The Checklist Can Help Your Business

Sometimes it takes a simple strategy to get organized. A checklist is a simple tool that is absolutely free! If you design a checklist that fits the needs of your business and print it or reproduce it electronically, you can increase the efficiency and recordkeeping of your company. The checklist can also help employees to show how they are meeting their own assigned work objectives. You can potentially revolutionize your business.

Each organization uses its own methods to accomplish work. There are great tools (i.e. computers, software programs, machines, and planning models) for completing work tasks efficiently while maximizing the contribution of employees. Whatever the working environment, workers and managers can continuously improve workflow to complete tasks at optimum rates.

This article presents three detailed examples of how checklists are helpful for organizations. Each example is presented according to the model of a small manufacturing firm. These examples can be adapted for other work environments like stores and offices.

Honeydew Manufacturing is a small company of 21 employees. Honeydew's main function is the assembly of toy airplanes for distribution to toy stores. Work tasks are completed by a combination of human effort and machines. The management model includes a general manager and four team managers. Each team consists of a manager and 4 workers.

The management team at Honeydew uses checklists to manage work tasks. The first example of a checklist is the final product checklist. The team that completes packaging and shipping of finished airplanes begins with the final inspection. The final product checklist includes all the major aspects of the plane, including paint finish, no broken parts, decals affixed properly, and no scratches or dents in the body of the plane.