I’ve seen the same problem derail dock and yard management projects several times. A company introduces a new system, but the message to the operation is that people can try it and see how they get on. When the new procedure becomes inconvenient, they go around it. Management allows that to continue.
The team learns very quickly that the process is optional.
I understand wanting to test a system before committing the whole operation. There is a lot riding on these decisions. A trial gives people a chance to find problems and work out what needs to change. But even a trial needs a clear expectation about how the work within it will be done.
If some people follow the new procedure and others keep using the old one whenever it feels quicker, what exactly is being tested? The operation hasn’t really committed to finding out whether the new way works.
What does the next shift inherit?
Completing the task is only part of adopting a new workflow. Compare what remains in the shared record.
Work and record agree
The task is completed through the agreed workflow. The shared record reflects what happened.
Make the process usable, train the team and reinforce it consistently.
The deviation is recorded
A real exception needs a different route. The reason, owner and follow-up are recorded.
Authorize the exception and address any recurring problem with the process.
Work and record diverge
The task gets done outside the agreed workflow. The shared record no longer tells the full story.
Address the bypass and its cause before the shortcut becomes normal practice.
This is where managers need to look at the signals they’re sending. Saying “this is our process now” means following through when someone skips it. It also means taking a practical problem seriously when someone says the procedure is getting in the way.
An extra step can feel expensive during a busy shift, especially while people are learning. The person doing that step may not yet see the benefit elsewhere in the operation. Managers have to explain that connection, make sure the procedure is workable and keep improving it as the team learns.
There will be exceptions. Give people a clear way to handle them, including who can approve a departure from the procedure. Otherwise, every difficult job becomes another reason to fall back on the old approach.
A manager who keeps accepting the old shortcuts is teaching the team that the new process is optional. Fix the parts of the procedure that don’t work, and follow through when people bypass the parts that do.
