Working times for each task in a Removable lab

[Chalky]

Hi All,
I hope the new year finds everyone well and thriving!

I have recently been looking into creating some metrics as a guideline for all my technicians and apprentices in regards to timeframes needed for each task we undertake in a Removable lab.
I know i have seen some tables with these things in the past, and would appreciate some links to find them again or would love it if you guys can share with me anything that you may have.
I know how long each tasks takes me and most of my senior technicians, but I am looking for a base universal idea so that all my guys see that this is an industry standard metric and not an unrealistic measure I am placing on them.

Thanks in advance!

 

[bigj1972]

No Offense, but the "Industry Standard Metric" is what has killed the education, creativity, and replenishment workforce for our industry.
The whole x-working days other than emergency's is unrealistic.

 

[JKraver]

Probably just time your techs while they work then take the average. Every case is custom

 

[Doris A]

Exactly, If you've got plenty of vertical and don't have to grind teeth....20min set up, if you're fighting for space it might take an hour or more grinding every single tooth.

 

[Denture Dude]

No Offense, but the "Industry Standard Metric" is what has killed the education, creativity, and replenishment workforce for our industry.
The whole x-working days other than emergency's is unrealistic.

This

 

[Chalky]

I hear what you guys are saying and i certainly don't disagree...
But surely each of you know within about 10 - 15 minutes how long everything will take you to do. I am looking to see if what i do is standard and what i am expecting from my team is realistic. I understand that my quality standards are much higher than other labs, but things also need to be done in a fashion that is time effective and profitable.
I can walk into the lab each morning and call my wife and tell her what time i will be home that night. I know how long things take me to do.. we all should!

I was trained in the Government hospital system here in Australia, and these base metrics do exist and are somewhat important to help train and teach. Much in the same way a mechanic 'should' only take a certain time to service a car, a technician most certainly would have a similar metric to use as a baseline for their daily workflow. I am obviously sympathetic and understand that not all jobs are the same and some are absolute pigs to set up and polish, but this too can surely be incorporated into a measurement method to accommodate when needed.
I'm not unrealistic in these instances, I more just want to create a benchmark (ballpark idea) for my staff to work to, to aid in their development.

 

[JKraver]

Pouring 45 seconds wait for stone to set
Mounting 20 min mainly stone setting
Wax rim 15 min mainly time for light cure base and wax to cool
gothic arch 20 min mostly waiting for wax to cool
tooth set up 20-40 min an arch depending on difficulty
processing depends on your method mine takes me 2-3 hours mostly waiting for stone to set
post processing depends on how difficult the case but it takes me maybe 10 min to mill in excursions to make me happy, then 10-15 min to polish mainly depending on the vault of the palate.

If I were to stagger or batch my cases I can be 3-4 more times more effective managing my non working times, I can probably get 3 wax rims done in 15 min, or 5 mountings done in 20 min ect. Industry standard stuff is for monotasks I am a one man full service in house lab. My times will not reflect monotask because I am juggling 6 or 7 tasks at once and mentally timing what needs to be done when.

 

[Flipperlady]

I can make a denture start to finish 5 minutes tops and sell for $20, no remakes.

 

[Flipperlady]

 

[Car 54]

I can make a denture start to finish 5 minutes tops and sell for $20, no remakes.

Or, by using the Dentu-wave.



Apologies for posting this one what; about 3 times over the years, but I still get a kick out of it

 

[Flipperlady]

Or, by using the Dentu-wave.



Apologies for posting this one what; about 3 times over the years, but I still get a kick out of it

LOL I need one of these it will cut my time down to 3 minutes start to finish lol ;-) And just to be clear, I realize there are different business models per original poster, but realize that questions like that tend to make denture techs cringe a bit... I would say if the tech is taking more than 30 minutes to make a bite plate then you may need to see what's going on...

 

[Chalky]

Pouring 45 seconds wait for stone to set
Mounting 20 min mainly stone setting
Wax rim 15 min mainly time for light cure base and wax to cool
gothic arch 20 min mostly waiting for wax to cool
tooth set up 20-40 min an arch depending on difficulty
processing depends on your method mine takes me 2-3 hours mostly waiting for stone to set
post processing depends on how difficult the case but it takes me maybe 10 min to mill in excursions to make me happy, then 10-15 min to polish mainly depending on the vault of the palate.

If I were to stagger or batch my cases I can be 3-4 more times more effective managing my non working times, I can probably get 3 wax rims done in 15 min, or 5 mountings done in 20 min ect. Industry standard stuff is for monotasks I am a one man full service in house lab. My times will not reflect monotask because I am juggling 6 or 7 tasks at once and mentally timing what needs to be done when.

Thanks mate!
I appreciate your input.

I have complied a much more generous list of items now, based on what I believe as being generous (for slow, singularly made items!)
As you have mentioned, everything becomes much more efficient done in multiples.
Often, we are at the mercy of materials setting... but this is also accommodated in what I have put together, some things can only ever be done in these times - like pouring up and trimming.
Quality standards and acceptability will also vary from lab to lab, so I have added this into my timeframes too.

 

[JKraver]

I am assuming you are a large lab, If you are looking for productivity, Set your times reasonably, then bonus them for extras and QC the crap out of it, if they are financially motivated they will get good fast.

 

[Chalky]

I am assuming you are a large lab, If you are looking for productivity, Set your times reasonably, then bonus them for extras and QC the crap out of it, if they are financially motivated they will get good fast.

Small to medium lab I guess... there are 9 of us.
This is more to work as a guideline for upskilling my staff into other areas and giving my apprentices some time targets to work towards. I pay them all generously and I'm not too concerned about issues with quality control, we have this already covered. I just feel the importance of each team member understanding the concept of time efficiency in completing each task within a reasonable time frame. Not all cases are the same, but things can still be worked out using a guide as a measure to run from. When work is distributed by myself or my production manager, we allow for the complexity of the case when we issue what we feel is a fair days' work.
I'm not interested in losing quality for the sake of increasing quantity, this will only increase failure rates... which at present ours is basically non existent!

 

[TheLabGuy]

This question has been answered on this forum before many moons ago with very detailed times for each procedure. Mark Jackson and some others shared the production times, just use the search bar.

 

[bigj1972]

Small to medium lab I guess... there are 9 of us.
This is more to work as a guideline for upskilling my staff into other areas and giving my apprentices some time targets to work towards. I pay them all generously and I'm not too concerned about issues with quality control, we have this already covered. I just feel the importance of each team member understanding the concept of time efficiency in completing each task within a reasonable time frame. Not all cases are the same, but things can still be worked out using a guide as a measure to run from. When work is distributed by myself or my production manager, we allow for the complexity of the case when we issue what we feel is a fair days' work.
I'm not interested in losing quality for the sake of increasing quantity, this will only increase failure rates... which at present ours is basically non existent!

If you have 8 guys working for you, and you can afford to pay them "generously" and failure rates are are non existent......sounds like you have a good thing that will get better with experience.

Beware making your staff become uncomfortable with edicts and scrutinizing. You can get to 4 guys awful.quick.

 

[Car 54]

If you have 8 guys working for you, and you can afford to pay them "generously" and failure rates are are non existent......sounds like you have a good thing that will get better with experience.

Beware making your staff become uncomfortable with edicts and scrutinizing. You can get to 4 guys awful.quick.

Amen to the last sentence. Make them feel like they're learning, and being encouraged and hopefully, you'll have a faithful staff for years to come.

 

[JonnyLathe]

What are your expectations time wise currently? That would help to know.

 

[Chalky]

Amen to the last sentence. Make them feel like they're learning, and being encouraged and hopefully, you'll have a faithful staff for years to come.

Richard Branson quote 'Teach them everything they need to survive on their own, treat them so well they'll never want to leave'
I try to live by this... I am fair and not a ass, but also have a standard that exceeds those in our local market.
We can charge a little more for the quality we output, and understandably this also takes a little extra time to achieve. Everyone learns at a different pace, and this goes to be the case from task to task too. So it is always about self-improvement, but also about fitting in to industry standards too. Every industry has them, so I kind of disagree with the point made that this has killed the industry. It is definitely not the case in my opinion. All industries have standards, and we are remiss if we think ours doesn't! If you think it doesn't or shouldn't, perhaps you need to assess your own ethics in this regard in my opinion.
We all fail if we think we don't need to comply with a time vs output metric of some kind, there is no sentiment in business, but we can all strive to build a stronger industry built on output and quality standards.
I am passionate about what I do, and frequently see peers who don't seem to care about the person at the end of each thing we make, the patient! We are a part of a health care service system, so we are essentially 'caring for people'. Too many simply don't care.
I'm not being out of line at all by creating standards for my business or my employees... Show me any successful company that doesn't do this.
This mindset is what provides the community a better standard of service

 

[bigj1972]