Perfect

Perfect

12/8/12

One of the Fabricators in our shop came up to me just the other day.

I had just finished with a customer that came over to our shop to inspect some frames we had just finished for them.

We were asked by the customer to adjust some minor imperfections on the frame.

This fabricator, said to me, “ You know Don, that customer wants those frame perfect. We cannot give them perfect.”

My answer to him was a quick, “Yes we can” as I hurried off on some other business.

Later on thinking about this I felt that I owed some type of explanation regarding that statement.

Dictionary “Perfect”

being entirely without fault or defect : flawless

Of course, the fabricator was right. We can’t give them perfect.

Perfect does not really exist, does it.

Not unless I disagree with the Dictionary.

Perfect is subject to point of view.

Let’s looks at it from a Palatine Welding Point of view.

Perfect to the Salesman of the project, is we got the job for the price we wanted to get it for.

Perfect to the Estimator means the shop completed the project in the number of hours that the Estimator planned that the job should take to complete, and that the materials costs were equal to the cost of materials when they were purchased.

Perfect to the shop is that the job was completed, and the shop did not need to rework anything.

Perfect to the Inspection department is that the job had no errors that needed to be reported to management, and the job did not come back from the customer with any reported errors that we did not catch.

Perfect to the Accounting department, is that the project was completed under budget, and we realized a profit, or at least broke even and can pay our employees and all the bills associated with the project.

Perfect to the customer is that they receive a usable product, and receive it at the time that they need it for a price that will allow them to be able to make a profit, or at least break even. They have to pay their bills and employees also.

That’s a lot of stuff to get right to be perfect in our business.

That’s why I disagree with the definition of perfect.

My definition of Perfect>

Regardless of the knowledge that perfect does not exist, that you drive yourself in every way to attempt to reach perfection, even though you are fully aware that reaching perfection is not really something that you can accomplish.

And then when you do not accomplish perfection, and that you are made aware that you did not accomplish it, that you make an honest effort to repair this imperfection to the best of your ability.

Your dedication to this will be appreciated, and rewarded as long as you display a desire to be as close to perfection as you are capable of being.

A commitment to this is my view of perfect.

In my years of service with Palatine Welding, I have continually seen a commitment to this definition with everything that we do.

Yes, it is true that we have strived for perfection and have not achieved it.

But, it is the dedication to the continued attempt to repair imperfections, and to accomplish perfection that is inspiring.

Our customers are continually reminded of this, by myself and the rest of the sales department, and many of these customers have witnessed the results of our dedication.

These customers have rewarded us with their continued faith that we can accomplish their work, and do it satisfactorily to their various needs.

Imperfection is only a result of giving up the hope that you can ever achieve Perfection, and giving up trying.

As long as you do not give up, you will achieve the perfection as I describe it to exist.

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I’d like to take this moment to welcome Mat, to the offices in the position of Job processing. Mat is a Mechanical Engineering graduate. He just completed a mandatory period of time working in our shop to learn the various functions of our shop. This training period is very important to his success at preparing the documents, securing materials, and securing outside processes required for projects.

Good Luck in your new Function, and of course I am wishing you many successes.

Don Ellis – Sales Manager