Problem #3: Ops Leads depend heavily on memory to organize their shifts
Key Learnings
Ops Leads experience high cognitive load as they juggle many tasks during production
This is a simplified version of the Ops Lead’s journey through a portioning shift so you can have a glimpse of what an Ops Lead juggles with during their shift:
Tim the Ops Lead
From this you can see that Ops Leads manage a myriad of tasks which demand a high cognitive load
2. Most Ops Leads do not take time to write out any plans for their shift
It was interesting that…..Only 1 out of 7 Ops Leads write out ✍️ any plans for their shift. That means 6 of the 7 Ops Leads rely heavily on memory 🧠 to plan their shift.
Secondary research revealed…
“…brief mental blocks created by switching between tasks can cost as much as 40 percent of someone’s productive time. “
- American Psychological Association
Between not writing down plans and constantly switching tasks, it is reasonable to believe that there is too much dependence on the brain’s working memory.
I wondered…Is there a way we can reduce the mental effort required of the Ops Lead’s to do their job?