Digital Shift Turnover Sheets
A common need that we see in nearly every operation is for a shift turnover or handover sheet. This document helps the oncoming shift to understand what happened during the previous shift and can highlight important items that need to be addressed or observed. I have seen this done in numerous ways, some effective and some chaotic. Without a solid form of hand off of information, operators are blind to what might be waiting for them during their shift. We will look at a few methods that people are using in the field and compare the good with the bad.
Verbal Shift Handover
Verbal shift handover can sometimes feel like this.
Verbal communication is one of the most commonly used ways to pass information to the next shift. Too often this can be rushed and important data can be lost in translation. Items that need to be attended to get ignored, things that need to be checked get missed or forgotten. There is little or no accountability and it becomes one person’s word against another. Also, verbal communication is rarely recorded or stored.
As you can imagine a lot of important information is lost or never passed on to the oncoming shift.
Handwritten Shift Handover
Another commonly used method for shift handover is pen and paper(or whatever is handy). This can be much better than verbal communication because there is a “paper” trail. But paper has its own issues. It can be difficult to decipher handwriting. Fives can look like an “s”, Zeros like an “O”, fours like nines, etc. etc. But sometimes even sentences can be so difficult to make out that the information is discarded or dismissed completely. Then there is the false sense of accomplishment that “Well, I wrote it down for you”. Even if it was unlegible. There is little to no guarantee that the message has been passed to the intended recipient.
Shift Handover Made Better
With technology at our fingertips, there is a better way to capture and pass on information from shift to shift. Digital logging systems like Logbook, empower operators with a way to easily collect and communicate data throughout their teams in real time. Templates can be customized for each operations specific use case. Logbook’s turnover note feature ensures operators have read and acknowledged handover/turnover notes before signing on to their shift. This enhances communication and creates a handshake of information between shifts.
Why Is This Important?
Don’t let important info slip through the cracks. In a fast paced environment with numerous personnel and moving parts, balls can be dropped. This can result in machine failures, loss in production and in extreme cases, injury or loss of life. Having a strong communication tool in place will keep your operation safer and more efficient.
Want to see it for yourself? Got questions? Connect with us today!