Every four years we get the fabulous bonus of an extra day. Sit back and think about that for a minute! A whole 24 hours of extra time. When most of our days are so busy, extra time is a breath of fresh air.
Our friends at THOMASNET recently published a fun blog on the power of leap day and we couldn’t agree more with their instructions to “do something you normally don’t have time for.”
Check out these 24 ideas for how manufacturers can make the most out of 24 extra hours:
1. Update your website with new product offerings. Give the people what they want.
2. Run down the list of products you need to get. From spares to customizable parts, there is no use putting it off. (Our Operations Manager Dale Wagner is giddy about this one.)
3. Find out if your smart devices are working at full potential. Utilize the Internet of Things for all it’s worth.
4. Take a look at your process and see if anything can be automated. Spoiler — Plenty of things can be automated.
5. Write a new blog. (Oh this one makes our marketing team giddy.)
6. Figure out how green your business is. Unless you like these record warm months.
7. Review budgets for the year. Is there an opportunity to replace some old machinery or invest in something new? (Or you can skip this one and eat cake. Cake sounds way better than budget reviews.)
8. Outsourcing some of your work? Leap year is as good a day as any to look into the benefits of reshoring.
9. Brush up on some lean manufacturing and six sigma practices. Everyone can improve, right?
10. Gather your team for a team building activity. It’s a great way for everyone to reconnect and catch up.
11. Update your social media. Share something on LinkedIn.
12. Look at some resumes to increase your workforce. Graduation is just around the corner for the next addition to the workforce.
13. Research a local STEM program you can support. Nurture some industry love.
14. How is the economy affecting your resources and business? If you don’t know the answer to this question, go find out.
15. Participate in #DayItForward. Everyone can use a random act of kindness.
16. Investigate some of your competitors. You should know who you’re standing up against.
17. And while you’re investigating, find some new competitors. Are there any industries you’ve been considering breaking into?
18. Tackle those RFQs. You and I both know they need to be addressed.
19. Review safety protocol for your shop floor. You can never be too careful.
20. Run diagnostics on your machines. Just to know that everything is operating as it should.
21. Commit to an industry event and network with others in your wheelhouse.
22. Is everyone on your team properly trained for every aspect of their job? We’ll say yes, but you know what you have to do.
23. Look into what it would take to get a new quality certification.
24. Make sure potential customers are finding you.
The day is wide open with opportunity! Which will you tackle first?