Lean Onboarding Series – Stop, Call, & Wait

Stop, Call, and Wait

Here’s the deal. The stop, call, and wait principle was told to me by Paul Akers, someone I respect very much. The concept is simple. If there is an issue, a worker stops, calls the team leader or another crew member, and waits for help.

What Triggers a Stop

The principle applies to any of the following.

• The worker smells something wrong.
• The worker sees something wrong.
• The worker hears something wrong.
• The worker senses something wrong.
• The worker tastes something wrong.
• The worker is told that something is wrong.

In every case, the response is the same. We stop the work, we call for help, and we wait.

Using the Genius of the Team

This does not mean the worker or the foreman is not intelligent enough to deal with the situation on their own. It means we are committed to the concept of using the genius of the team.

Quality at the Source

Everybody on the construction project is enabled to stop the work to focus on quality at the source, quality from the beginning. That commitment includes the following.

• We are not going to push defective work down the line.
• We will not tolerate defective work.
• We will notice defective work.
• We will stop and retrain the crew when we see defective work happening.

In this way, we will be able to finish construction projects in a much more effective and efficient way.

The Cost of Leaving It for Later

If you leave a defective piece of work and have to rework it, it takes two to twelve times the amount of time and money to fix it than it would have taken to install it right the first time. Even a small punch list item involves at least twenty added administrative steps to put it on the punch list and correct it, compared with finishing, fixing, and finalizing it while the crew is there.

So, we have to be one hundred percent committed and dedicated to quality.

Where This Comes From

I learned this from Paul Akers, when he was talking about how workers at Japanese car manufacturers, and even temporary workers, were taught to use their senses to see if something is wrong. If it is wrong, stop. That means stop the line, stop the work, stop the crew. Call your team, or call your team leader. If you are a foreman, call the superintendent. Then wait until they show up before continuing, so that you can fix the problem at the root before it shows up again, before you overproduce and have an inventory of defective work.

Ask the Crew Every Day

The entire crew, every day, should be asked whether they understand the stop, call, and wait principle, and whether they are committed to it.

If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow.

So here is the challenge. Ask your crew that question every day. Do you understand the stop, call, and wait principle?

Jason Schroeder said it plainly: “We’re committed to the concept of using the genius of the team.” Stop, call, and wait.

On we go.

FAQ

What is the stop, call, and wait principle?

If there is an issue, a worker stops, calls the team leader or another crew member, and waits for help. It applies when a worker smells, sees, hears, senses, or tastes something wrong, or is told that something is wrong.

Does this mean workers cannot handle problems themselves?

No. It does not mean the worker or foreman is not intelligent enough to deal with the situation. It means the team is committed to using the genius of the team.

Why does the principle matter for cost?

Reworking defective work takes two to twelve times the time and money of installing it right the first time. Even a small punch list item involves at least twenty added administrative steps, compared with fixing it while the crew is there.

Who does a foreman call?

A worker calls their team leader or another crew member. If you are a foreman, you call the superintendent and wait until they show up to continue.