Running late by eleven, idle by three
The diary is booked in equal slots. By eleven, the class 7 bay is running late because van tests take longer than the slot allows, especially when the load area has to be cleared. By three, the class 4 bay has had a run of quick tests on newer cars and the tester is waiting for the next booking.
The desk apologises in the morning and watches the clock in the afternoon. The slot length was chosen long ago, by someone who has since left, and nobody has checked it since.
One slot length for every test
A single slot length is simple to run, which is why most diaries use one. But real test times vary with the vehicle class, the age and condition of the vehicle, the bay's equipment and layout, and the tester. The time needed to write up a failure differs from a clean pass.
Without records, nobody knows by how much. The only evidence is a feeling that some days run late and some do not.
Changing the slot length on a hunch is risky. Too long, and you lose tests every day. Too short, and the diary runs late all day. So nobody changes it.
What a wrong slot length costs
| Mismatch | Effect |
|---|---|
| Slot too short for class 7 vans | Diary runs late, customers wait |
| Slot too short for older vehicles | Rushed tests, pressure on testers |
| No allowance for failure write-ups | Next customer kept waiting |
| Slot too long for newer cars that pass | Tester idle between bookings |
| Same slot in every bay | One bay late while another is quiet |
Every idle gap is a test you could have done. Every overrun is a customer kept waiting. Both come from a number set without evidence.
Testers feel it most. A slot that is too short for the vehicles in front of them builds pressure through the morning, and pressure is the last thing anyone wants on a test that has to be done properly every time.
How we build test time records
- Testers tap start and finish on a tablet by the bay for each test, and the result is recorded as pass or fail.
- Vehicle class, age and bay come from the booking, so nothing extra needs typing.
- Over a few weeks, the system builds a picture of typical test times by class, bay, vehicle age and result.
- A report shows how actual test times compare with your slot lengths, and where the diary tends to run late or sit idle.
- You can try different slot lengths by class or bay in the report, to see how capacity and overruns might change before changing the diary.
- Once you decide, the booking diary is updated with the new slot lengths, and the records continue so the effect can be checked.
Test times are not used to judge testers. A test takes as long as it takes. The aim is a diary that matches reality, and you decide who sees the tester breakdown.
A diary that fits the bays
The report shows class 7 tests routinely take longer than the slot, and class 4 tests on newer cars are often quicker. You lengthen the class 7 slot and shorten the class 4 slot for newer vehicles slightly. The class 7 bay stops running late. The class 4 bay fits in more tests without rushing.
A few months later the records show whether the change worked, and the diary is adjusted again if needed.
- Real test times by class, bay and result
- Slot lengths set on evidence
- Changes tested in a report before the diary
- Records that show whether it worked
Does your diary run late or sit idle?
- All tests are booked into the same slot length.
- Some bays run late most days.
- Testers sometimes wait between bookings.
- Nobody knows how long each class of test really takes.
- The slot length was set years ago.