
• It is a joint effort between service and production but ultimately the Plant Manager has final say on the schedule.
What requirements must a partner meet to become a utility person in your facility?
- A utility partner must be able to perform at least 3 job functions at the required rate and must know the production flow.
- Desire and willingness to move around and work in different areas
- They will cover PTO.
In any area of your plant, what type of learning curve do you expect until a new partner will be at standard?
• 4 to 6 weeks, with progressive improvement during that time.
Who will be responsible for cost control when you are out?
• Developmental supervisor/ each supervisor in their area
What system are you going to use to control hanger costs?
• We run very low hanger costs. One thing we do is train SSR’s on the hanger return process. Empty hanger stands are provided every day on the route trucks and SSR’s bring back full hanger stands that are then used at shakeout.
What are the hanging guidelines for shirts? Pants?
- Straight on hanger, pants-waist minimum 6” from the bottom hem, pockets put in, top button done, sleeves/legs pulled out, collar folded down, no defects
- R4006
Who is responsible to develop a Preventive Maintenance Work order for new equipment?
• Corporate Engineering is responsible for the creation of PM work orders for new equipment, PM schedules are listed in the documentation for the equipment. It is the responsibility of the plant to ensure the PM’s are completed as scheduled.
What is the Production Department’s role in upgrading?
• Production is responsible for upgrading garments that are no longer functional, are not able to be repaired or do not meet our standards.
How is the Hourly Production Wage Scale set?
• policy R5000 and conducting the necessary market wage surveys of our competitors, and other similar positions within a 50-mile radius of the plant. A wage scale is submitted with the supporting documentation for approval by the Senior HR manager annually.
Generally speaking, how much are wages increased annually, stated as a percentage?
• 3 to 5% the avg is 4%
Who gives the partner reviews and who else should attend many of the reviews?
- The partner’s supervisor
- PM
- Occasionally the GM
Should a Plant Manager be involved in the annual budget process? If yes, why?
• Yes. The production budget is the largest operating budget in the location. the Plant Manager will have significant impact on the financial performance of the location. They need to be part of that process so that they have input as to what they believe they can achieve and be held accountable to.
