Streamline your processes to prepare for overtime rule

Assuming none of the efforts to block or delay the overtime rule are successful, business owners will need to have all their ducks in a row in three weeks to make sure their employees are properly classified under the new standards from the Department of Labor. That’s not a lot of time to get organized.

There is a lot you need to consider as a business owner when handling your new nonexempt employees. One place to start, if you can’t hire new employees and you can’t afford to pay overtime or higher salaries, is to take a deep dive and look for areas where you can streamline your work processes. It’s time to work smart, not hard.

Maybe it is cheaper to invest a small amount now in new technology that reduces worker time on certain projects, or improve on a system you already have. Maybe you have to look at your marketing plan and reduce your input in areas that aren’t bringing in a high return on investment.

“There is the difference between must-have and nice-to-have. I understand as an organization there’s a list of all these things you want to do. Now you have [fewer] hours to do them. So what things are we going to just stop doing,” said Adam R. Calli, principal consultant at Arc Human Capital, LLC, in my interview with him about the new overtime rule. “Be prepared to experiment. 2018 comes around, you revisit how did boat show season go? What were our sales? Where did we see drop-offs? Where did we maintain? Where did we pick up? And then adjust.”

Looking at what your employees are doing in the process of an eight-hour day and how they are using their time will ultimately give you a more accurate picture of processes and technology you can implement to ease that burden, how much overtime they will need to work and how you can maybe rearrange duties within your departments so everything continues to be covered with the loss of available work time.

If you need guidance on finding areas where you can streamline processes, attending the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, running Dec. 5-8 in Orlando and co-produced by Boating Industry and the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, is a good place to start. While the event will begin after the rule takes effect, it could provide inspiration for long-term solutions, especially if you have short-term strategies in place for when the rule hits.

Opening keynote speaker Josh Linkner will give a presentation on creativity and innovation that will help business owners use creativity to reimagine processes, drive efficiency and improve operations. A host of exhibitors will be on hand to help you find ways to help streamline workflow and better use your employees’ time.

You can still register for the event by visiting marinedealerconference.com.