Do you often feel like a ton of bricks is piled on your shoulders, or do you miss deadlines? Maybe you just forget something important or people have to chase you to get work done?
Whether you have 10 open purchase orders or a 100, finding the time to manage them can be difficult.
If you only focused on following up with your orders that would be great. But more than likely that isn't the case. Your procurement process and aircraft maintenance planning usually pulls you in many directions.
Does This Sound Like You?
You wake up and get to the office. Once you arrive you have 5 issues that occurred unexpectedly and you need to take care of them. In the middle of you trying to figure out those issues your engineering department said they found a faulty harness wire and an AOG purchase was an immediate request. You find the harness wire and submit the PO.
If you're lucky it's to a trusted vendor but if not you find out 3 hours later the new vendor can't supply the harness you just bought. You now have to start all over again.
This may not be exactly the situation you run in to but the concept is the same. You have specific tasks you need to accomplish but are always interrupted by urgent requests throughout the day.
So how do you manage your aircraft maintenance planning process for the tasks that aren't urgent but important?
It's simpler than you think.
Meet The Daily To-Do List
A To-Do list is a simple tool you can use to organize your day more efficiently.
It can be as simple as listing all of your tasks, starting with the most important at the top. Then you just work down the list. Or you can schedule your tasks and block out time just for that task.
Your To-Do list is a critical component to beating work overload. It will increase your productivity and decrease your stress. Now who wouldn't want more of that?
The key is to prepare your To-Do list and manage your time more effectively. You can do this manually or by using a software program.
Currently, I use Nozbe for all of my planning.
I've used almost every To-Do software under the sun and this syncs with all my other programs like Evernote and Google Calendar.
Trello is also a good option.
A Couple More Tips to Aircraft Maintenance Planning Success
Creating a To-Do list is such a simple tool, but it doesn't end there.
Every night plan on what you have to do the next day. Right down all your tasks and organize them appropriately. You will always be adding tasks throughout the day but the end of day prep will best prepare you for the next day.
The next tip is to review your To-Do list every morning. This simple act will prepare you mentally for the next day. You'll know exactly what you have going on and what's important and what's not.
You'll get into work feeling organized and ready to tackle what the day has to bring.
We all know aircraft maintenance planning and the procurement process can never be planned 100%. The key is to structure your life and work so you know what you have going on and can deal with unexpected urgency without being overwhelmed.
The To-Do list will reduce your stress and create clarity in a world of constant change.
P.S. Email me to chat about what I do to organize my days.