Lab Improvements/Best Practices

Improvement Techniques: 

• Make 1 Hour Timing the Goal 

• Use daily tracking sheets to help the team identify patterns they may need improvement on 

• Perspective on lab commission = Full Commission is when completed in 1/2 Hour timing, Half Commission if done in 2/4 Hour timing. 

• Use Previous Day Reports (Queries> Manager) to track the previous day, and who was working that day (share with the team daily)

• Use other stores' timing (that are hitting great numbers) to show that it is possible, and encourage the team in friendly competition to catch or surpass that store. 

• If you’re having a consistent problem, it's either the Equipment, Process, or user error. Track those problems and seek help from leadership for improvement. 

Put it into Play: 

• One job at a time from Tracing to 2G (not one stack at a time)

• Running the lab is the task at hand (not needing to also get other things done that cause distractions)

• Know the timing of equipment. Be able to keep everything running simultaneously (IE start the 2G, then 505/506, then move a job from Trace to 2G, repeat). The lab machines are loud, so if there’s jobs to be made, the lab should never be quiet. 

• Keep the Cyl Machine area clean. Polish on Tools, Equipment, Hands, Etc will cause bad adhesion on Lap Tools and you’ll have issues. 

• Keep the lab open until we close (Machines don’t have to be off to be cleaned except the Polisher). 

• If there’s a problem, Bring It Up! Don’t just keep using work-arounds on Equip throughout the day to add timing (IE adding size on edgers every job instead of calibrating, adjusting Cyl machine timing/pads, Etc). 

• Start jobs immediately- don’t let them sit when they come back, gives you more time to fix mistakes/resurface later. 

• Keep things moving- No Silent machines- as soon as one stops, things need to be moved down the line

• Troubleshoot immediately when an issue is noticed. It’s better to spend 10-20 Min during the day fixing the problem then continuing to ruin lenses. 

• Clean tools and put away asap, same with blocks (set them to dry). This saves time during the day and at the end of the night when closing. 

• Know when to use thick/XT settings on edgers- Easy to waste time if you use the wrong setting for a lens 

• Make sure machines are calibrated/cleaned. Sizing down on edgers if they’re not calibrated eats up a lot of time. 

• Take the extra time at the computer to check tools and change base curves as needed to ensure a smooth surfacing process. Always take the frame style into account and choose the base curve that will result in the best final product. 

• Take extra time at the 2G to crib or change center thicknesses when needed. This also helps to ensure a smoother surfacing process and results in the best final product. 

• Remakes are the biggest cause of poor lab timing, but almost all remakes are preventable. Accuracy is better than speed because you’re less likely to have to remake lenses. Pay attention and double check everything. 

• Be strategic about which jobs to prioritize based on how long they take. An example is starting a tinted job before a clear job since they will need the extra time to tint at the end. 

• Clean as you go and take the time to reset the lab often throughout the day. 

Best Practices, Step by Step- Detailed

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p0q0Ki1Tj-ZvT9-KjOSgWykn5qa7biDoRQlaXWVcPLQ/edit?usp=sharing