Problems & Dealing With Them

Problems can occur when receiving and checking materials that are required for production, the materials supplied could be wrong, or poor quality, late arriving, or supplied in the wrong amounts.

Having a series of checklists that highlight repeated patterns of nonfulfillment are handy to have, as it’s necessary that everyone meets their target at the end of the day, whether it’s yourself or the company you order your materials from; usually problems occur because people aren’t following standard operating procedures.

It’s good practice to know other operators, because if a problem occurs, then that smooths out the procedure of addressing any issues, basically, it’s not as awkward. It’s also good to be aware of each person’s role in case you needed to report an issue or required assistance. Bear in mind, some individuals may perform multiple roles.

If problems occur when materials are getting delivered, having a standard operating procedure is essential, as it explains what action must be required to rectify the issue, it’ll also let you know who the appropriate person to contact is, the reporting documents to use and how to complete them, and where to place rejected materials. 

If you believe you have materials to solve the issue, it’s within your level of responsibility to action that, but make sure you coordinate with relevant individuals in the process; you never know, this problem may end up creating improvements to the process at the end; but as always, be sure to document any changes, and any changes must go through your line manager first. 

Learning Objectives:
 •    Identify what sort of problems may occur when receiving materials
 •    Examine the role of other operators and familiarise yourself with them
 •    Assess why a standard operating procedure is vital when receiving materials not expected, and how it can be adhered to, to solve the issue