The Vanishing Lab and Shop Floor Tour
Written by Gloria Metrick on . Published as written. It may not reflect how these systems work today.
To me, it appears that the opportunity to get a tour of a customer’s laboratory and manufacturing operations is disappearing. Since I always found these not just incredibly interesting, but helped give me a tiny view into what we working toward, I miss them.
Early in my career, as a company employee, I had free reign to wander in and out of any area I wanted. In fact, in my first permanent job out of college, I had a desk both in the IT department and in the labs (I spent half my time in both) where I had plenty of time to watch what went on in the labs.
Subsequently, as a consultant, I didn’t have that kind of free reign to wander about but customers were often proud to show me their operations. Some of them even felt it my duty to see their labs or manufacturing areas, to give me a better picture of what they were doing
But in recent years, I haven’t had as many of those opportunities. In fact, a few years ago, I specifically had a customer that has some rather famous instruments in their labs. I had heard so much about these instruments that I just couldn’t hold back my anticipation at seeing them, once I landed this customer. Then, only to find out that they don’t allow outsiders in their labs because these instruments and their work are considered so confidential. What a downer!
It could just be my perception, of course, or some specific lack of opportunities that I’m personally experiencing in the specific customers I’ve been landing. But to me, I get the impression that these tours are going away because of these factors:
- People are busy and are just too busy to give these tours, anymore.
- Confidentiality concerns are on the rise and companies because more and more cautious about showing what they have to anyone who doesn’t absolutely need to see it.
- On large projects, the project team is so far away from the labs or the manufacturing site, maybe not even in the same country or town, that it’s not practical to even consider giving them a tour
Still, I feel lucky on my current project to have free reign to wander. When I’m on-site, I can see the lab area whenever I want. Knowing this is a rare opportunity, in my own stop-and-smell-the-roses type of effort, I’ll stop to watch the manufacturing line. I’ll take the opportunity as often as I can while I can because, next project, it might not come by, again.
Gloria Metrick
GeoMetrick Enterprises
http://www.GeoMetrick.com/