“If you do not have time to do it right, when will you find the time to do it over?” -John Wooden

One of the great wastes that customers don’t want to pay for is the cost incurred for rework.

In our business, time pressure can cause mistakes. We get in a hurry. Bad product gets assembled. Errors occur on paperwork. Wrong products are loaded in trucks. Stencils and markings are left off.

 Those kinds of mistakes cause additional freight. Extra handling. Delayed and incorrect payments. Discounts and refunds. Ill will with customers.

Coach Wooden’s comment has merit. When we face time pressure, it’s important to focus attention, ask for help, arrange for alternatives.

My experience is that mistakes or errors made carelessly have a way of compounding.

If the time pressure is constant, the process where the pressure exists needs review. What steps can be modified? What help can be provided? What needs to be developed and implemented to relieve the pressure?

Carelessness is the enemy of lean. When pressure exists, it’s time to circle up and come up with some alternatives.