facility tour report

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Why (and How) to Take a Plant Tour

• David M. Upton
• Stephen E. Macadam

By adopting a systematic approach to plant tours, visitors can uncover and communicate a wealth of strategic and operating information.

In recent years, managers have recognized how manufacturing capabilities contribute to a company’s overall strategic strength. The ability to respond quickly to customers’ orders, to customize products to match customers’ exact requirements, or to ramp up production rapidly can be a powerful and difficult-to-imitate competitive weapon. But many corporate managers identify their plants’ capabilities only by accident—as a result of chance conversations with plant managers or operations specialists. Consequently, many managers do not have the information necessary to cultivate, shape, and exploit their company’s manufacturing capabilities. As plants develop, however, they need guidance to build capabilities that meet current and future needs. Plant tours can be a powerful way of providing factories with that kind of direction.

• David M. Upton is the American Standard Companies Professor of Operations Management at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School.
• SM Stephen E. Macadam is a principal at McKinsey & Company’s Charlotte, North Carolina, office.

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How to Write a Visit Report

Last Updated: March 30, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by Madison Boehm . Madison Boehm is a Business Advisor and the Co-Founder of Jaxson Maximus, a men’s salon and custom clothiers based in southern Florida. She specializes in business development, operations, and finance. Additionally, she has experience in the salon, clothing, and retail sectors. Madison holds a BBA in Entrepreneurship and Marketing from The University of Houston. This article has been viewed 653,710 times.

Whether you’re a student or a professional, a visit report helps you document the procedures and processes at an industrial or corporate location. These reports are fairly straightforward. Describe the site first and explain what you did while you were there. If required, reflect on what you learned during your visit. No additional research or information is needed.

Writing a Visit Report

Explain the site's purpose, operations, and what happened during the visit. Identify the site's strengths and weaknesses, along with your recommendations for improvement. Include relevant photos or diagrams to supplement your report.

Describing the Site

• Reports are usually only 2-3 pages long, but in some cases, these reports may be much longer.
• In some cases, you may be asked to give recommendations or opinions about the site. In other cases, you will be asked only to describe the site.
• Ask your boss or instructor for models of other visit reports. If you can't get a model, look up samples online.

• If you visited a factory, explain what it is producing and what equipment it uses.
• If you visited a construction site, describe what is being constructed and how far along the construction is. You should also describe the terrain of the site and the layout.
• If you’re visiting a business, describe what the business does. State which department or part of the business you visited.
• If you’re visiting a school, identify which grades they teach. Note how many students attend the school. Name the teachers whose classes you observed.

• Who did you talk to? What did they tell you?
• What did you see at the site?
• What events took place? Did you attend a seminar, Q&A session, or interview?
• Did you see any demonstrations of equipment or techniques?

• For example, at a car factory, describe whether the cars are made by robots or humans. Describe each step of the assembly line.
• If you're visiting a business, talk about different departments within the business. Describe their corporate structure and identify what programs they use to conduct their business.

Reflecting on Your Visit

• Is there something you didn’t realize before that you learned while at the site?
• Who at the site provided helpful information?
• What was your favorite part of the visit and why?

• For example, you might state that the factory uses the latest technology but point out that employees need more training to work with the new equipment.
• If there was anything important left out of the visit, state what it was. For example, maybe you were hoping to see the main factory floor or to talk to the manager.

• Tailor your recommendations to the organization or institution that owns the site. What is practical and reasonable for them to do to improve their site?
• Be specific. Don’t just say they need to improve infrastructure. State what type of equipment they need or give advice on how to improve employee morale.

Formatting Your Report

• If you are following a certain style guideline, like APA or Chicago style, make sure to format the title page according to the rules of the handbook.

• Don’t just say “the visit was interesting” or “I was bored.” Be specific when describing what you learned or saw.

Sample Visit Report

Community Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://services.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/471286/Site_Reports_for_Engineers_Update_051112.pdf
• ↑ https://www.examples.com/business/visit-report.html
• ↑ https://www.thepensters.com/blog/industrial-visit-report-writing/
• ↑ https://eclass.aueb.gr/modules/document/file.php/ME342/Report%20Drafting.pdf

About This Article

To write a visit report, start by including a general introduction that tells your audience where and when you visited, who your contact was, and how you got there. Once you have the introduction written out, take 1 to 2 paragraphs to describe the purpose of the site you visited, including details like the size and layout. If you visited a business, talk about what the business does and describe any specific departments you went to. Then, summarize what happened during your visit in chronological order. Make sure to include people you met and what they told you. Toward the end of your report, reflect on your visit by identifying any strengths and weaknesses in how the site operates and provide any recommendations for improvement. For more help, including how to format your report, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Four tips to help organize a fantastic factory tour

With good planning, people should be able to organize a memorable factory tour for all visitors..

If someone is looking for a way to draw in new customers or investors, a factory tour might be just what someone needs. It’s an excellent opportunity to show off facilities and equipment and introduce the staff. On top of that, a good company tour will emphasize professionalism and help build a stronger bond with clients.

All that is only possible if the factory tour is successful. And factories typically aren’t particularly suitable for tours — they tend to be loud and full of activity. In such conditions, it can be difficult to deliver a good presentation and ensure that everyone in the audience hears it.

Still, there are ways to organize fantastic factory tours that clients and investors will remember for years. Not sure how to do that? Consider these four tips for making a memorable tour.

1. Try to understand factory tour visitors’ goals

In order to organize a successful tour, start by understanding the visitors. If a company knows what they want to see and hear, they’ll have an easier time satisfying the visitors, and they’ll leave feeling their time was well spent. Ultimately, that’s exactly what is wanted.

Of course, someone can’t be sure what each and every member of the visiting group wants to hear. But someone can understand the whole group’s goals. Both investors and clients will probably want to see that the factory is up to par and the product quality is top-notch. But some of their other objectives might not be the same.

For instance, investors are more likely to be interested in a company’s efficiency and financial performance. After all, they are here to decide whether they should invest their money or not. On the other hand, if the visitors are potential clients, they’ll want to know more about the production process, cleanliness and inventory.

Take that into consideration when planning a tour. And of course, if someone doesn’t manage to answer all of the visitors’ questions, give them an opportunity to ask.

2. Use a wireless factory tour guide system

Factories aren’t exactly quiet — machines and people working with them tend to make a lot of noise. Thus, they don’t make a great setting for giving presentations or tours . After all, what’s the point of showing visitors around if they can’t even hear?

And, of course, someone can’t stop all activity as they’re showing visitors around. That wouldn’t only be a waste of money and time but also counterproductive to the tour. The audience wants to see how the company operates on a regular day, not an empty factory that’s not working.

So, how does someone resolve the noise issue then? Well, someone could use a wireless tour guide system during the presentation. These systems contain earpieces and microphones, allowing everyone to communicate even in less than ideal conditions. So, no matter how noisy it is, the presenter doesn’t have to raise their voice. Just speak as one would normally, and everyone will still hear.

Wireless systems usually come in two forms — one- and two-way systems. If a company chooses a two-way one, their visitors will also be able to talk to the company. Depending on the kind of tour, that may be a good idea. Someone might want to hear the audience’s feedback or allow them to ask questions even as they are being shown around.

3. Warn employees in advance

While the goal is to show visitors a regular day at the company, measures should still be taken to ensure everything goes smoothly. One such measure is telling employees an important tour is coming up and instructing them on what to do. For instance, tell them to be quieter or make more room for the group at a specific time.

Warning employees about the tour also gives them enough time to plan their activities with that in mind. Thus, they can postpone anything that may get in the way of the factory tour, as well as any projects a tour might interrupt. So, let them know at least two weeks before the big day — that way, they won’t feel blindsided.

If someone wants any of their employees to talk to visitors and share their experiences, make sure to let them know on time. They ought to prepare themselves for the part they will play in the presentation. For example, they might need time to gather and organize some information the visitors could ask them to provide. And even the most eloquent people can sometimes get tongue-tied if they are suddenly put on the spot. That is why it is best to notify employees well in advance.

4. Prepare information booklets

If someone wants their visitors to remember their factory tour longer, prepare information booklets for them. Hand them out at the start of the tour or give them as gifts at the very end. That way, the company will come off even more professional and prepared, and this good impression will linger for a while.

People can choose all kinds of information to put in a booklet, of course. But in most cases, someone should include some basic information about the company, financial stats and details about the products and services. Adding a few pictures might be a good idea, too — it’ll make a booklet that much more engaging.

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Guide to Conducting Healthcare Facility Visits

by Craig Zimring, Ph.D. Georgia Institute of Technology

Published by The Center for Health Design, 1994

INTRODUCTION

A major medical center is building a new diagnostic and treatment center that will include both inpatient services and expensive high technology outpatient services The center is considering whether to provide day surgery within the diagnostic and treatment center or in a freestanding outpatient facility. They are facing a dilemma. If they locate the day surgery center separately, they can use lower-cost construction. If they combine the functions, they can use the spare capacity that will likely become available in the inpatient operating rooms. This is especially important as outpatient procedures become increasingly complex. The center wishes to evaluate sites that currently operate in fully separate facilities versus ones that provide separate outpatient and inpatient reception and recovery facilities, but share operating rooms.

A large interiors firm has been contacted to conduct a visit of several new children’s hospitals in the Northwest. Eager to get the commission from this major hospital corporation to renovate the interior of a large children’s hospital, the firm arranges visits of hospitals it has designed as well as two designed by other firms.

An architecture firm is renovating a large medical laboratory in an existing building which has a minimal 11-foot-3-inch floor-to-floor height. Concerned that the client may not understand the implications of this tight dimension-which means that the fume hood ventilation system can not easily be installed within this space-the architects arrange visits of other labs with similar floor-to-floor heights, change in healthcare and society is rapid and increasingly unpredictable, bringing an unprecedented level of risk for healthcare organizations facing new projects. This guide discusses a specific tool that healthcare organizations and design professionals can use to help manage uncertainty: the facility visit. In almost every healthcare project someone-client, designer, or client-design team-visits other facilities to help them prepare for the project. A probing, well structured, and well run visit can highlight the range of possible design and operational alternatives, pinpoint potential problems, and build a design team that works together effectively over the course of a design project. It can help a team creatively break their existing paradigms for their current project and can provide a pool of experience that can inform other projects. All of these can help reduce risk for healthcare organizations.

However, current facility visits are often ineffective. They are frequently conducted quite casually, despite the rigor of much other healthcare planning and design. Visits are often costly—$40,000 or more-yet they often fall short of their potential. Sites are often chosen without careful consideration, little attention is given to clarifying the purpose or methods of visits, there is often little wrap-up, and frequently no final report is prepared. Not only is the money devoted to the visit frequently not used most effectively, the visit presents important opportunities to learn and to build a design team. These opportunities are too often squandered.

This guide focuses on what a facility field visit can accomplish and suggests ways to achieve these goals. Although a facility visit may occur in a variety of circumstances, including the redesign of the process of healthcare without any redesign of the physical setting, this guide focuses on situations in which architectural or interior design is being contemplated or is in process.

SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH

The goals of this project were to learn about the existing practice of conducting healthcare facility visits, to learn about the potential for extending their rigor and effectiveness, and to develop and test a new approach. We interviewed over 40 professionals in the fields of healthcare and design from every region of the US, including interior designers, architects, and clients who had participated in design projects, and healthcare professionals who conduct visits of their own facilities. We sampled professionals from large and small design firms, and from large and small medical organizations. To get a picture of both “average” and “excellent” practice we randomly selected members from professional organizations such as the AIA Academy on Architecture for Health and the American Society of Hospital Engineers, and augmented these with firms and individuals who were award winners or were recommended to us by top practitioners. We developed a multi-page questionnaire that probed the participants’ experiences with visits, including their reasons for participating, their methods, and how they used the information produced. We faxed each participant the questionnaire, then followed up with an interview on the phone or in person. The interviews averaged about one-and-a-half hours in length. Every person we initially contacted participated in an interview. Everyone in our sample had participated in some sort of visit of healthcare facilities within the past year.

After conducting the interviews we developed, field tested, and revised a new facility visit method, which is presented in this guide. Throughout this process we conferred with select members of the Research Committee of The Center for Health Design and the Project Advisory Board.

GOALS OF FACILITY VISITS

There are many reasons for doing a facility visit and many different kinds of visits. However, visits roughly fall into three categories: specific visits, departmental visits and general visits. Specific visits focus on particular issues such as the design of patient room headwalls, nursing stations, or gift shops; departmental visits focus on learning about the operations and design of whole departments such as outpatient imaging or neonatal intensive care; general visits are concerned with issues relevant to a whole institution, such as how to restructure operations to become patient-focused. Usually, departmental and general visits occur during programming or schematic design; specific visits often occur during design development, when decisions are being made about materials, finishes and equipment.

More broadly, there are several general reasons for conducting visits: learning about state-of-the art facilities; thinking about projects in new ways; and creating an effective design team.

LEARNING ABOUT STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITIES

Visit participants want to learn what excellent organizations in their field, both competitors and other organizations, are doing. Participants are often particularly interested in learning how changes in business, technology or demographics, such as increased focus on outpatient facilities or increased criticality of inpatients, might affect their own operations and design. For example, in Story 1, below, a UK team was interested in grafting US experience onto a UK healthcare culture. In another example, hospital personnel at Georgia’s St. Joseph’s Hospital visited five emergency rooms over the course of several weeks before implementing an “express” service of their own. According to planner Greg Barker (Jay Farbstein & Associates, CA) they “use site visits as a method of exposing the clients to a broader range of operating philosophies and methods.” This gives the clients and design professionals a common frame of reference on which to base critical operational and design decisions.

William Headley, North Durham Acute Hospitals, UK

Traditionally, hospital design in the UK has been established centrally, with considerable emphasis placed on standard departmental areas and on a standardized planning format known as “Nucleus.” The 20-year-old Nucleus system is based on a standard cruciform template of approximately 1,000 square meters housing a multitude of departments, which can be interlinked to provide the nucleus of a District General Hospital.

Durham wished to develop a hospital that in its vision would meet the challenges of the 21st Century, and produce a custom-designed hospital solution built to suit the needs of the patient, not just individual departments.

The brief has, therefore, to be developed from a blank sheet of paper and not from standard guidelines. It is also the Trust’s objective to have the brief developed by staff from the bottom up. The purpose of the study tour was to allow frontline staff the opportunity to experience new ideas firsthand and talk to their medical counterparts about some of the philosophies of patient-focused care and to input their findings into the briefing process. We acknowledged the differences in the US and UK healthcare systems, but were interested in ensuring that best US practices, including the patient focused approach, facilities design, and the use of state of the art equipment, was studied and subsequently tailored to suit the new North Durham hospital.

THINKING ABOUT A PROJECT IN A NEW WAY

Participants who are currently engaged in a design or planning project are concerned with using visits to advance their own project. They use a visit to analyze innovative ideas and to help open the design team to new ideas. At the same time they are interested in building consensus on a preferred option. In Story 2, below, a hospital serves as a frequent visit host because it shows how special bay designs can be used in neonatal intensive care, and participants can consider how these designs apply to their current project. Other visit organizers see a visit as an opportunity for focusing the team on key decisions that need to be made, or to help the team focus in a systematic way on a range of strategic options and critical constraints. The visit exposes each team member to a variety of ways of accomplishing a similar program of requirements and thus starts the debate on how to achieve the best results for the facility being designed.

Georgia Brogdon, Vice President Operations, Gwinnett Women’s Pavilion, GA

We get visitors at our facility about once per month. Right now the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) is the most frequently visited location. The main reason is that Ohmeda uses our unit as a showcase for a special design of NICU bays. People want to see it because most think that Hill Rom is the only vendor of this type of equipment.

Early on, we were also one of the only state-of-the-art LDR facilities around. So if people wanted to visit an LDR unit, they had little choice but to come here. Now, however, people come to see us because we are a freestanding yet still attached facility. Over time the visits have evolved away from the design of the facility and more into programming, services, and operational issues.

We give three types of visits: 1) overview visits for lay people who just want to come see the area; 2) functional visits for other hospital people or architects who want to see the LDR design, mother/baby floor, NICU design, etc.; 3) operational flow visits to learn how the LDR concept impacts operations. In general, we start the visitors wherever the patient would start in the facility.

To arrange a successful visit of our facility, we need to know the interests of the visitors; then we can focus the schedule on that. Also knowing who they are bringing is helpful. You need to have their counterparts available. The types of information needed to conduct facility visits are: 1) what specific operational information to ask for in advance-size, number of rooms, number of physicians, staffing, C-section rate, whether they are a trauma center; 2) how to prepare for the visit; 3) who to bring. We’ve found that periodically the visitors are disappointed because they didn’t bring enough people. Better to have too many than not enough.

CREATING AN EFFECTIVE DESIGN TEAM

Participants use visits as an opportunity for team building. Many visits are conducted early in a design project by a team who will work together for several years. The visit provides participants a useful opportunity to get to know each other and to build an effective team. As Story 3 illustrates, clients often look to a visit to see how well designers can understand their needs; designers use it as a way to learn about their clients and to mutually explore new ideas. A visit can also provide an opportunity for medical programmers to work with designers and clients. This is particularly important if programming and design are done by different firms.

Many visit participants focus on interpersonal issues: spending several days with someone helps build a personal relationship that one can rely on during a multi-year project. A visit also provides the opportunity to achieve other aspects of team building: clarifying values, goals, roles and expertise of individual participants; and identifying conflicts early so they can be resolved. One result for some teams is that it establishes a common vocabulary of operational and facility terms translated to the local healthcare facility.

Bing Zillmer, Director Engineering Services, Lutheran Hospital, La Crosse, WI

Conducting a facility field visit is an opportunity to have that one-on-one contact and find out if the architect “walks the talk or talks the walk.” The biggest benefit is in finding out how the visit team of the architectural firm has been assembled: to see their level of participation, and how they have interacted with and listened to the clients and the hosts. What we look for in a consultant is not a “yes man”; we look for someone who knows more about existing facilities than we do. Our key concerns are how the team worked together, how they listened.

Dennis C. Lagatta, Vice President, Ellerbe Becket, Washington, DC

The main reason for conducting a visit is to settle an issue with the client. The clients usually have only two frames of reference: the current facility and the one where they were trained. These two frames of reference are hard to overcome without a visit. We conduct visits to help settle an issue between various groups within the institution. The visit process tends to be a good political way to illustrate a problem or a solution to a problem. A good example is when you have a dispute between critical care physicians and surgeons. Both parties may be unwilling to compromise. Usually a visit will be a good way to defuse this conflict.

James W. Evans, Facilities Director, Heartland Health System, St. Louis, MO

Responding to the question, what kinds of team-building activities were conducted before the actual visit took place? The functional space program stage is where you start building a team. Functional space programming is a narrative of what you want to do. If the programming includes a laboratory or some other specialty area, you would also want to have the consultant (if you are using one) involved in this process. Between blocks and schematics is when you want to go on any visits. By working together and staying together through big and small projects, you develop a lot of rapport and credibility.

Les Saunders, Nix Mann And Associates, Architects, Atlanta, GA

In the case of marketing visits, we try and present our unique abilities to our clients and to get to know each other better, Our visits are generally tailored to what the client group is trying to accomplish. Our functional experts will go on the visit so they can get to know the client and try to enhance “bonding.”

Facility visits allow healthcare organizations and design professionals to address several important trends in healthcare.

• A visit allows a team to understand the experience of stakeholders who they do not currently serve, and to examine the design and operations of facilities that are more customer-oriented.
• Social changes are resulting in some stakeholder groups gaining importance, such as outpatients involved in more complex procedures, higher acuity inpatients, older people, or non-English speakers.
• A visit can provide quantitative and qualitative data that support future decision making.
• Tighter budgets, shorter design and construction schedules and more complex projects are requiring design teams to form more quickly and work more effectively.
• A visit can be an effective tool for building a design team early in a design project.

FALLING SHORT OF THEIR POTENTIAL

In a design project, the client healthcare organization generally pays for a visit, either directly or as a part of design fees. Do healthcare organizations usually get good value for their investment? Do visits generally achieve their ambitious goals of learning about competition and change, moving the design project along, and building teams? We found very different answers. Despite the usual rigor of healthcare planning and programming, many current visits are very casual. Whereas some planners of visits do careful searches of available facilities to fit specific criteria, most choose sites to visit in other ways— sites participants happen to already know because they have been written about in magazines, or sites where there is a contact that someone on the team knows. Though these ways of choosing sites may be appropriate, they raise a question as to whether most participants are visiting the best sites for their purposes.

In many cases visit teams simply do not spend much time structuring the visit. Most teams do not even meet in advance to decide the major foci of the visit. We did not find many groups who use checklists or sets of questions or criteria when they go into the field. Whereas some teams compile the participants’ notes, and one team actually created a videotape in a large project, most teams do not create any kind of written or visual record of their visit. Many teams hold no meeting at the end to discuss the implications of the visit, although many participants felt that they emerged in subsequent programming or design meetings.

Despite the apparent casualness of these visits, designers and clients alike almost without exception felt they were a valuable resource.

Simply visiting a well-run facility can be vivid and exciting. It is fascinating to see how excellent competitors operate, to talk to them and learn of their experience. (It is also an excellent opportunity for administrators and designers to get away from their daily routine and talk to professional counterparts.)

But there are large opportunity costs in the way most current visits are run, and they represent considerable lost value for the healthcare organization, designer, and design project.

COMMON PITFALLS

Opportunity costs of current visits come from several common pitfalls.

LOW EXPECTATIONS LEAD TO LIMITED BENEFITS

Often, participants see field visits as a way to get to know other team members and simply to see other sites, but have no clear idea about what information can be helpful to the project at hand. They don’t think through how the visit can help the goals of their project or organization.

TOO BUSY TO PLAN

The planner of a visit faces multiple problems. Often the visit is seen as a minor part of the job of most participants and doesn’t get much attention in advance; schedules and participants may change at the last minute. In many cases, no one is assigned to develop the overall plan of the visit, and to ask if the major components-choice of sites, choice of issues to investigate, methods for visits, ways of creating and disseminating a report-match the overall goals of the organization and project. This is especially ironic because participants are often advocates of careful planning in other areas.

TOO FOCUSED ON MARKETING

Many visits, and especially designer-client visits, are billed as data gathering but are in fact aimed at marketing. A design firm may literally be marketing services or may be trying to get a client to accept a solution that they have already developed: marketing an idea. This may lead to an attempt to create a perfect situation in the facility being visited, one without rush, bustle, or everyday users and the information they can provide. For designer-client teams, we heard many designers complain that they couldn’t control their clients, that they couldn’t keep them focused on prearranged ideas or keep them limited to prearranged routes. (This is often the result of not enough advance work aimed at understanding what interests the participants have and not enough time spent building common goals.)

CLOSING THE RANGE OF DESIGN OPTIONS TOO EARLY

Many visits occur early in the design process or when an organization is considering significant change, a perfect time to consider new possibilities or address issues and solutions not previously considered. This timing, and the chance to see and discuss new options in a visit, presents an opportunity for a design team to open its range of choices and consider novel or creative alternatives. However, many visit participants feel strong pressures to “already know the answer” when they start the visit. Many designers and consultants feel that their clients do not want them to genuinely explore a range of options, that they were hired because they know the solution. Similarly, some medical professionals establish positions early to avoid seeming foolish or uninformed. As a result, the team may choose sites that bring only confirmation, not surprise, and people will be interviewed who bring a viewpoint that is already well established. This is not simply a matter of the individual personalities of people who set up visits, but rather a problem of the design of teams and the context within which they operate. It is often important for a design firm to show a client the approach it is advocating and for them to jointly explore its suitability for the client’s project. However, if the client expects a designer to know the answer before the process starts, rather than developing it jointly with the client, the designer is forced to use the visit to exhort rather than to investigate.

TOO LITTLE STRUCTURE FOR THE VISIT

Whereas no one likes to be burdened with unnecessary paperwork before or during a visit, it is easy to miss key issues if there is not an effort to establish issues in advance, with a reminder during the visit. Seeing a new place, with lots of activity and complexity, makes it easy to miss some key features. Many team members come back from visits with a clear idea of some irrelevant unique feature such as the sculpture in the hallway, rather than the aspect of the site that was being investigated.

INTERVIEWING THE WRONG PEOPLE

Often, out of organizational procedure or courtesy, a site being visited will assign an administrator or person from public relations to be the primary guide. It is almost always preferable to interview people familiar with the daily operations of the department or site.

MISSING CRITICAL STAKEHOLDERS

Almost every healthcare facility is attempting to become more responsive to customers, both patients and “internal” customers such as staff. Patients often now have a choice of healthcare providers, and staff are costly to replace. Despite these trends, many visits miss some key customer groups such as inpatients, outpatients, visitors, line staff, and maintenance staff. It is very important that these groups or people who have close contact with them be represented in visits.

A DESIGNER PROVIDING TOO MUCH DIRECTION DURING A DESIGNERCLIENT VISIT

In an effort to control the outcome, a designer may attempt to ask most of the questions during interviews. In addition to the problem of focusing exclusively on “selling” ideas described above, clients do not like to feel that their role is usurped.

MISSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR TEAM BUILDING

Teams are most effective when everyone understands the values, goals, expertise and specific roles of others on the team. Teams are also most effective when the team understands the process and resources of the team, the nature of the final product, how the final product will be used: who will evaluate it, and by what criteria the success of the product will be evaluated. Although management consultants routinely recommend making such issues explicit at the beginning of team building, we found few visit teams that deal with these issues directly. Many teams do not even get together before a visit to discuss these issues.

NOT ATTENDING TO CREATING A COMMON LANGUAGE

Multidisciplinary design teams often speak different professional languages and have different interests and values. Designers are used to reading plans and thinking in terms of space and materials; healthcare administrators are used to thinking in terms of words and operational plans. Unless a field visit team is conscious about making links between space and operations, there can be little opportunity to establish agreement.

LACK OF AN ACCESSIBLE VISIT REPORT

Most current visits produce no report at all; some produce at least a compilation of handwritten notes. We heard a repeated problem: no one could remember where they saw a given feature.

CHAPTER 1:  MAJOR TASKS

The healthcare facility visit process has three major phases, divided into specific team tasks that are conducted before, during, and after a visit. These phases, and the 13 major tasks that comprise them, are below. The process we propose is quite straightforward, but compared to most current visits it is more deliberate about defining goals, thinking through what will be observed, preparing a report, and being clear about the implications of the visit for the current design project.

PREPARATION

TASK 1. SUMMARIZE THE DESIGN PROJECT

In this task the project leader or others prepare a brief description of the goals, philosophy, scope, and major constraints overview of the design project that the visit is intended to aid. It should include the shortcomings that the design project is to resolve: space limitations, operational inefficiencies, deferred maintenance, etc.

The overview helps focus the facility visit, and can be provided to the host sites to help them understand the perspective of the visit. This summary should be brief, only a few pages of bulleted items, but should clearly identify the strategic decisions the team is facing. For example, a team may be considering whether to develop a freestanding or attached woman’s pavilion. It is also important to identify key operational questions in the project summary. Focusing on design solutions too early may distract the team from more fundamental questions that need to be resolved. The purpose of the summary is to establish a common understanding of goals, build a common understanding of constraints, and allow the visit hosts to prepare for the visit.

The summary of the design project may focus on several topics:

• How do these critical purposes link to key business imperatives, such as “broadening the base of patients” or “allowing nurses to spend more time delivering patient care”?
• What measurable or observable aspects of the design relate to these key purposes? For example, one team may be interested in whether carpeting leads to increased cleaning costs or increased infection rates; another team may be interested in visitor satisfaction with a self-service gift shop.

Key issues in summarizing the design project:

• It should identify the full range of stakeholders who affect the current design.

Note: Many visits ignore this critical up-front work. Depending on the schedule and scope, the summary can be circulated to the team in advance of the brainstorming meeting.

TASK 2. PREPARE BACKGROUND BRIEF

More than most building types, healthcare facilities have a large body of literature providing descriptions of new trends, research, design guidelines, and post-occupancy evaluations. Many design firms and healthcare organizations have this material in their library or can get it from local universities or medical schools. In this task the visit organizer creates a file of a few key articles or book chapters describing the issue or facility type being visited. These are then distributed to the team, allowing all team members to have at least a minimal current understanding of operations and design.

The team leader also prepares an Issues Worksheet. This is a one-page form that is distributed along with the Background Brief to all members of the visit team prior to their first meeting. (See Figure 2 for a sample Issues Worksheet.) It encourages them to jot down what is important to them, and to discuss issues with their coworkers. It works most effectively when the visit organizer adds some typical issues to help them think through the problem. Participants should be encouraged to bring the Worksheet with them to the team meetings.

Key issues in preparing the Background Brief:

• Providing a few current background articles on the kind of department, facility, or process being visited helps create at least a minimum level of competence for the team and helps establish a common vocabulary prior to the visit.
• The Issues Worksheet, along with the Project Summary and Background Brief, allows participants to develop a picture of the project and to brainstorm ideas.

TASK 3. PREPARE DRAFT WORK PLAN AND BUDGET

Once the team leader or others have summarized the design project and prepared the Background Brief, a draft work plan outlining the major components of the field visits can be prepared. At this stage, it is important to establish a tentative budget for the visit. It is also important to make sure that the major components of the draft work plan, such as choosing visit sites and developing critical issues, match the overall goals of the organization and project. The draft work plan provides a tentative structure for the field visits, which can be modified by other team members.

Key issues in preparing the draft work plan:

TASK 4. CHOOSE AND INVITE PARTICIPANTS

The effectiveness of the team is, of course, most directly related to the nature of the participants. Field visit teams are sometimes chosen for reasons such as politics, or as a reward for good service, rather than for their relevance to the project. For healthcare organizations field visit teams are usually most successful if they mix the decision makers who will be empowered to make design decisions with people who have direct experience in working in the area or department being studied. For design firms, teams are often most successful if they include a principal and the project staff. In both of these cases, the team combines an overall strategic view of the organization and project with an intimate knowledge of operational and design details.

Key issues in choosing participants:

• Participants should be chosen with a clear view of why they need to participate and what their responsibility is in planning, conducting and writing up the visit.
• Site hosts say that teams larger than about seven tend to disrupt their operations.

TASK 5. CONDUCT TEAM ISSUES SESSION

It is usually advisable to hold a team meeting early in the visit planning process to: 1) clarify the purposes and general methods of the field visit; 2) build an effective visit team by clarifying the perspective and role of each participant; 3) ‘identify potential sites, if the visit sites have not already been selected. Some resources and methods to select sites are discussed further in the next section, “Critical Issues in Conducting Facility Visits.”

The issues session is often a “structured brainstorming” meeting aimed at getting a large number of ideas on the table. (This is particularly important during departmental and general visits, and if team members don’t know each other.) The purpose is opening the range of possible issues rather than focusing on a single alternative.

This meeting is typically aimed at building a common sense of purpose for all team members, rather than marketing a preconceived idea. This meeting also serves the purpose of making critical decisions regarding the choice of sites and identifying who at the sites should be contacted.

Each participant should bring his or her Issues Worksheet along to the meeting. The initial task is to get all questions and information needs onto a flip chart pad or board before any prioritization goes on. Then the leader and group can sort these into categories and discuss priorities. These categories and priorities may be sorted in the form of lists which include: 1) a list of critical purposes of the departments or features being designed; 2) a list of critical purposes of the departments or features being evaluated at each facility during visits; 3) a list of existing and innovative design features relevant to these purposes. The critical purposes of the departments or design features at existing facilities can be charted at different spatial levels of the facilities, such as: site, entrance, public spaces, clinical spaces, administrative and support areas. Some typical architectural design issues are provided in the appendix.

The issues session may be run by the leader or the facilitator. Because one of the purposes of this meeting is to get balanced participation, it may be useful to have someone experienced in group process run the meeting, rather than the leader. His or her job is to make sure everyone participates, allowing the leader to focus on content.

This meeting may also provide an early opportunity to identify potential problems in conflicting goals, values or personalities on the team. For instance, a healthcare facility design project may have significant conflicts between departments, or between physicians and administrators. The meeting may also allow the team to agree on basic business imperatives and to be clear about the constraints that are of greatest importance to them, such as “never having radioactive materials cross the path of patients.”

Key points in running an issues session:

• Everyone should be able to participate without feeling “dumb.”
• The leader and group should try to understand the range of interests and priorities represented.
• Brief notes of the meeting should be distributed to all participants.

Note: This meeting is successful if participants feel they can express ideas, interests, and concerns without negative consequences from other members of the team. There is no such thing as a stupid question in this meeting.

TASK 6. IDENTIFY POTENTIAL SITES AND CONFIRM WITH THE TEAM

Based on the work plan which established the visit objectives and the desires, interests and budget of the team, the visit organizer chooses potential sites, and checks with the team. If possible, he or she provides some background information about each site to help the team make decisions.

The team may know of some sites they would like to visit, and these might have emerged in the issues session. Otherwise there are a range of sources for finding appropriate sites to visit: national organizations such as the American Hospital Association, as well as the American Institute of Architects Academy on Architecture for Health Facilities, and a range of magazines that discuss healthcare facilities. (See the section below entitled “Choosing Sites.“)

Different teams pick sites for different reasons. Some may pick a site because it is the best example of an operational approach such as “patient-focused care.” Others may look for diversity within a given set of constraints, such as different basic layouts of 250-bed inpatient facilities.

Many visit leaders complain that the team sometimes is distracted by features outside the focus of the tour, and particularly by poor maintenance. Wherever possible, it is advisable for the visit organizers to tour the site in advance of the group visit and to brief the hosts in person about the purposes of the visit. Although it is rare, some sites now charge for visits.

A key issue in choosing sites:

• The selection of sites should challenge the team to think in new ways.

Note: Sites are often chosen to provide a clear range of choices within a set of constraints provided by operations, budget, or existing conditions, such as “different layouts of express emergency departments” or “different designs of labor-delivery-post-partum-recovery rooms.”

TASK 7. SCHEDULE SITES AND CONFIRM AGENDA

The leader or facilitator calls a representative at each host site to schedule the visit. He or she confirms the purposes of the visit, confirms with the host sites the information needed before and during the field visit, and confirms who will be interviewed at the site. Healthcare facilities are sometimes more responsive to a request for a visit if they are called by a healthcare professional or administrator rather than a designer: if someone on the team knows someone at a site, he or she may want to make the first phone call. Many teams also find that if they arrange for a very brief visit, this may be extended a bit on site when the hosts become engaged with the team. When confirming the schedule for the visit with the host facilities, the visit organizer should specify that the visit team would prefer to interview people familiar with the daily operations of the department or site.

Key issues in scheduling sites:

Note: Sites are often proud of their facilities and often enjoy receiving distinguished visitors. However, they often find it difficult to arrange interviews or assemble detailed information on the spot.

TASK 8. PREPARE FIELD VISIT PACKAGE

Visits are more effective if participants are provided a package of information in advance: information about schedule, accommodations, and contact people; information about each site, including, where possible, brief background information and plans; a simple form for recording information; and a “tickler” list of questions and issues.

a) Prepare visit information package

The organizers should provide participants information about the logistics of the field visit: schedules, reservation confirmation numbers, phone numbers of sites and hotels.

b) Prepare site information package

The site information package orients participants to the site in advance of the visit. Depending on what information is available, it may include: plans and photos of each site; basic organizational information about the site (client name and address, mission statement, patient load, size, date, designers, etc.); description of special features or processes or other items of interest. Whereas measured plans are best, these are not often available. Fire evacuation plans can be used. A sample site information package is provided in the Appendix. Many teams find it useful to review job descriptions for the host site, and many organizations have these readily available.

c) Prepare Visit Worksheet

Facility visits are often overwhelming in the amount of information they present. It is useful for the organizers to provide the participants with a worksheet for taking notes. We have provided a sample worksheet as Figure 3 below, and blank forms are provided in the Appendix. The purpose of the checklist is to remind participants of the key issues and to provide a form that can easily be assembled into the trip report.

Note: A successful worksheet directs participants to the agreed-upon focal issues without burdening them with unnecessary paperwork. Participants should understand the relationship between filling out the checklist and filling out the final report.

FACILITY VISIT

TASK 9. CONDUCT FACILITY FIELD VISIT

The actual site visit typically includes: 1) an initial orientation interview with people at the site familiar with the department or setting being investigated; 2) a touring interview where the team, or part of it, visits the facility being investigated with someone familiar with daily operations, asking questions and observing operations; 3) recording the site; 4) conducting a wrap-up meeting at the site. (Each of these steps is discussed individually below.) The interview sessions are focused on helping the team understand a wider range of implications and possibilities. If appropriate, the wrap-up session may also be used for focusing on key issues that move the design along.

Note: Participants often like to speak to their counterparts: head nurse to head nurse, medical director to medical director, etc., although everyone seems to like to talk to people directly involved with running a facility such as a head nurse. People who know daily operations are often more useful than a high-level administrator or public relations staff member.

a) Conduct site orientation interview

During the orientation interview the visit team meets briefly with a representative of the site to get an overall orientation to the site: layout and general organization; mission and philosophy; brief history and strategic plans; patient load; treatment load; and other descriptions of the site. Many teams are also interested in learning about experiences the healthcare organization had with the process of planning, design, construction and facility management: What steps did they use? What innovations did they come up with? What problems did they encounter? What are they particularly proud of? What do they wish they had done differently?

b) Conduct a touring interview

The touring interview was developed by a building evaluation group in New Zealand and by several other post-occupancy evaluation researchers and practitioners. (See the post-occupancy evaluation section of the Bibliography.) In the touring interview, the team, or a portion of it, visits a portion of the site to understand the design and operations. Conducting an interview in the actual department being discussed often brings a vividness and specificity that may be lacking in an interview held in a meeting room or on the phone. One of the great strengths of the touring interview is the surprises it may bring, and the option it provides to consider new possibilities or to deal with unanticipated problems. As a result, it often works best to start with fairly open-ended questions:

• What works well here? What works less well?
• What are the major goals and operational philosophy of the department?
• What is the flow of patients, staff, visitors, meals, supplies, records, laundry, trash?
• Can they demonstrate a sample process or procedure, such as how a patient moves from the waiting room to gowning area to treatment area?
• What are they most proud of?
• What would they do differently if they could do it over?

These questions also provide a nonthreatening way to discuss shortcomings or issues that are potentially controversial. The team may then want to focus on the specific concerns that were raised in the issues session.

A difficult, but critically important, thing to avoid in a touring interview is to become distracted by idiosyncratic details of the site being visited. Often operational patterns or philosophy are more important than specific design features that will not be generalized to a new project: how equipment is allocated to labor-delivery-recovery-postpartum rooms in the site being visited may be more important than the color scheme, even though the color may be more striking.

Large multidisciplinary teams are particularly hard to manage during a touring interview. A given facility may have a state-of-the-art imaging department that is of great interest to the radiologists on the team but may have a mediocre rehabilitation department. In these cases, some of the touring interviews may be focused on “what the host would do differently next time.”

Key issues in conducting the touring interview:

Note: It is important to include people familiar with daily operations on the touring interview, both on the team side and on the side of the site being visited. A frequent problem is that some stakeholder groups such as patients or visitors are not represented; special efforts should be taken to understand the perspectives of these groups.

c) Document the visit

The goals of the visit dictate the kinds of documentation that are appropriate. However, most visits call for a visual record, sketches, and written notes.

In most cases it is useful to designate one or more “official” recorders who will assemble notes and be sure photos are taken, measurements made, plans and documents procured, etc. For designer-client visits, it is often useful to have at least two official recorders to look after both design and operational concerns. However, because a team often splits up, most or all participants may need to keep notes.

It is quite rare for teams to use video to record their visit, although this seems to be increasing in popularity. Editing videos can be very costly: it may take a staff member several person-days in a professional editing facility to edit several hours of raw video down to a 10- or 15- minute length. However, this time may be reduced with the increased availability of inexpensive microcomputer-based editing programs.

Key issues in recording the facility:

Many departmental and general visit teams find it useful to photographically record key flows, such as patients, staff and supplies, and location of waiting rooms and other patient amenities.

Note: If the method of creating the documentation is established in advance it can easily be assembled into a draft report.

d) Conduct on-site wrap-up meeting

Whereas the visit interview is focused on opening options for the team and identifying new problems and issues, the wrap-up meeting is often more focused on clarifying how lessons learned on the visit relate to the design project, and how they begin to answer the questions the team established. It is often useful to have a representative of the host site present at the wrap-up meeting to answer questions, if their time allows.

Key issues in conducting wrap-up meetings:

TASK 10. ASSEMBLE DRAFT VISIT REPORT

A draft visit report may take many different formats. The simplest is to photocopy and assemble all participants’ worksheets and notes, retyping where necessary. Alternatively, the organizers or a portion of the team may edit and synthesize the worksheets and notes. Though more time consuming, this usually results in a more readable report. A somewhat more sophisticated version is to establish a database record that resembles the form used to take notes on-site in a program such as FoxPro, Dbase, or FileMaker Pro. Participants’ comments can be typed into the database and sketches and graphics can be scanned in and attached.

These are then provided to all participants.

A key issue in assembling the draft report:

• Simplicity is often best; simply photocopying or retyping notes is often adequate, especially if photos and sketches are attached.

TASK 11. CONDUCT FOCUS MEETING

Upon returning home, the team conducts a meeting to review the draft trip report and to ask:

Unlike the issues session held early in the visit planning process, which was primarily concerned with bringing out a wide range of goals and options, this meeting is typically more aimed at establishing consensus about directions for the project.

A key issue in conducting the focus meeting:

• The purpose of the focus meeting is to establish the lessons learned for the design project.

Note: The leader should carefully consider who is invited to the focus meeting. This may include others from the design firm, consultants, healthcare organization, or even representatives from the site.

TASK 12. PREPARE FOCUS REPORT

The focus report briefly summarizes the key conclusions of the visit for the visit team and for later use by the entire design team. It is an executive summary of the visit report which may provide a number of pages of observations and interview notes.

Key issues in preparing the focus report:

• The focus report should be a clear, brief, jargon-free summary.

TASK 13. USE DATA TO INFORM DESIGN

The key purpose of a facility visit is to inform design. Whereas this can occur informally in subsequent conversations and team meetings, it is best achieved by also being proactive. For example, the team can:

Key issues in using data to inform design:

• Reports and materials collected on visits should be available to all participants in the design process and should be on hand during subsequent meetings. A central archive of materials should be available and should be indexed to allow easy access for people involved in future projects.

CHAPTER 2:  TOOL KIT

TASK CHECKLIST

The team leader prepares a brief summary of the goals, philosophy, scope, and major constraints of the design project to help focus the field visit.

• Prepare a list of design or operational features related to these critical purposes.

The team leader prepares a file of a few key articles or book chapters that provide descriptions of new trends, research, design guidelines and post-occupancy evaluations of the facility type, department or issue being studied. He or she also prepares Issues Worksheets for team members to make notes on prior to the initial issues brainstorming session.

• Assemble current literature on existing facilities. Prepare the Issues Worksheet.

The draft work plan clarifies the values, goals, process, schedule and resources of the visits.

In this task the team leader builds a team. The ideal team combines a view of the overall strategic perspective of the organization and project with an intimate knowledge of daily operations.

The team issues session has three purposes: 1) clarify the purposes and general methods for the field visit; 2) build an effective team; 3) identify potential sites. The issues session is often a “structured brainstorming” meeting aimed at getting a large number of ideas on the table, and at understanding the various perspectives of the team.

• Clarify the resources available to the team and the use of the information collected.

TASK 6. IDENTIFY POTENTIAL SITES AND START FACILlTY VISIT PACKAGE

Based on visit objectives and the desires, interests and budget of the team, the visit organizers choose potential sites and check with the team. If possible they provide some background information about each site.

• If field investigation sites are already selected, provide fact sheets about each site to the participants.

In this task, the purposes and schedule of the visit are confirmed with the sites. This should occur at least two weeks before the visit.

The field investigation package includes the following components, which are used for conducting the visit:

• Tour information package (tour itineraries, transportation and accommodation details, list of contact people at each facility).
• Site information package (description of the sites, background information, facility plans).
• Site Visit Worksheets for notetaking.

TASK 9. CONDUCT FIELD VISIT

The interview sessions are focused on opening: helping the team understand a wider range of implications and possibilities. If appropriate, the wrap-up session may also be used for focusing on key issues that move the design along. Conduct site orientation interview.

• Collect any additional information from the host site.
• Conduct touring interview with people familiar with daily operations and a range of stakeholders.
• Document the visit through notes, sketches and photos.
• Conduct on-site wrap-up meeting with team members.

The draft report is a straightforward document allowing others to benefit from the investigation and providing the team a common document to work from.

The team conducts a focus meeting to ask: What are the major lessons of the investigation? What does it tell the team about the current project?

The Focus Report briefly summarizes the key conclusions of the visit for the visit team and for later use by the entire design team. It is an executive summary of the Visit Report which may provide a number of pages of observations and interview notes.

• Prepare and distribute a brief Focus Report.

The purpose of this document is to inform the design process.

• Write a brief newsletter about the design project that includes key findings from the visit.

SAMPLE FACILITY FACT SHEET (see PDF version)

CHAPTER 3:  CRITICAL ISSUES IN CONDUCTING FACILITY VISITS

Selecting visit sites.

One of the most important steps in conducting healthcare facility visits is the selection of appropriate sites. However, there is no single source of information on healthcare facilities, and site selection is not an easy task. It is difficult to locate sites with comparable features in terms of workload, size, budget, operational facilities and physical features. Without this information, the tendency is to choose sites based on other criteria, such as location and proximity, or the presence of a friend or former coworker at specific host facilities.

However, depending on the nature of the facility visit, there are several resources that can be consulted for site selection. Some healthcare and design professional associations periodically publish guides and reference books which are helpful in selecting sites for facility visits. The following sources can be referred to before selecting specific facilities for field visits:

NATIONAL HEALTHCARE ASSOCIATIONS

American Hospital Association (AHA) AHA Resource Center, Chicago, (312) 280-6000

AHA database for healthcare facilities in the state of Missouri. : Missouri Hospitals Profile . Listed price: $27.50.

AHA Guide to locating healthcare facilities in the US . The listed facilities are classified according to the city/county with a coded format for the number of beds, admission fee, etc. Listed price: $195 for nonmembers and $75 for members.

AHA Health Care Construction Database Survey . Contact Robert Zank at the AHA Division of Health Facilities Management, (312) 280-5910.

Association of Health Facilities Survey Agency (AHFSA) Directory of the Association of Health Facilities Survey Agency. AHFSA, Springfield, IL.

National Association of Health Data Organizations (NAHDO) Some states collect detailed hospital-level data. To obtain information on states with legislative mandates to gather hospital-level data, contact Stacey Carman at 254 B N. Washington Street, Falls Church, VA 22046-4517, Telephone: (703) 532-3282, FAX: (703) 5323593.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

American Institute of Architects (AIA) AIA Academy on Architecture for Health 1735 New York Avenue NW Washington, DC 20006

(202) 626-7493 or (202) 626-7366, FAX (202) 626-7587 To order AIA publications: (800) 365-2724

Hospital Interior Architect .

Hospital and Health Care Facilities, 1992. Listed price: $48.50 for nonmembers; 10% discount for members off listed price.

Hospitals and Health Systems Review, July 1994. Listed price: $12.95 for nonmembers; 30 % discount for members off listed price.

Hospital Planning . Listed price: $37.50 for nonmembers; 10% discount for members off listed price.

Hospital Special Care Facility , 1993.

Organizational Change: Transforming Today’s Hospitals, January 1995: Listed price: $36.00 for nonmembers; 30% discount for members off listed price.

Health Facilities Review (biannual), 1993. Listed price: $20 for nonmembers; $14 for members.

PERIODICALS DESCRIBING SPECIFIC HEALTHCARE FACILITIES

Modern Healthcare. This national weekly business news magazine for healthcare management is published by Crain Communication, and holds annual design awards. In conjunction with AIA Academy of Architecture for Health, this periodical announces annual competition and honors architectural projects that build on changes in healthcare delivery. Contact Joan Fitzgerald or Mary Chamberlain at 740 N. Rush Street, Chicago IL 60611-2590, (312) 649-5355.

American Hospital Association Exhibition of Architecture for Health , 1993.

For further information contact Robert Zank at the Division of Health Facilities Management, (312) 280-5910.

Journal of Healthcare Design . This journal illustrates 20-40 exemplary healthcare facilities in each

annual issue. Free list of previously-toured exemplary facilities (available by calling The Center).

Æsclepius . Æsclepius is a newsletter discussing a range of design issues relevant to healthcare facilities.

TEAMBUILDING

Many people who conduct healthcare facility field visits use them as a way to build an ongoing design team. This is particularly true of designer-client-consultant teams who conduct visits early in a design project. According to organizational researcher and consultant J. Richard Hackman, 1 teams often spend too much time worrying about the “feelgood” aspects of interpersonal relationships and not enough time focusing on other key issues such as choosing the right people for the team, making roles and resources clear, specifying final products, and clarifying how the final product will be used.

Participants are often chosen because they are upper-level administrators or because they deserve the perk. It may not be clear what their function is on the visit or how they would contribute to any later decision making about the design project. Likewise, visit teams often don’t know what resources are available to them: Can they visit national sites? Can they call on others to help prepare and distribute a visit report?

• Some key team building steps include:
• Select visit participants with a clear idea of why they are participating and how they can contribute.
• Keep the team small; visit teams of more than seven or eight people are hard to manage.
• Provide each participant a clear role before, during and after the actual site visit, and negotiate this role to fit their interests and skills. Roles should be clearly differentiated and clear to all participants.
• Make the final product clear: simple photocopying and assembly of notes and photos taken during the visit; brief illustrated written report; videotape, etc.
• Clarify how the visit findings are to be used: what key decisions are the major focus?

ROLES IN CONDUCTING FACILITY VISITS

There are several key roles in the process. Depending on the size of the team and the nature of the visit, each role may be taken on by a different person, or they may be combined.

LEADERSHIP TASKS:

• Restate current need and parameters of the design project.
• Develop some background information on the issues or setting types being investigated, and distribute to team members.
• Conduct a brainstorming meeting to understand the expertise, interests, values, and goals of each team member.
• Identify potential visit team members, and invite them.
• Summarize the goals of the design project, clarify how the field visit might advance these goals, and communicate these to the team.
• Identify roles for each team member.
• Develop a work plan and budget.
• Clarify the criteria for choosing sites.
• Prepare and/or review major documents: site-specific protocols; checklists and lists of questions and issues; information about each site being visited; overall plan for the visit; visit report; focus report.
• Conduct wrap-up meeting at each site.
• Conduct focus meeting on returning home.

SUPPORT TASKS:

• Assemble a few key articles or other documents to help the team understand the key issues in the setting types, processes or departments being visited.
• Identify potential sites, with some information about each site candidate so the leader and team can make final choices.
• Confirm with sites, and clarify what information the team will need in advance and what will be collected during the visit.
• Prepare draft materials (Background Brief, site information package, visit information, interview protocol) for review by the leader.
• Organize any trip logistics that are not done individually by participants: car rentals, hotel reservations, air tickets, etc.
• Write thank-you letters to site participants.
• Prepare a Draft Visit Report for review by the leader and team.
• Draft a Focus Report for review by the leader and the team.

FACILITATION TASKS:

When the team is attempting to get broad input into the process, such as when the team meets initially to set direction, it is often useful to have someone run the meeting who has the role of simply looking after the process of the meeting, rather than the content. He or she is charged with making sure that everyone is heard without prejudice, and that all positions are brought out. It often works poorly to have a senior manager in this role. Even if he or she has good facilitation skills, it is intimidating for many people to speak up in a meeting led by their boss.

Specific tasks:

• Conduct the initial brainstorming session that establishes the direction, issues and roles for the visit.
• Conduct any additional sessions where balanced participation is important to increasing the pool of ideas or getting “buy-in” from all team members.

RECORDER TASKS:

During the actual site visit, one or more people are typically charged with maintaining the “official” records of the visit (individuals may keep their own notes as well). This may include written notes, audio or video records, or photographs. If the team breaks up during the visit, a recorder should accompany each group.

Specific tasks include:

• Procure any required recording devices and supplies, such as cameras, tape recorders, paper forms, etc.
• Make records during the visit.
• Edit the record and assemble into a report.

TEAM PARTICIPANTS TASKS:

INTERVIEWING

Interviews vary greatly in the amount of control exercised by the interviewer in choosing the topic for discussion and in structuring the response. An intermediate level of control over topic and responses, often called a “structured interview,” is usually appropriate in a facility visit. In a structured interview, the interviewer has an interview schedule which is a detailed list of questions or issues which serves as a general map of the discussion. However, the interviewer allows the respondent to answer in his or her own words and to follow his or her own order of questioning if desired. The interview is usually aided by walking through the setting or by having plans or other visual aids during seated sessions.

The use of fixed responses, in which respondents have to choose a “best” alternative among several presented, allows rapid analysis of results and may be appropriate if a large number of people are interviewed during a visit. The cost-effectiveness of interviews needs to be considered by the architect or manager when designing the process. Individual interviews are useful because people being questioned may be more forthcoming than if friends or colleagues are present.

However, individual interviews are expensive. With scheduling, waiting time, running the interview, and coding, a brief individual interview may involve several hours or more of staff time.

In summary, interviews are valuable because people can directly communicate their feelings, motives and actions. However, interviews are limited by people’s desire to be socially desirable or by their faulty memories, although these problems may not be too serious unless the questions are very sensitive.

CHAPTER 4:  CONCLUSIONS

Unfortunately, many design processes do not do a good job at controlling risks, costs, and inefficiencies. A design project may have a big influence on the future of an organization, but critical operational and design decisions often receive too little attention. And problems or new ideas are often discovered very late in a design process, when they are difficult and costly to accommodate. It is not hard to understand the source of these difficulties. The crises of everyday life go on unabated during design and distract people from design, short-term politics continue, and many people are comfortable with what they already know. Many design team participants representing healthcare organizations want to reproduce their existing operation, even if they can recognize its flaws.

A healthcare design team is too often more like a raucous international meeting than like an effective task-oriented organization. Participants speak different professional languages, have different experiences, have different short-term objectives, hold different motivations for participating, and hold different values about what constitutes a successful project. The team may be far into a project before it understands the different viewpoints represented on the team.

A facility visit is a unique opportunity to address some of these problems. It provides an extended opportunity for a design or planning team to get together outside the pressures of daily life, to critically examine the operations of an excellent facility, to rethink its own ideas, and to build the basis of a team that may function for several years. It is often the longest uninterrupted time a team ever spends together, and the best chance to think in new ways.

A visit has three goals: to establish a situation for effective critical examination of state-of-the-art operations and facilities; to think about the project in new ways; and building a team. These goals are intertwined. A well-structured facility visit may help build a team more effectively than an artificial “feel-good” exercise of mountain climbing or simulated war games. A team that looks at a facility from different perspectives, and in which participants forcefully argue their viewpoint based on evidence from a common visit, can learn each other’s strengths, preferences, and priorities quickly and in a way that builds a bond that is closely related to their own project.

Many teams, however, do not provide enough structure for either critical examination or team building. Critical examination requires an understanding of what key issues are to be examined and how they might apply to the current design problem. Team building requires that a team clearly establishes the role of each team member, makes the resources, process, and schedule clear, is explicit about the form and use of the final report, and establishes a common language.

Healthcare designers and consultants can develop better facility visits, but the responsibility for improving this practice rests with healthcare clients. For a visit to reach its potential, clients must demand an improved process, hold the organizer accountable-and be willing to pay for it. The healthcare client must see design and planning as a process open to mutual learning, and make it happen.

APPENDIX A: BIBLIOGRAPHY

See PDF version for bibliography.

APPENDIX B: EXEMPLARY MICRO-CASES

See PDF version for micro-cases.

Copyright © 1994 by The Center for Health Design, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright herein may be reproduced by any means or used in any form without written permission of the publisher.

The views and methods expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Center for Health Design, or its Board, or staff.

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Unleash Greatness

How To Craft An Effective Facility Walking Tour

By Rob Hawse

A tour is a powerful branding opportunity but it’s one that companies frequently miss — or mess up.

Here are five steps you can take to craft a more effective facility walking tour.

Step 1: Identify your goal and create a strategy.

While it’s nice to feel proud of your facility and impress your visitors, for a walking tour to have real impact on your brand, there needs to be a strategy behind it.

Before you can create a strategy, however, you need a goal for your walking tour.

• What do you want people to walk away with?
• What do you want their perceptions to be?

Once you know this, you can then build a walking tour that will help accomplish it.

Here’s what not to do: Focus on what your competitor is doing.

Instead, gather your key stakeholders and work together to identify what it is that makes your company different.

In fact, this is the most important work you’ll do in crafting the tour.

It could be the way you make your product – maybe you’re a challenger brand that builds a common product but in a very unique way – or it could be you’re a category leader based on the way you treat customers.

You want to bring that uniqueness front and center and celebrate it throughout the tour.

Step 2: Identify the top stations that define your process.

Using furniture manufacturing as an example, your tour stops might include:

• Raw materials selection
• Gluing and assembly
• Upholstering

But, just because you have all those stops, it doesn’t mean you highlight them all equally.

Maybe it’s the manner in which you select each individual piece of wood or the application of a 100-year-old family finishing recipe that makes you stand out amongst your competitors.

Or if distribution is more important to your customer, the manufacturing process could be shown at the macro level via catwalk, while the bulk of the tour focused on a more granular look at distribution and the customer service experience.

Don’t forget the lobby!

Even though it is not where your craft takes place, the lobby is the visitor’s initial introduction to your facility and so is effectively the first “station” in the tour. The lobby should contain displays and other materials that set the tone for the tour and build excitement and anticipation for what’s to come.

Step 3: Make each station a destination.

Each station stop on the tour should be clearly marked with signage or a display. The idea is to make the station a destination .

You can have some fun here.

Maybe the displays are made from the same materials your product is made from and incorporate that stage of the process somehow. Signage might reflect the key topics that are covered.

If much of what you are showing on your tour is assembly, maybe your tour stops get more complete as you advance along the tour.

Limit the number of stations to only the important ones – it’s not about how many stations you have, it’s about ensuring a quality visitor experience at each stop.

Step 4. Choreograph the walking tour experience from beginning to end.

A well-crafted tour experience communicates many aspects of your brand simultaneously and in three dimensions . In many ways it’s a performance, and good performances are planned, scripted, choreographed and rehearsed.

Create and distribute a written tour script and ask all employees to get familiar with it. Appoint employees willing to master the script, as tour guides. At each station, there should be a few employees within earshot of the presentation and the tour guide should incorporate them in a conversational but in a planned way. This technique keeps the visitor engaged and gives them a glimpse into the company’s inner workings.

Involving everyone in the tour process will have the added benefit of greater alignment within your company. In fact, a great aspiration would be for everyone in the company to be able to give the tour.

Step 5. Build visitor dialog into the experience.

The tour is a golden opportunity to engage visitors in dialog and make them feel connected to your brand. You can foster this dialog by providing visitors with a dialog starter in the form of a card with a list of best questions to ask at each stop. (Hint: Your sales team can be an invaluable resource here.)

The “best questions” book/pamphlet/sheet could be handed out in the lobby before starting the tour. It’s a great way to show you’ve organized and planned this tour and demonstrates to visitors that their time is important to you.

Ensure your facility walking tour is “Real.”

The most important aspect of the facility tour, however, is to craft it in a way that shows your company as it really is, including its quirks and characters .

The more “real” you can keep it, the easier it will be for visitors to really connect with your brand, and become attached to the idea your product or service is definitely for them.

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Report Writing: Industrial Visit

Three report writing examples on an industrial visit.

Table of Contents

Industrial visits provide a unique opportunity for students to gain practical insights and real-world experience in their chosen field. Recently, I had the privilege of visiting a manufacturing facility in the automotive industry. The purpose of my visit was to observe the production process and gain a better understanding of how the industry operates. In this report, I will provide a detailed overview of the facility, the production process, and any unique features or innovations that were observed during my visit. Finally, I will reflect on what I learned during the visit and how it may be applicable to my future career or academic pursuits.

The facility I visited was a large manufacturing plant located in the outskirts of the city. The plant was involved in the production of automotive components such as engine parts, suspension systems, and transmission components. The purpose of the visit was to observe the manufacturing process and understand the different stages involved in the production of these components. The tour started with a brief introduction to the company and its operations. The guide provided an overview of the company’s history, mission, and values. After the introduction, we were taken to the production floor, where we observed the various stages involved in the production process.

The physical layout of the facility was impressive. The production floor was divided into different sections, each dedicated to a specific production process. The different stages of production were interconnected and formed a continuous flow of operations. The production process involved a combination of automated and manual processes. The automated processes included robotics, conveyor systems, and computer-controlled machinery. The manual processes included assembly, inspection, and packaging. Overall, the facility was well organized, and the production process was efficient and streamlined.

During the visit, we observed several unique features and innovations in the production process. One of the most notable features was the use of robotics in the manufacturing process. The robots were used for tasks such as welding, painting, and assembly. The use of robotics improved the efficiency and accuracy of the production process. Another unique feature was the use of computer-controlled machinery. The machines were programmed to perform specific tasks, and the process was monitored and controlled by a computer. The use of computer-controlled machinery improved the accuracy and consistency of the production process.

In conclusion, the industrial visit was a valuable learning experience. I gained practical insights into the production process and gained a better understanding of the automotive industry. The visit also provided me with the opportunity to observe several unique features and innovations in the production process. Overall, the visit was an eye-opening experience, and I believe that the insights gained will be applicable to my future career or academic pursuits.

Industrial visits are significant in providing students with an opportunity to explore the practical aspects of the theoretical concepts they learn in the classroom. These visits allow them to observe how companies operate and gain valuable insights into their organizational structures, manufacturing processes, and products or services. This report aims to document the observations and insights gained during a recent industrial visit to a manufacturing company. It will provide an overview of the company’s operations, assess its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis), and make recommendations for further improvement or research.

The company we visited is a leading manufacturer of electronic products, including smartphones, tablets, and laptops. The company has a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that employs the latest technologies to produce its products. The manufacturing process involves a series of steps, including design, prototyping, testing, and production. The company has a well-structured organizational hierarchy, with clear roles and responsibilities for each employee. The management team is highly experienced and has a deep understanding of the industry. The company has a well-defined mission and vision statement that guides its operations and decision-making processes.

The company’s strengths include its advanced manufacturing processes, technology-driven approach, and well-structured organizational hierarchy. The company has a strong brand image and a loyal customer base. Its products are known for their quality, reliability, and innovation. The company has a wide distribution network that reaches customers in different parts of the world. However, the company also has some weaknesses that need to be addressed. These include its dependence on a few key suppliers for critical components, which may lead to supply chain disruptions. The company also faces intense competition from other manufacturers in the industry.

The company has several opportunities that it can leverage to sustain its growth and profitability. These include expanding its product portfolio to cater to emerging markets, investing in research and development to develop new technologies and products, and strengthening its distribution network to reach more customers. However, the company also faces several threats that it needs to address. These include the risk of intellectual property theft, rapidly changing consumer preferences, and geopolitical uncertainties that may impact its operations in different parts of the world.

Based on the observations and insights gained during the visit, we recommend that the company should invest in strengthening its supply chain by diversifying its supplier base and building strategic partnerships with key suppliers. The company should also focus on developing new products and technologies to stay ahead of the competition. The company should also explore opportunities to expand its distribution network and reach more customers in emerging markets. Finally, the company should continue to monitor the geopolitical risks and take appropriate measures to mitigate them.

In conclusion, the industrial visit to the manufacturing company provided valuable insights into the practical aspects of the theoretical concepts we learn in the classroom. The report documented the observations and insights gained during the visit, provided an overview of the company’s operations, assessed its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis), and made recommendations for further improvement or research. The report highlighted the importance of investing in supply chain management, research and development, and distribution network to sustain growth and profitability in the highly competitive electronics industry.

The industrial sector is a vital part of any economy, providing goods and services that are essential to modern life. Recently, I had the opportunity to visit a local manufacturing company as part of an industrial report project. The purpose of this visit was to gain a better understanding of the company’s operations, challenges, and successes, and to provide recommendations for improvement or areas of potential growth. In this essay, I will provide an overview of the company visited, describe the facilities and operations observed during the visit, discuss any challenges or successes observed, and provide recommendations for improvement or areas of potential growth.

The company I visited is a manufacturing company that specializes in producing automotive parts. Founded in 1980, the company has a long history of providing high-quality products to its customers. Over the years, the company has expanded its operations and now has multiple locations across the country. Its products include a wide range of automotive parts such as suspension systems, brake systems, and steering systems. The company has built a strong reputation for quality, reliability, and innovation, and has established a strong market position in the automotive industry.

During the visit, I had the opportunity to tour the manufacturing facilities and observe the operations firsthand. The facilities were clean, well-organized, and equipped with state-of-the-art machinery and equipment. The manufacturing process was highly automated, with robots and automated systems performing many of the tasks. The company had invested heavily in research and development, which was evident in the innovative products and manufacturing processes. The workers were highly skilled and experienced, and the company had a strong focus on safety and employee training.

During the visit, I observed several challenges and successes. One of the main challenges was managing the supply chain, which involved coordinating with suppliers across the globe. The company had implemented several strategies to address this challenge, including building strong relationships with suppliers, implementing inventory management systems, and using advanced analytics to predict demand. Another challenge was ensuring quality control, given the high volume of products produced. The company had implemented several measures to address this challenge, including using automated inspection systems and conducting regular quality audits. One of the successes observed during the visit was the company’s focus on innovation, which had led to the development of several cutting-edge products and manufacturing processes.

Based on the information gathered during the visit, there are several recommendations that could be made to improve the company’s operations. One recommendation is to explore new markets and expand the company’s product line to include other automotive parts. Another recommendation is to continue investing in research and development to develop new products and manufacturing processes. Additionally, the company could benefit from implementing more advanced analytics and data-driven decision-making processes to better manage the supply chain and ensure quality control.

In conclusion, the visit to the manufacturing company provided valuable insights into the operations, challenges, and successes of the company. The company has built a strong reputation for quality, reliability, and innovation, and has established a strong market position in the automotive industry. While there are several challenges that need to be addressed, the company has implemented several strategies to address these challenges and has achieved several successes. With the right strategies in place, the company has the potential for continued growth and success in the future.

About Mr. Greg

Mr. Greg is an English teacher from Edinburgh, Scotland, currently based in Hong Kong. He has over 5 years teaching experience and recently completed his PGCE at the University of Essex Online. In 2013, he graduated from Edinburgh Napier University with a BEng(Hons) in Computing, with a focus on social media.

Mr. Greg’s English Cloud was created in 2020 during the pandemic, aiming to provide students and parents with resources to help facilitate their learning at home.

Whatsapp: +85259609792

[email protected]

Visit Report

There are many reasons why someone would write down a visit report , whether you are a college student doing a project for a class or a business person doing a site visit. Either way, these reports provide insight that could promote improvement wherever it is applicable. In this article, we are going to discuss how to make these reports in the right format.

19+ Visit Report Examples

Visit report example.

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Construction Site Visit Report Example

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Observation Site Visit Report Example

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Industry Visit Report Example

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Team Home Visit Report Outline Example

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Sample Daily Visit Report Example

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School Visit Report Example

Size: 503 KB

What Is a Visit Report?

A visit report is a report that helps a visitor document the procedures and processes at an industrial or corporate location visited. These reports are straightforward and contain a detailed summary organized in a sequence. Visit reports serve as a reference for any assessment needed to improve the place that is involved.

How To Write a Visit Report

According to a Forbes article, marketing reports are essential in strengthening and understanding client relationships. The same train of thought can apply to visit reports wherein it can help understand and improve a business area. Here are some tips to guide you on how to word out your visit report.

1. Write The Details

Write down all the necessary matters and information about the site in detail. Avoid writing your visit report in a vague and general manner. This will let your readers easily understand what happened during your visit and gain a clear picture of everything you are communicating through the pages.

2. Write In a Sequence

Describe your visit to the site in a sequence. It is much easier for your readers to understand your report when you write it in chronological order. Unless there is a strict format imposed by the, it is always a good idea to stick with this kind of sequence. You can take a look at timeline charts and flow charts to help break down your visit and put them in order.

3. Place Relevant Information

This is the meat of your visit report. Include all the necessary data that your readers need to know in your letter. For example, if you are reporting on a construction site, then include the hazards that are present as well as the necessary precautions needed to take.

4. Write Your Recommendations

One of the purposes of visit reports is to survey an area and to suggest improvements if there is a need for it. Document the appropriate solutions to the problem encountered by the site. Take a look at examples of business reports for more ideas on how to write this part of the story.

What are the advantages of using a visit report?

It gives you updated information about the current events after a site visit. It also helps in the internal communication of an organization and facilitates decision-making in the workplace .

What are the components of a visit report?

Visit reports mainly consist of details of the trip taken, with information found during the journey. This way, others know what happened and what to take note of. You can also mention any other observations that you think are important for the visit report.

How do you write a report after a visit?

First, you look over the requirements of your written report. Start the paper with general details of the visit and define the purpose of the visit. Explain what happened throughout the tour sequentially and summarize the operations with relevant information.

Visit reports are a great tool to help you share information in an organized way. Write it well, and it can lead to improvements in the place involved. If you need any more ideas on how to make such a report, feel free to browse through our report templates and strategic plans for inspiration.

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Prepare a report analyzing the trends in student participation in sports and arts programs over the last five years at your school.

Site Visit or Plant Tour: How to Maximize Its Effectiveness

• December 3, 2018
• Supplier Assessment , Supplier Sourcing

We’ve talked about why and how you should do a site visit before. Even though you know a site visit is of great importance in assuring you the quality and the consistency of your future products, you may still find it hard to put it to effective use. This is all the more true if you or your team have limited experience in conducting site visits or plant tours.

For some, especially those who are looking for overseas suppliers, site visits are both time and money consuming. Especially when you don’t have a local team to help you with that.

So what can you do to ensure an effective site visit? How can you maximize the effectiveness of the plant tours?

We’ve broken the whole site visit into the following 3 parts, so you’ll have a better idea of what to do in each phase of the site visit so as to make it effective as you hope.

Before the visit

Before going straight forward to the supplier, there are things that you can do to save time for the both parties. Such preparations are of utmost important in that they set the tone for the rest of the tasks that follow.

Prioritize your goals for the site visit

First, you need to know for sure why you want to do the site visit, what accomplishments you want to achieve, who do you think you should talk to if you want to get the problem solved.

Without knowing where to focus the time and effort, it’s almost unlikely that you will see a promising outcome for the site visit.

The last thing you want to do is to make the site visit just a day tour to the factory, only to discover that the site visit is but a tiring and non-effective waste of time.

Gather the right resources

Once you’ve set the goals for your site visit, it shouldn’t be hard for you to gather the right resources to actually going to the site.

For example, you should include a quality engineer in your site visit team if one of your priorities is product quality. And you should definitely include a sourcing professional if you want to make sure the product price is not off the chart.

It is, of course, very natural for you to include as many people who have site visiting experience as you can. Because the more site visits one has done, the easier for them to maximize the effectiveness of the tours. However, with the clear goals and structure set, it’s easy for even the young, in-experienced engineers to get the most out of site visits.

Do a joint preparation

When you have the goals and team set, the next thing you do is to start preparing for the visit. And we suggest doing a joint preparation, i.e. a joint meeting between you and the potential supplier.

In this way, you won’t have to explain to your supplier what exactly are you looking for at the site and waste the precious visiting time. And your supplier can prepare the required information such as data, numbers, figures when you ask for it at the site.

In addition, you can settle down on the detail schedule for the visit and propose changes to items that are of little importance to your visit goals.

During the visit

We’ve covered in the post Select the Ideal Supplier With a Site Visit  about what questions you should as during a site visit.

Here is just a screen shot for your reference. Feel free to give it a read if you’re interested in knowing more.

After the visit

When the visit ends, it’s crucial that you summarize the visit into a form of report and then send feedback to your potential supplier.

On the one hand, the site visit report is a good way to tell how well you and your team have achieved the goals you set before the visit. In addition, the report provides an objective insight of whether the visited supplier is a good fit for your product.

On the other hand, your potential supplier could use the feedback to improve their expertise and capabilities. Even though the supplier won’t be your choice at the end, it’s still good for your business to maintain a nice, friendly relationship with more potential suppliers.

If site visits are almost impossible…

There are many cases where site visits are almost impossible to be done. For example, when your potential suppliers are located somewhere across the world; when you don’t have the right resources to assess the potential suppliers at site; when the suppliers refuse any chance of site visiting from you…

If you’re still bothered by the above problems, feel free to reach out to us, and we’d be more than happy to fix the problem for you.

We have a team of engineers with decades of experience in field; we’re located in Asia so it’s easier for us to get around; we have great relationships with hundreds of suppliers in almost any industries… In a nutshell, we’ve got you covered.

Feel free to let us know what’s bothering you, and we’ll see what we can do to help.

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Facility Tour Checklist

Setting up the facility tour, planning for the media, organizing the facility tour, preparing displays/literature, preparing for arrival, conducting the tour, following up after the tour, showcase your facility, build relationships.

Conducting manufacturing facility visits for members of Congress and their staff is a good way to build relationships for your company and increase support for an agenda that is driving America’s competitiveness. Facility tours provide excellent opportunities for lawmakers to meet with their constituents, hear the success stories and the struggles that manufacturers face and see first-hand how their policies work in real life. Facility tours educate lawmakers on the importance of manufacturing’s role in the economy  

These visits can provide excellent press opportunities for your company. Better yet, the member of Congress will remember your role in your community and your hospitality. This guide will help you plan, prepare for and conduct a successful facility tour and ensure that your experience is as effective as possible.

Manufacturers are driving our competitiveness agenda, and it’s our job to support you along the way . We encourage you to contact us with any thoughts or questions on how to host a successful facility tour.

Setting up the Facility Tour ( Skip to Section )

Decide who to invite.

Send the invitation.

Track and confirm RSVPs and follow up as necessary.

Coordinate length of event with congressional staff.

Distribute memo of visit to employees.

Planning for the Media ( Skip to Section )

Clear media participation/attendance with congressional office.

Draft a media advisory, if desired.

Prepare area for news media.

Prepare a message from the CEO.

Organizing the Facility Tour ( Skip to Section )

Put together internal planning group, if necessary.

Decide who will meet with the legislator.

Craft lawmaker introduction.

Establish look and feel of welcome area.

Reserve a room for the guest to address your staff.

Create name badges for guest and staff.

Determine required safety equipment.

Brief tour guide(s).

Craft tour script.

Hire/designate photographer.

Prepare an information package.

Research lawmaker’s background.

Research talking points, your company story, current events, legislative tasks, etc.

Prepare a map of the tour route.

Write out questions for the lawmaker.

Preparing Displays & Literature ( Skip to Section )

Determine product display, if applicable.

Gather company literature and background materials.

Display NAM materials, if appropriate.

Provide list of attendees’ names and companies.

Preparing for Arrival ( Skip to Section )

Designate a note taker.

Determine what machinery will be in operation.

Provide directions to the facility.

Welcome guest on arrival.

Conducting the Tour ( Skip to Section )

Provide safety equipment to tour guests, if applicable.

Show lawmaker how your production line works.

Let your visitor be an active participant.

Mention any prepared talking points during the tour.

Following Up After the Tour ( Skip to Section )

Send thank-you note to guest(s).

Thank your own staff.

Send photos to members of Congress.

Tell the NAM about the tour.

Provide press coverage.

Use social media to recap the tour.

Continue to communicate with the lawmaker post-event.

Setting up the Facility

Decide who to invite.

Is this a visit for candidates, other members of Congress and/or congressional staff? Consider starting with a local or state staff person and working up to a visit from the presidential candidate or elected official. A staff-level visit can be just as important as a member visit.

Send the Invitation (See Example Below)

Send a letter to the candidate and staff explaining who you are and what you would like to showcase. Include directions to the facility, as well as a requested amount of time. When inviting a legislator for a facility tour, be flexible and allow for several options. Once a date is set, be prepared for last-minute schedule changes. The ideal time to schedule a tour is during a recess period . They generally occur during the following holiday periods:

Martin Luther King, Jr., Day (mid-January) Presidents’ Day (mid-February) Easter/Passover (March or April) Memorial Day (late May) Independence Day (July 4) Summer (August through the week after Labor Day) Rosh Hashanah (late September or early October) Yom Kippur (10 days after Rosh Hashanah) Columbus Day (early October) Veterans Day (early November) Thanksgiving Late December through early January

Track and Confirm RSVPs and Follow Up as Necessary

Call the candidate’s scheduler to make sure the invitation has been received. Make follow-up phone calls if the scheduler has not gotten back to you to confirm the lawmaker’s visit. Don’t be discouraged if a visit is not scheduled immediately . Be flexible and persistent. Invite him or her to drop by for a tour and cup of coffee the next time he or she passes through town. Most candidates will occasionally have a few minutes of free time during a busy campaign schedule. Leave the date open-ended, and the candidate may take you up on your invitation.

Coordinate Length of Event With Congressional Staff

Once the scheduler confirms the lawmaker is able to attend, work out a length of time for the facility tour. Determine how much time the lawmaker has for the visit. The tour itself should last approximately 30–60 minutes.

Distribute Memo of Visit to Employees

Share the news with employees of the lawmaker’s planned visit and encourage them to attend.

Sample Email Invitation to Member of Congress

The Honorable John/Jane Doe United States House of Representatives/United States Senate Washington, DC 20515/20510

Dear Representative/Senator Doe:

I am writing to invite you to participate in a facility tour here at [company name] . As a member of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), we encourage every member of Congress to visit the facilities of their local manufacturers for the opportunity to see how we’re competing to win!

[Insert information describing your company in two to three sentences. Include the number of employees.] This facility tour is an informal opportunity for you to see our facility and speak candidly with our employees. The format usually calls for the tour, brief refreshments, open discussion with our employees (including a question and comment period) and a photo opportunity. We expect the entire event to take no more than 60 minutes. Let me suggest the following dates:

[Insert Day, Month, Date—suggested time frame] [Insert Day, Month, Date—suggested time frame] [Insert Day, Month, Date—suggested time frame]

We sincerely hope you will accept our invitation to participate. Please let me know at your earliest convenience if one of these dates is convenient. If not, please feel free to suggest alternative dates or call or e-mail me directly at (PHONE) or (E-MAIL) . Thank you and I look forward to working with you in the near future.

Clear media participation/attendance with congressional office

Once the congressional office approves media attendance, contact your local media outlets, including large daily newspapers, as well as local weeklies. Offer to send your own report and photos to the paper.

Draft a media advisory, if desired (See Example Below)

Once the date is set, draft a media advisory containing the date, time, specific location, parking accommodations and lighting requirements, if any. Note whether the tour itself is open for press coverage and if the legislator will take questions after the tour. Give the location. E-mail the draft to the legislator’s local press officer for approval. When approved, fax or e-mail the advisory along with a press kit and company information to everyone on your press list.

Prepare area for news media

Arrange for an area outside of your facility for presentations, ribbon-cutting (if appropriate) and informal discussions with the news media. This area should be in front of your company’s signage or logo.

Prepare a message from the CEO

Prepare an “op-ed” or letter to the editor from your CEO to your local newspapers on an issue related to the legislator’s visit. Better yet, arrange a meeting with the newspapers’ editorial boards seeking support for your position. Reach out to local radio stations for an interview.

Sample Media Advisory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[ DATE ] [ NAME OF COMPANY ] [ CONTACT NAME ] [ EMAIL ADDRESS ] [ PHONE NUMBER ]

Media Advisory

[INSERT HEADLINE FOCUSED ON EVENT]

What : [Name of company and city, state] will host [name of lawmaker] for a facility tour tomorrow morning as part of an effort to make legislators more aware of both the benefits manufacturers bring to communities and the unprecedented challenges now facing America’s manufacturing sector.

The member of Congress will observe the facility’s production of [give a brief description of what the lawmaker will see while on the facility tour] and offer brief remarks to gathering employees.

[Company name] is a member company of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the largest industrial trade association in the United States, representing manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states.

Who :   [ NAME OF LAWMAKER ] [ COMPANY NAME ] Where : [ COMPANY NAME ] [ FACILITY ADDRESS ] [ CITY, STATE, ZIP ] When :   [ DATE AND TIME ]

Put together internal planning group, if necessary

The planning group should be responsible for organizing the logistics of the facility tour.

Decide who will meet with the legislator

Don’t be concerned with party affiliation. After all, your intent is to develop a good rapport with public officials who may influence the future of your company and your industry.

Craft lawmaker introduction

Decide who will provide remarks and the topics you want to cover in welcoming the elected official.

Establish look and feel of welcome area

Determine how you want the entrance to your facility to appear when your guest arrives. Think about the type of signage you want to use and whether any displays will be set up here or somewhere else.

Reserve a room for the guest to address your staff

Determine the best room for the lawmaker to talk with your staff. Set up a podium and microphone if necessary and arrange seating. Determine if refreshments will be served.

Create name badges for guest and staff

Create name badges for your guest and any staff who accompanies him or her, as well as employees of your facility.

Determine required safety equipment

If your facility tour requires it, determine what safety equipment will be needed. These include construction helmets, goggles, gloves, etc.

Brief tour guide(s)

Inform your tour guide(s) of what the facility tour will entail (what machinery, if any, will be shown on the tour, who the guest will meet with and where, the length of the tour, etc.).

Craft tour script

Write out an outline of what you hope to cover during the facility tour.

Hire/designate photographer

Have a photographer on hand to take pictures of your lawmaker’s visit. These photos are excellent opportunities to publicize the event and for the lawmaker to remember the visit.

Prepare an information package

Prepare materials for the legislator that emphasizes the benefits that good manufacturing jobs bring to workers, suppliers and your area’s economy. Put together a one-pager that highlights your company’s characteristics and accomplishments.

Research lawmaker’s background

Research your guest’s biographical, political, business, social, educational and legislative background and voting record to identify areas of common interest. Find out what committees and subcommittees your lawmaker is on and try to match your legislative agenda with his or hers.

Research talking points, your company story, current events, legislative asks, etc.

Educate the legislator on the great things manufacturing does. Share your personal stories and examples of how government regulations and policies, as well as partisan politics and red tape, all impact manufacturing and your workers. Don’t just talk economic data or statistics.

Prepare a map of the tour route

Consult with employees to determine a route for the tour, noting which areas contain top-secret information or any safety hazards. These areas should be off-limits to the legislator, staff and press.

Write out questions for the lawmaker

Include any questions that you want to ask your lawmaker. These can be questions on regulations and policies that are currently in effect, proposed legislation, manufacturing in general, etc.

Determine product display, if applicable

Proudly display your product for your visitor to see. A special exhibit, promotional materials and company literature will enhance the visit.

Gather company literature and background materials

This information helps tell the story of your business to your guest. Include the story on your company history, philanthropic efforts, employee team news, etc.

Display NAM materials, if appropriate

Displaying NAM policy materials, literature, posters, etc., will serve as a reminder of your commitment to manufacturing.

Provide list of attendees’ names and companies

This is great to have for networking opportunities and putting names with faces.

Designate a note taker

Assign a team member to take notes on any discussions, if possible.

Determine what machinery will be in operation

This is important, especially if you plan to highlight or show a particular piece of machinery during the tour.

Provide directions to the facility

Ensure your guest knows what entrance to use; reserve a parking space for him or her.

Welcome guest on arrival

Greet officials at designated area. In the event of rain, provide an umbrella if possible. Hand out name badges. Prepare guests for the possibility of going through security before entering the facility. 

Provide safety equipment to tour guests, if applicable

Provide your guest with any items necessary for a tour, such as a construction helmet, safety goggles, gloves, etc.

Show lawmaker how your production line works

Show your guest how your machinery works, how different items are put together, what new technologies are being used and your workers’ overall productivity.

Let your visitor be an active participant

If feasible without shutting down production lines, offer your visitor the chance to address your entire workforce. Have the member of Congress do something “physical,” such as shake hands, participate in a ribbon-cutting, run a machine, examine your product or look at a computer screen. These are prime photo opportunities.

Mention any prepared talking points during the tour

You have an important story to tell , so prepare specific answers to expected questions, particularly about your company’s impact on your lawmaker’s district. When developing your presentation, work in the following information.

Success stories : Discuss how the facility has improved and contributed to the community. Inform visitors about your company’s history, including total investment in facilities and equipment. Discuss the impact that legislation (both positive and negative) has on your company.

Products manufactured : Describe how the products are used and where they are sold. Include the value of products you export.

Jobs : Discuss the number of people employed in your facility and others around the state or country; labor unions represented in your facility; and worker health, safety and training programs.

Payroll and benefits : Discuss wages and the types and value of employee benefits, including profit-sharing, recreational programs, voter registration activities, health or sports facilities, credit unions, child care, educational support and discount purchases of company products. (Remind your visitor that each wage dollar multiplies in the wage earner’s community in the form of rent, food purchases, clothing purchases, medical expenses, etc., before it goes to out-of-town suppliers.)

Trade facts : Do you export? If so, do any of the current trade agreements impact your company?

Community impact : How much does your company pay in federal, state and local taxes? What are your local expenditures to purchase supplies, materials and services? Do you host town hall meetings? Does your company participate in community charities? Tell the legislator about your active role as a good corporate citizen.

Send thank-you note to guest(s)

Write a thank-you note reiterating any key issues discussed during the tour. Invite the legislator to return at any time. Consider inviting your legislator to your company’s annual picnic or other outing.

Thank your own staff

Recognize employees who contributed their time and expertise to make the tour a success.

Send photos to members of Congress

Many times photos you send to members of Congress will appear in a constituent newsletter, and often they will be posted on the legislator’s office wall, website and social media platforms.

Tell the NAM about the tour

Let the NAM elevate the success of your facility tour. Tell us how the tour went. Send us photos and press clippings. E-mail your information to the NAM’s Communications team.

Provide press coverage

Provide the lawmaker’s office with your company newsletter and other publicity the visit generated.

Use social media to recap the tour

Publish photos, details, etc., on company social media platforms. Coordinate with the NAM’s Communications team to post on the NAM’s primary platforms.

Continue to communicate with the lawmaker post-event

Offer the member substantive policy advice. Track how your legislator votes on future legislation, and express your thanks when he or she votes in favor of your positions.

Workplace Tour

What Is a Workplace Tour?

Benefits of workplace tours.

• Students are exposed to job opportunities within your organization.
• Provides students with experiences and perspectives that cannot be duplicated in a classroom.
• Provides an opportunity to develop career readiness skills, including communicating effectively and appropriately (speaking, professional etiquette), personal responsibility, etc.
• Many employees find it very satisfying to share their work experience and mentor students.
• Students can gain insight into what it is like to work for a particular industry (e.g., education, health care) and for you specifically.
• Students are able to meet with professionals, gaining insights into jobs and careers.

Who to Invite to Tour Your Workplace (and How)

How to organize and lead a workplace tour.

• Identify the participants needed to assist with the implementation; for example, school staff and employees within your organization.
• Decide the basics with those participants, such as the date, time and focus of the tour, and number of participants.
• Determine the career interest of the participants. Based on the interest of your participants, identify those employees best suited for the tour. Students should be able to observe and interact with employees within different levels of the organization.
• Collaborate with school officials to identify activities that will meet the goals of both the school and your organization.
• Plan structured activities before, during and after the tour to ensure a meaningful, engaging experience.
• Work with facility staff to arrange entrance, parking or any security measures that may be appropriate.
• Provide a Q & A session.
• Ask all participants (students and employees alike) to fill out evaluations so you can continue to improve your tour program.
• Be sure to document your tour with photos or videos.
• Thank everyone and recognize the time and efforts of your employee hosts.

Wendy N. Kelly, MSHRM, PHR, SHRM-CP

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Virtual Site Tours

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics

Located in North Texas, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics boasts a one mile, 25 foot manufacturing line that produces the most advanced fighter jet – the F-35. This facility has been an integral part of Fort Worth and will continue to engage with the community for years to come. 

More on F-35

With over 400 deliveries, Marietta takes pride in manufacturing the C-130. This facility also produces the F-35 center wing and serves as home base for Lockheed Martin's Air, Mobility, and Maritime Missions programs. Marietta, Georgia is a vibrant facility critical to the Aeronautics business. 

More on C-130

The Antelope Valley in the high desert of Los Angeles county is home to Lockheed Martin Skunk Works®. Serving as the birthplace of some of Lockheed Martin's most notable aircraft, the next generation of flight is imagined here. 

More on Skunk Works®

Our South Carolina location produces the F-16 and performs sustainment operations on aircraft like the C-130 and F-16. Outside of Aeronautics programs, Greenville also supports sustainment of the UH-60 Black Hawk with Rotary and Missions Systems. 

More on Sustainment

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• Flexo & Digital Printing
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Touring Your Manufacturer’s Facility: What are the Benefits?

A few weeks ago, I was in Washington, D.C., for the Cherry Blossom Festival, and my friend and I thought we’d stop and get cold drinks from a nearby food truck. 

I didn’t think much of it when I ordered mango tea, but as the man began pouring me a cup of plain coffee creamer, I realized we’d made a terrible mistake. 

Thinking back to the incident, I can now spot the dozens of warning signs I’d ignored. For starters, every other truck had a long line, while this ice cream truck was empty. However, in the simmering heat, I trusted them simply because they’d written “TEA” on the side in big, bold letters. 

Ordering from a flexible material converter without seeing the facility is like buying food from a mysterious food truck: you’ll get something, but it might not be exactly what’s written on the menu. 

Facility tours can be a priceless opportunity to see the machines up close and listen to your converter explain how they use different processes. At Strouse, tours are critical to fostering customer relationships by demonstrating our existing capabilities.

Knowing the benefits of touring your manufacturer’s facility will allow you to determine when facility tours are necessary and how to get the most out of future tours.

5 Benefits of Touring Your Manufacturer’s Facility

Touring your manufacturer’s facility is more than just establishing trust in their capabilities, it’s also a way to further your connections and generate future project ideas.

These benefits of touring a manufacturing facility will demonstrate whether it’s worth the cost to your company:

BENEFIT #1: VERIFY MACHINES AND EQUIPMENT

“Yeah, we can make that for you,” says some guy you met online.

 For all you know, this contact operates a single die cut machine out of his garage. Yet, when you invest in another company for your critical projects, you’ll want to have the utmost faith in their ability to deliver on time.

There’s a considerable difference between owning a single rotary die cut press versus multiple, and depending on where you are in the process, your project requires different capability levels. Not to mention, many businesses plan to scale up their production early.

Will you know whether the equipment they’re showing you is up-to-date rather than over a decade old? If you want to inspect a converter’s equipment, send one of your technical experts to check.

The company members you send on the tour will likely depend on where you are in the cycle. For example, if you’re designing for current projects, it could be helpful to bring your technical team. Meanwhile, if you already have a product planned, you might want to include your logistics or purchasing team. 

Verifying the machines and equipment of a converter is the first step to checking their capability claims and building trust in the legitimacy of their business.

BENEFIT #2: OBSERVE THE STATE OF THEIR FACTORY

Nobody wants their parts built in filthy conditions, yet many people order from manufacturers without ever seeing the inside of their factory. 

For certain products, cleanliness is a much higher priority than for others. For instance, medical tape, bandages, and other products should be produced and stored in a sterile environment. 

When walking through the factory, consider overall cleanliness, organization, material storage, safety measures, and waste disposal. Observe the condition of their factory, including their inventory, to determine whether your contact can safely store your materials and products.

Supply chain issues are commonplace in the manufacturing industry, and your converter might be unable to compete if it can’t order and store enough material to minimize the impact of supply chain disruptions.

Lastly, ask if your converter has immediate expansion plans. It could be a good sign if they’re building, renovating their facilities, or actively adding members to their team. If your converter is steadily progressing as a company and becoming a leader in their respective field, this has positive implications for the work they’ll be doing for you.

BENEFIT #3: MEET WITH YOUR CONTACTS

Meeting your contacts establishes trust between your companies and lets you witness how they operate and meet in the middle of your processes. 

Are they taking your project seriously? How have they handled the information you’ve presented them with so far? Do they ask questions about your current work and personalize the tour?

You can gauge a great deal about a company's culture based on the employees’ willingness to offer clear, insightful answers to your questions. In addition, it’s worth considering who you come into contact with on tour. 

Are you directly communicating with somebody who can answer your more technical questions, or do they leave you hanging? 

Touring a facility also lets you observe a company’s work environment and how the workflow is set up. While this might seem like a minor detail, it provides insight into their operations and inspires questions related to inter-team coordination.

Understanding how a potential partner operates may alter the way you coordinate, so it’s worth noting how the different teams are spread out. 

Is the factory located in a separate building? You may need to confirm whether this business is the one responsible for building your part or if they’re outsourcing engineering and labor. 

BENEFIT #4: INSPECT THEIR PRODUCT LEGITIMACY 

Receiving samples in the mail is all well and good, but it’s different from seeing a converter build parts in real-time. 

Watching rolls of material become products as part of a 1-pass production process will confirm that the machines are operational and that a converter knows how to set them up (which is arguably one of the most difficult aspects of flexible material converting) and build parts daily. 

BENEFIT #5: REFLECT ON YOUR OWN PROJECT 

Touring a manufacturing facility causes customers to reflect on their own project needs.

Firstly, you can rest assured that any product information you reveal will be strictly confidential if your converter suggests a mutual NDA . 

Strouse insists upon a mutual NDA before anyone enters our facilities to preserve the confidentiality of our processes and protect the details of any product, process, or material information you wish to discuss. 

At the end of the day, the question is: what are YOU hoping to get out of this? If you’re willing to travel to see our facility, we want to make sure you get to speak with whomever you’re hoping and see what you’d like. 

Secondly, if you’re hoping to make the most of your tour, it’s useful to warn your converter and let them know more about your project or the capabilities you want to see.

You might be worried that mentioning a specific ability will narrow a converter’s focus too much. From our perspective , it simply gives us a more precise idea of what to show you and how to frame our conversations to make them more useful to you.

Even if your tour guide focuses on specific capabilities, sometimes just seeing the other machines and hearing about your options can spark ideas for your product or manufacturing process.

Should I Tour My Manufacturer’s Facility?

No matter the outcome, you’ll always have a better idea of whether you should work with a particular manufacturer after touring their facility. 

In fact, even if you’ve been to a facility before, it can be beneficial to return  again every few years to discuss your current projects, witness the changes they’ve undergone, and guarantee your converter still follows good manufacturing practices.

The main downside to touring a manufacturer’s facility is figuring out when a tour is necessary and potentially wasting time and travel costs to visit a nonviable option.

If the cost of travel is too much, or you don’t have enough time, there are other ways to qualify the legitimacy of a converter. For instance, you could look online at reviews to see what other people are saying or utilize Google street view to observe the appearance of their address and scope out its size.  

There are three main outcomes of taking a factory tour:

• The manufacturer has your desired equipment and capabilities 
• They DON’T have your desired equipment and capabilities 
• There are some capabilities, but you want to find a better fit

If you can afford the travel costs, and you’re at the point of asking the question, “Should I tour this facility?” the answer is probably yes, you should request a tour.

Every manufacturer has limitations, and touring their facility is a straightforward way to visit, ask questions, and better understand where they focus primarily and how they’re expanding in the current market. 

Are you interested in witnessing Strouse’s manufacturing capabilities up-close and personal? Contact us to schedule a tour.

Lee K. House

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The Surprising Power of a Factory Tour

It’s not just about marketing; it’s about engaging people in solutions to real problems. 

Can something as simple as a factory tour play a role in solving some of the macro-level problems that plague the construction industry? The short answer may well be “Yes.”  

As the industry looks to its future, a number of issues sit in its metaphorical in-box waiting to be addressed: the labor shortage continues, with the number of job openings continuing on its increasing trend and reaching over 300,000 per month in mid-2021; productivity growth has continued to lag that of other industries ; and despite continuing adoption of sustainable construction practices, more improvement is necessary .

The good news is that there is a clear path to progress on each of these fronts, and that path entails increased use of prefab and modular construction methods. Yet many firms are setting foot on that path only hesitantly; while a reported three-fourths of firms have used prefab to one extent or another , for any individual firm that extent has not been great; only two in ten make use of prefab on half of their projects or more.

While legitimate concerns about the state of prefab and modular construction technologies have been expressed, it’s also clear that, as often as not, misperceptions about these techniques among firms, customers, and communities are the reason they’re not being used more.

Use Factory Tours to Build Engagement

The need, however, goes beyond education; it requires a real sense of engagement on the part of all stakeholders. It can be a challenge to generate and sustain that feeling of engagement in the bigger picture when people have day-in and day-out problems they need to solve. If you surveyed those who work in construction and related fields, the majority would almost certainly tell you they’d like to learn more. And that’s where a tour of a facility that manufactures prefab or modular units can be surprisingly effective. There’s no better way for any industry, or industry sub-sector, to build a sense of engagement than to make those stakeholders feel like insiders, to give them a peek behind the curtain in the form of a formal manufacturing center tour. And that benefits both the manufacturer and the customer alike.

There are a lot of ways tours can be designed to enhance the experience. Engaging all the senses makes everything more memorable. So does giving participants the chance to get a feel for the final product. At the Louisville Slugger factory tour, participants can handle the wooden rods that will soon become baseball bats, and in the process they’ll “smell the wood, and see the wood chips fly. ” The Harley-Davidson museum tour ends with participants being given a chance to settle into the saddle of a brand new motorcycle.   

But while the effectiveness of the tour’s script will be enhanced by any of these additions, the tour guide’s words are still the most important source of engagement. Those words should be written keeping in mind a simple idea from author Simon Sinek: “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” And while your customers already know what you do, and any tour makes it more clear how you do it, the real benefit of a tour for both parties is to deeply and compellingly communicate why you do it.

Well, why do you do it? The answer is different for each company, but the answer must involve solving the customer’s problems.   

What problems can use of prefab or modular construction components solve?

Using prefab and modular components can not only increase labor productivity, it can result in improved scheduling, quality control, safety, and costs .

Using modular components can enhance sustainability by reducing waste, reducing disruption of the local community during construction, and reducing energy use during operation .

Modular construction does not result in “cookie-cutter” building design, and does not in fact have to reduce architectural creativity in any way.

This list of problems solvable through use of prefab/modular components actually looks a lot like the list of industry-wide “big picture” problems discussed above.

Use Tour Guide Headsets to Improve Communication

But there’s still one other critical consideration: none of this will work if the manufacturing floor is too noisy for the tour guide to be heard. Here the solution is straightforward: a wireless tour guide system that equips everyone involved with a comfortable headset and receiver/transceiver combination. The headsets are equipped with noise-reduction features, allowing the speaker’s voice to be heard clearly, right in the listener’s ears at normal conversational volume. And that creates the sense that the speaker’s words are directed at each person individually, almost more so than the group as a whole, which enhances the sense of engagement on everyone’s part.

Ultimately, the only truly effective marketing programs are those that communicate a solution to the customer’s problem. By ensuring that the message is heard, a wireless tour guide system empowers the client to use the company’s products to solve problems – not just day-to-day problems, but industry-wide issues as well.     

This is a guest post written by Rick Farrell, President of Plant-Tours.com .         

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How to Write a Field Trip Report

How to Create a Nursing Practicum Journal

Visiting the Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., or touring the wetlands in Florida are two examples of exciting and educational field trips for middle school and high school students. You might take notes during your trip, so you can come up with an interesting thesis for your assigned field trip report. For example, you might write about a shuttle launching or an unusual creature who lives in the wetlands. Field trip reports should include a compelling introduction, a well-structured body and a strong conclusion. Discuss your favorite elements of the trip, so your assignment reads like a personal observation report or narrative essay.

Lead with Interesting Introduction

Start your introduction with information that leads up to your thesis statement, which is usually the last sentence of your introduction. You might focus on an interesting anecdote from your trip or discuss particular features that made an impression on you. Use these tidbits to develop your thesis. For example, you might create a three-point thesis, such as "The wetlands in Florida have vulnerable ecosystems, experience climate changes and endure seasonal flooding." If your teacher wants a technical field trip report, start with an abstract -- a brief summary paragraph -- that clearly explains where you went and what you learned during the field trip. Use research or literature to support your statements in your field trip report. For example, if you visited a local arboretum, you might use information from display placards to describe your favorite types of foliage and their seasonal life cycles.

Provide Facility Details

Discuss the field trip location by describing the facilities and explaining what you saw or experienced. For example, if you visited an astronomy observatory, discuss viewing areas and the telescopes you used. If you were using inside telescopes, describe the height of the domed ceilings, the different types of lighting and the approximate distance to the stars or planets. By providing extensive details, you show your teacher that you were paying close attention to the instructor, or in the observatory example, to the astronomer's explanations. You might also discuss any handouts or educational materials you received during the field trip.

Discuss Surprising Findings

Explain in your field trip report any new information or details that took you by surprise and include statistical data to support your findings. This type of data shows that you learned something during the field trip. For example, if you visited an underground cave, you might discuss a particular type of bat or an unusual plant that grows in the cave. Use outside research or information from the tour guide to support your data, and cite your references clearly, so your teacher knows where you got the information. When possible, use academic journals or magazines to support details in your observation report of the field visit.

End with Compelling Conclusion

Conclude your field trip report with a summary of your overall experience, including reasons why others might want to visit the location. You might include a brief summary of a personal discussion you had with the tour guide or field trip facilitator or cite a distinguishable fact from your research. If you participated in any hands-on activities or your class was allowed to see behind the scenes, you might end your paper by discussing those highlights. For example, if you visited a science center, you might discuss fossils you examined, electricity experiments you participated in, or hands-on experiments with wind tunnels that allowed you to examine weather patterns.

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As curriculum developer and educator, Kristine Tucker has enjoyed the plethora of English assignments she's read (and graded!) over the years. Her experiences as vice-president of an energy consulting firm have given her the opportunity to explore business writing and HR. Tucker has a BA and holds Ohio teaching credentials.

How to Write a Visit Report

by Kimberlee Leonard

Published on 22 Jan 2019

One of the most reliable ways to determine how well a business is faring is by using a visit report. Are your external operations doing as well as they should? Is your preschool or care facility up to code and ready for licensing? By writing a comprehensive visit report, you can determine whether a wide variety of business objectives are being met. Visit reports, sometimes called trip reports, are a great way to find out whether your business standards are being carried out on site in the way you planned.

Format the Report

Visit reports are business documents. Depending on the organization or industry, the report may follow a memorandum format or a business template. Generally, choose a memo format if the visit report is going to a group of internal leadership members. Choose a more formal business report template if the visit report will be provided to external sources. Use standard business formatting that includes professional type fonts such as Times New Roman or Arial. Maintain 1-inch margins.

State the Objectives

Explain the reason for the visit. The objectives include the frequency of the visit, along with primary metrics or areas of review. For example, the visit might be the first in a series of four conducted over the course of a year to review the implementation of new policies or production metrics. Clearly state what you were looking for in the visit, including previous visits, recommendations or plans of action.

This report is to determine whether Plainview School has met all licensing requirements for after-school daycare.

Discuss Feedback and Key Insights

Note the identity of key individuals interviewed during the visit. Visits might include meetings with key leadership personnel at the location, such as managers or directors of operations. It is also common practice to meet with lower level staff that are more familiar with operations processes.

Individuals interviewed included Sarah Winters, school principal, school nurse Emily Thorn, Rick Marden, elementary teacher and Carol Hathaway, nutritionist and dietician.

Discuss key feedback provided by leadership and staff. It isn't essential to quote those interviewed but to instead look for key insights and common areas of concern. Include any standardized surveys that were used or a specific series of questions asked during the visit.

List Key Insights and Observations

Observations are based on what is personally seen and not conveyed based on interviews. For example, visitors might visually note that the operation seems to have too many workers that are not being kept busy. Anything from cleanliness to general organization is subject to observations. Include these insights in the visit report.

During a mid-day visit, the lunch offerings included a vegetable and a fruit choice, but there was no alternative offered for those with special dietary needs.

Summarize Conclusions

Determine if the organization is meeting objectives based on the provided feedback and observations. Use details and quantifiable information where possible to support conclusions. For example, if the objective of a visit to a new factory is to determine if it was 60 percent staffed in the first quarter, provide the actual human resource numbers with turnover, existing recruiting efforts and departments where deficiencies exist.

Provide Future Action Plans 

State when future visits are scheduled if any, and whether these are predetermined or a result of the recent visit. For example, this may have been the third annual visit on a quarterly schedule. Provide recommendations for improvements. If certain action plans are defined, state these in detail. This provides a success metric for the next visit.

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BY Joel Junker

How to Successfully Interview During the Site Tour

During a follow-up interview with a company, you will likely receive a tour.  This is almost always the case for manufacturing or distribution opportunities where you will be given the chance to see the production line or warehouse/distribution center operations.  I have also known companies to give candidates tours of the office complex, oil and gas drilling sites, stores and call centers.  Although these tours are designed to show you the opportunity and the place you may work, they are also an occasion for the company to evaluate you.  To be successful, you must prove your interest and excitement about the site through your verbal and non-verbal communication.

Here are the keys to continuing to prove your interest and fit during a tour.

1.  Approach the tour with a curious attitude.  When you see equipment, people or processes, be curious, and ask questions to learn more.  When you see something that interests you, do not just take it at face value, ask the person giving the tour to provide more information.  A mistake some candidates make is going through a tour only listening the entire time.  Asking questions communicates interest.

2.  Take notes.  Taking notes also demonstrates interest and a desire to learn.  Additionally, at the end of the tour, you can refer to your notes to ask questions.  It is also possible that during one of your subsequent interviews, someone may ask you about the tour and what you learned.  They will be impressed when you whip out your notebook and refer to specific notes.

3.  Interact with those you meet.  Your tour guide will introduce you to people.  Ask them questions.  Find out what each person does, how long he/she has been with the company, what they like about working in the role, etc. 

4.  Understand how equipment, people and processes relate.  This is really for manufacturing, distribution and call centers.  You will see a “flow” on the tour.  Identify how things fit together and write it in your notebook.  Ask questions about the flow demonstrating that you see how things relate.  I remember one time a candidate took a tour of a new biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility. Outside the filling operation stood a big white board covered with equations and statistics.  He never asked about the board.  A simple question could have been, “Do the calculations on the board pertain to some of the filling operation?”  If the candidate had studied Six Sigma, a better question would have been, “Are those filling operation statistics to drive some sort of process improvement or Six Sigma initiative?”  I assure you the tour guide would have been impressed.

5.  At the end of the tour, be ready for the question, “Did you notice anything that we could do to improve or change?”  Recruiters want to know you took an active part in the tour and did not merely observe.  They also want to hire JMO candidates who focus on continuous process improvement.  When you answer this question, it is best not to be ultra direct in suggesting what could be improved.  Rather, you could phrase it, “Yes, I saw in the glass cutting line that the person stacked glass on the far wall.  It seems to me the near wall would be a shorter route and cut down on time.”  Notice how I did not tell but rather noticed and suggested.

The bottom line of the 5 points. Be an active participant not a passive one, ask questions, be “interested” and not “interesting.”

Joel Junker

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How to Create Actionable Facilities Management Reports

ServiceChannel

Modified on.

March 18, 2023

For modern facilities managers, information is vital. Gone are the days when decisions were made on gut instincts; now, the key to making effective FM decisions is intelligent data. The problem is, many organizations struggle to use data strategically — in fact, a recent  Forrester Research survey  found that only 12% of organizational data is analyzed after it’s collected.

The first step toward strategic data use is integrating an analytics solution . With this in place, FM teams can quickly and easily uncover actionable insights from contractor and facility data points. These insights not only enable managers to make more informed decisions, but also communicate successes to upper management and external teams more effectively. 

In addition to software adoption, there are several best practices FMs should heed in order to showcase accomplishments when it comes to reporting time. Let’s take a look:

Focus on Metrics That Matter to Your Audience

Ask yourself: Who is this report for? Will it be presented to departments like store operations, procurement or finance? Is it for internal use? Or will this report be going to upper management? The structure and content of your report depends heavily on the audience :

External Departments

Make sure to tailor your data points to the external department’s area of interest. Let’s look at two examples, the Store Operations team and the Procurement team:

Reporting metrics to focus on for the Store Operations team include:

• Which locations are receiving the most work orders
• Types of work orders, including what percentage are emergencies
• Repair and maintenance (R&M) spend by location
• R&M spend by asset
• R&M spend fluctuations over time
• Planned maintenance completion percentages

This data will help store operations determine if work order processes need updating to even out or reduce spend, improve efficiency or keep asset function optimal.  

The Procurement team is most interested in service provider metrics , so give them reports featuring:

• Issue resolution times by contractor
• Contractor performance breakdown by trade and region
• Contract adherence to key performance indicators, including average length of open invoices
• Contractor compliance

Procurement teams typically need reports less frequently than other departments, so plan to present them required data on a quarterly or bi-yearly basis.

Internal FM Team

Your facilities team needs comprehensive asset and R&M information to make data-backed FM decisions , so include a lot of detail in internal reports. Really dig into specifics about each asset—how much they’re costing to maintain, how they’re functioning, which pieces have open work orders and what their R&M service histories look like. 

There are analytics software tools that can help you draw actionable insights from asset intelligence data , giving your team the power to strategically weigh decisions like equipment repair versus replacement.

These types of tools also allow you to set key performance indicators (KPIs) like percentage of on-time contractor check-ins and -outs or first-time resolution rates, helping you track how your FM operations are performing and make adjustments if necessary.

Upper Management

C-level executives, VPs and Directors want reports that give them a clear picture of overall FM operations so that they can make smart, business-wide decisions. When creating reports for upper management, focus on metrics that illustrate the bigger picture—like total FM costs and savings —without digging into every small detail.

Be sure to include:

• Actual spend compared to given budget
• Repair and maintenance costs by location (cost per square foot)
• NTE exposure
• Total FM spend over time
• Spend by category

Decide on a Reporting Schedule

Reporting frequency also depends on the target audience. For instance, C-level executives typically find quarterly reporting most valuable . That way, they can understand performance and plan budgets without being inundated with data.

On the other hand, internal teams can benefit from more frequent reporting , since they need the data to make day-to-day decisions. If your department is in the midst of launching and evaluating a new initiative, it’s not uncommon to dig into report data even more frequently— perhaps weekly or even daily.  

Illustrate Key Data Points With Visuals

Oftentimes, simply listing data is not enough to present a clear picture of FM performance over time. Use visuals like graphs, plots and charts to show data patterns and trends more effectively. When it comes to presenting reports, take advantage of visual aids to highlight key data points , such as FM spend, and how they compare to the previous year or quarter. The below example details budget allocation by district vs. invoice amounts for a given time period:

Create Reporting Dashboards

To make the process of turning disparate data into clear reports easier, create various dashboards for each report focus; for instance, you could have one dashboard for contractor performance data and another for repair and maintenance spend.

Here is an example of a contractor performance dashboard (a ‘contractor scorecard’):

You can also set your dashboards to alert you if there are any notable changes in your data or if you’re approaching a set limit, such as monthly budget. These alerts help you stay within necessary parameters and keep you up-to-date in between your regular reporting checks.

Final Thoughts

Consider one global retailer’s experience : challenged by limited data visibility and a lack of KPI measurement processes, the retailer decided to overhaul its FM reporting. It implemented an analytics platform, input measurable KPIs and created executive dashboards, resulting in streamlined reporting and organization-wide visibility. Through increased visibility and smart reporting, the retailer was able to achieve a 46% reduction in work order resolution time and an invoice savings of over 20% .

Prioritizing reporting processes can help your organization make smart decisions that will result in cost savings, improved efficiency, increased revenue and more.

Learn more about how to optimize your facilities management reports to support data-backed decision-making .

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5 stages of highly effective LTC facility tours

Having conducted and participated in hundreds of facility tours during my career, I have been able to distill the tour process into its most important stages. These stages comprise the welcome, discovery, tour, presenting financials/commitment and exit. Before we go into detail about these stages it might be helpful for you to understand what a tour is and what it is not. 

Tours are an opportunity:

• for caregivers and elderly consumers to see your facility/community in action;
• for caregivers and elderly consumers to speak directly with the people who will be caring for the loved one;
• for you to build trust with caregivers and elderly consumers;
• for you to communicate physical plant and environmental competitive advantages.

Tours are not:

• an opportunity for your facility to sell itself (because it can’t);
• an opportunity to communicate positive outcomes and negative consequences avoided (that is your job);
• the place to communicate unseen competitive advantages, especially those associated with quality care, resident satisfaction, staffing strengths and clinical or care programs and services.

 So let’s go into detail about the stages of the tour and what you should do in each stage.

Typically, you will meet a prospective resident/caregiver in the lobby, whether the tour is pre-scheduled or a walk-in. The welcome is your opportunity to set the expectation for the family about what will happen during the tour. This enables you to control the flow of the tour so you accomplish your goals and objectives. Here is suggested dialogue:

“Thank you for visiting Cypress Cove Healthcare Center.  My name is Luke Fannon and my job is to help you today. The best way for me to do that is to first spend some time with you understanding what your situation is and your needs are. Then we will take a tour and show you specifically how we can help your family. After the tour we’ll come back to my office and discuss financial information. Are you ok with that?”

2. DISCOVERY

It is vitally important that you first understand the needs of the prospective resident and their caregivers before taking them on a tour of the facility or community. Why? Because the tour should be customized to speak directly to the unique needs of each prospect. Also, by asking questions and listening you have an opportunity to build trust with your prospect. Finally, caregivers need the opportunity to “vent” about their situation and you offer them this vital  counseling like experience by asking questions first. Here are some basic questions to pose:

•  “Can you tell me about your situation?”
•   “How is your caregiving responsibility impacting you and your family?”
•   “When did you first start dealing with your loved one’s challenges?’
•   “If nothing changes what will your life be like six months from now?”
•   “Who else is involved with this decision?”

Once you have had this conversation with the family, repeat back what you have learned about their needs. This builds trust with the family by demonstrating that you listened.

Conduct the tour by describing how your product or service can meet the stated needs of the prospective resident and their caregivers. There is simple formula for this communication:

• Repeat the need of the prospect: "You mentioned that your mom has a history of falls."
• Describe the features of your facility: "Our physical therapists will work with your mom, increasing her strength, range of motion and balance."
• Describe the benefits: "Mom will reduce her risks for falls and be safer. She will also have confidence to participate in activities and enjoy herself, improving her quality of life."

4. PRESENT FINANCIALS/CLOSE 

Present the private pay costs of your product (if it’s a private pay product) or discuss Medicare/Medicaid/Supplemental Insurance and co-pays. Once you have presented financial information it is time to gain commitment from the family and the best way to do that is to ask this simple question:  "What is the next best step for you and your family to take as you are making this decision?”                         

Escort the family to the exit and thank them for coming.

The tour is an important process for converting referrals into admissions or move-ins. To maximize your effectiveness you must have a tour process which enables you to meet your objective, which is to motivate the family to choose your facility/community to meet their needs.    

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Washington Health Care Association

Facility tour toolkit.

Hosting facility tours for legislators is the single most effective way to advocate on behalf of your residents and staff — this toolkit will guide you step-by-step to make this essential action easy.

State lawmakers must have knowledge that runs a mile wide and an inch deep, so they rely on relevant experts to inform their decisions. This is especially true for long term care. As a local leader in long term care, you are an expert. Educating legislators about your work through a facility tour leads to meaningful improvements in the lives of your residents and staff.

This resource provides everything you need, from sample invites to thank you letters, to host a facility tour that both establishes you as a trusted expert and compels legislators to support your work.

Here are the steps:

• Find who represents you in Olympia by entering your facility’s address in the State’s District Finder . Research their bio and what committees they serve on and consider signing up for their newsletter.
• Email them the invite . Your legislators’ emails will follow this form: [ [email protected] ]. Send invites to each legislator individually. Be sure to cc WHCA Grassroots Coordinator Eric Negomir ( [email protected] ). If you don’t hear back from your legislator within one week, follow up.
• Begin planning the tour . Ensure your staff and residents are prepared with talking points . If multiple legislators are scheduled to attend the same tour, make sure each person knows who else will be in attendance.
• Conduct your tour! This is easy with the preparation you have done in Step 3. Just tell your story and know your legislator is there because they want to help. Avoid partisan/politically charged language. Be brief and polite and ask them questions as well. Remember to take a few photos before, during, and after the tour.
• Post social media thanking the legislator for visiting. ‘Tag’ the legislator and WHCA if possible. Make sure to send a follow up thank you note , including any pictures featuring them, to the legislator. Consider also submitting a letter-to-the-editor for your local newspaper.
• Fill out this  survey to let the WHCA team know how your tour went. This information is important to ensure your work has optimal impact.

As you move through the process, know that WHCA Government Relations Manager Eric Negomir ( [email protected] ) is standing by to assist you.

Lawmaker Invite

Subject: Invitation to Tour [Facility/Community Name]

Dear State Representative/Senator [Name] :

Thank you for supporting policies in the 2023 legislative session that benefit your constituent seniors and staff at my facility. However, more must be done to ensure we can provide the highest quality of care for all who need it. That’s why I am pleased to invite you to visit [Facility/Community Name] , where we employ [Number] of your constituents and care for [Number] of residents. [If Medicaid-contracted: [Number] of these residents rely on Medicaid funding.] This visit will provide you with an opportunity to speak to residents, family members, and caregivers, and learn more about the importance of consistent, reliable long term care for all Washingtonians.

One of the most important efforts for Washington’s legislature is to ensure the long term care workforce is available to provide care to the growing population of individuals who require support. This tour will help you understand why your support for the long term care workforce is so important. At the same time, your support for equitable and adequate Medicaid funding to support the cost of long term care is important to this conversation.

Insufficient Medicaid funding threatens low-income seniors’ access to critically needed long term care services and drives a staffing crisis that must be addressed as our aging population places more demand on the long term care system. Bad policies can also imperil our ability to provide quality care.

I realize the enormity of the responsibility on our shoulders and the numerous issues you deal with as a lawmaker, which is why I want to be a resource for you. You should feel like you can turn to long term care professionals in your district, such as myself, when you have relevant policy questions.

We will work closely with you and your staff to plan a convenient tour when you are available. Please feel free to contact me directly at [Phone number] or [Email address] for more information on arranging a date and time.

Thank you for all you do for our community. I look forward to speaking with you soon and sharing ideas on safeguarding the care of our seniors.

Name Title Facility Email Phone

CC: Eric Negomir ( [email protected] )

Tour Outline (30-60 minutes)

Introductions (10-15 minutes):

• Intros of a few key staff
• Summary of your building (ie: number of employees, percentage of residents or patients on Medicaid, why you got into this field and have stayed)
• Importance of fully funding Medicaid and utilizing long term care professionals as an educational resource

Tour (15-30 minutes):

• Have your facility profile filled out to make it easier to answer questions along the way
• Challenges of finding and retaining staff at current wages
• Demand for care is rising and supply isn’t keeping pace
• Policies must reflect the practicalities of long term care
• Explain the importance of Medicaid to low-income seniors
• Costs have greatly increased in recent years
• Ask the lawmaker their thoughts and how you can help

Conclusion (5-10 minutes):

• Thank them for their time
• Offer to be a local resource for if/when policy issues arise next session

Facility Profile

Facility Name

City, State Zip Phone Number

Administrator

Administrator Cell Number

About Facility

• Total Licensed Units
• Total FTE Employees
• Annual Payroll, Property and Personal Taxes
• Total Number of Residents Served Annually
• Total Number of Medicaid Clients Served Annually

About Our Residents

• Provide details about the people you serve – i.e., types of care needs, diagnoses, number of medications administered, where they admit from, anecdotes about how SNF care has been the answer for a family in need. Give a face to those you are serving.

About Our Workforce

• Job types (nursing staff, direct care staff, housekeeping, facilities maintenance, food services, regional staff support, etc.)
• Immigrants/English as a second language
• Age ranges and averages, percentage of female workers, challenges of the workforce

LTC Services and Supports Provided

Detail the services and activities provided to your clients, i.e., long term convalescent care, transitional nursing care, hospice services, physical and occupational therapy, specialized dementia care, assessments, care coordination, etc.

• Community Service/Awards/Activities
• Quality Award Recipient
• Best Employer/Best Places to Work

Talking Points

Core Messaging: 1.) Problem, 2.) Causes, 3.) Solutions

• Identify the Problem: There is, and will be, growing demand for long term care services without the ability to fully staff care.

[AL, SNF, ESF]:

• Although lawmakers’ work to address these issues is recognized and appreciated, we must continue momentum that restores the long term care workforce and ensures quality care for our most vulnerable.
• Washington’s population is aging, and a large and growing number of seniors lack adequate retirement savings. Vulnerable people are and will be reliant on Medicaid support. Private pay residents currently subsidize care for Medicaid clients – as the share of Medicaid clients increases, this will become even more unsustainable.
• When seniors don’t have supports at home, they rely on Washington’s long term care services.
• The Medicaid funding shortfall severely harms residents and patients, families and caregivers. (See funding specifics below.)
• The shortfall of nurses in Washington is severe and is expected to intensify.
• Statewide staffing shortages at long term care facilities mean caregivers are stretched to the limit – restricting access to long term care and reducing quality of care.
• When staff shortages force long term care facilities to turn people away, hospitals become backed-up and everyone is impacted.
• Washington’s low-income seniors and people with disabilities deserve quality long term care, regardless of payment source. By failing to address workforce challenges in long term care, the state is failing to meet its obligation to these constituents.
• Identify the Cause of the Problem: Insufficient Medicaid funding and workforce barriers limit access to, and quality of, long term care.
• Process barriers, such as limited training/certification opportunities and severe credentialing backlogs, make it difficult to hire and retain professional staff who provide care.
• State Medicaid funding covers only a portion of what it really costs to care for residents. Private pay residents make up the difference, which isn’t fair to them and limits Medicaid beneficiaries’ access to long term care.
• Long term care facilities pay nurses less than hospitals and other care settings – meaning long term care is hard-hit by the nursing shortage.
• The nurses and caregivers in long term care deserve fair wages and benefits. Being overworked and underpaid isn’t good for them or their residents.

[AL Medicaid]:

• For assisted living, Medicaid paid 68% of the hourly wages needed to care for a beneficiary. The 2023-2025 State Operating Budget increases that to 82% but that still does not reflect current labor and operating costs, which have grown tremendously in recent years years. Under these conditions, it is difficult for those who provide care to Medicaid beneficiaries to compete in the labor market.
• Without a budget that covers 100% of Medicaid labor costs, those who provide care to Medicaid beneficiaries will continue to struggle to compete in the labor market or provide the best possible care.
• Nursing facilities provided over $620 million in uncompensated Medicaid care to Washington’s low-income patients from 2017-2022, and that funding shortfall continues to affect our ability to compete for qualified staff.
• Enhanced services facilities care for individuals with complex behavioral, medical, chemical dependency and/or mental health needs. Policies and Medicaid rates must fully recognize the elevated number of staff required in this setting, as well as the challenge, skill, and variability involved in their work.
• Individuals are referred to enhanced services facilities if they are transitioning out of psychiatric hospitals or have no other placement options due to their complex care needs. Investing in support for enhanced services facilities generates cost savings and addresses a problematic gap in Washington’s health care system.
• Identify Solutions: Remove barriers to growing the long term care workforce.
• Long term care operators are your friends and neighbors. We hope you’ll look to us as trusted experts when making decisions.
• Training and certification opportunities for long term care professionals must be made more available. Worker-friendly regulations and increased state funding can accomplish this.
• The State Operating Budget must provide Medicaid funding that completely covers the cost of care. Doing so will help not just patients, residents and caregivers, but all Washingtonians.
• Innovative workforce solutions, such as WHCA’s new NAC-to-LPN Apprenticeship Program, should be funded and encouraged.

Social Media

Hashtag: #WhyICare

Sample posts:

#1: Thank you [Legislator name] for visiting [Facility/Community name] and supporting policies that benefit WA’s seniors, patients and residents at our facilities. More must be done to ensure we can provide the highest quality care for all. Fully fund #Medicaid and show constituents #WhyICare about long term care. [WHCA Tag] [Photo] [WHCA Tag]

#2: Washington’s low-income seniors deserve quality long term care. There is a great human cost to patients, residents, their families and caregivers when #Medicaid is inadequately funded, which is #WhyICare. Thank you [Legislator name] for meeting with us and hearing concerns. [WHCA Tag] [Photo]

#3: Washington’s population is aging and the state’s #Medicaid budget is not keeping pace with demand. Thank you [Legislator name] for recognizing the urgency of this issue and working with us to address funding shortfalls. Show seniors #WhyICare about long term care. [WHCA Tag] [Photo]

WHCA Tags: Instagram: @whcacares Facebook: @WashingtonHealthCareAssociation LinkedIn: @WashingtonHealthCareAssociation Twitter (X): @WHCAcares

Thank You Note to Lawmaker

On behalf of our staff, residents, patients, and their families, thank you for taking the time in your busy schedule to visit [Facility/Community name] . Everyone here greatly enjoyed meeting you and are grateful for your support and commitment to issues affecting the quality and future of long term care in our community.

[Personal comment from tour: ie: your comments on the need to fully fund Medicaid had a lasting impression on me. We’re lucky to have you representing us in the state Capitol.]

Fully funding Medicaid is critical to serving all Washingtonians who need long term care because it allows facilities to care for more people and pay competitive wages to address the nurse and caregiver staffing crisis. I recognize your responsibility and challenge to be informed about the many issues you must make decisions on, so when you have relevant policy questions, I hope you feel like you can turn to long term care professionals in your district such as myself. If I can be of any assistance when technically complex issues involving long term care are before you, please call on me any time.

I look forward to speaking with you again soon and sharing ideas on safeguarding the care of our residents and patients. Let me know if you’d like me to facilitate an employee or resident roundtable for you or if you’d like to attend our upcoming [BBQ, luau, trivia night, holiday party, etc.] Also attached are some photos we took during your tour in case you’d like to share them and any information you learned in a constituent newsletter.

Letter to the Editor

Washington’s population is aging and the state’s Medicaid budget is not keeping pace with demand. According to the U.S. Census in 2020, Washington was home to more than 1.2 million residents over 65 years old, accounting for 16% of the state population. This number is expected to grow to more than 20% in the next few years.

Inadequate state funding is fueling a nursing and caregiver staffing crisis, threatening access to critically needed health and long term care for low-income seniors. While state lawmakers provided an additional $170 million in the 2023-2025 operating budget, more still needs to be done to fully fund Medicaid, which would allow facilities to care for more people and pay competitive wages to nurses and caregivers. When legislators consider policies, they should turn to professionals for education, which is why I’m grateful [Legislator name] recently visited [Facility/Community name] to hear from our staff, residents and patients.

We appreciate [Legislator name] supporting policies in the 2023 legislative session that benefit Washington’s seniors. However, more must be done to ensure we can provide the highest quality of care for all. These are your parents, grandparents and neighbors, and will soon be us. Now is the time to invest in the future of long term care.

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The Facility Report

by Cristina Resti

What is the Facility Report and why is it so important? 

 In a world where preservation and protection are paramount, the Facility Report is the cornerstone for assessing the condition of a building.

In her latest article, Cristina Resti - Art expert and Art Network Manager at ARTE Generali – shares her insights into this crucial tool.

The Facility Report assesses the condition and performance of buildings that house collections and visitors, covering aspects such as construction type, facility management, maintenance and security.

Beyond its technical function, the Facility Report plays a key role in communication:

1. It allows managers to monitor safety components and collaborate with various professionals such as risk managers, conservators and curators.

2. It provides lenders with critical information about security measures when loaning works of art.

3. It acts as a reference for operators and service providers, including insurance companies, guiding them in understanding building characteristics and organization.

 Download the full article below

Read the Facility Report Article

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Facility Tour Guidelines

A plant tour presents a good opportunity to increase the visibility of the printed board industry and solidify relationships with your elected officials. When legislators go back to Washington, D.C. they will have a better relationship with you and be more receptive to your concerns.

Visits by legislators to your company's facilities are an effective way for grassroots participants to build relationships with legislators. Plant tours illustrate first hand how plant processes relate to legislative issues and are an excellent tool for grassroots advocacy. Tours showcase your facilities' environmental, health, and safety standards and connect members with the interconnect technology industry first hand. The following guidelines will help you plan a successful plant tour.

The following planning steps are crucial for a successful tour: 

• Determine the objectives for the visit. Decide what issues you want to discuss and how best to link the issues visually with plant operations. Find out if the legislator has particular interests.
• Issue the invitation in writing. Offer a range of dates to accommodate busy legislative schedules; dates during congressional recesses are especially appropriate.
• Announce the legislator's visit to all employees. Once the tour is confirmed, promote it throughout the company by distributing a brief biography of the legislator and information about the legislator's importance.
• Invite your company's government relations staff to participate in the tour. You may also want to consider inviting a few top community leaders and industry association executives. Be careful, however, to avoid a large tour group.
• Arrange for photographs during the tour. Work closely with the legislator's press aide on publicity and news coverage.
• Offer to provide or arrange transportation. You may want to pay for or coordinate transportation to your facility for the legislator. (Check with your company's government relations or legal staff to see if there are policy or legal restrictions.)
• Provide the legislator with information on your company prior to the visit. For example, include the total number of employees, the products your company manufactures, and the amount of sales.
• Choose the tour guide with care. The guide should be articulate, knowledgeable about plant operations as well as issues that concern the company, and know by name everyone the legislator is likely to meet.
• Map out the tour. Develop a tour schedule and route that illustrates the objectives you set for the visit. Know when the legislator has to leave, and allow for extra time if the legislator wants to remain longer in one location.
• Prepare key equipment and safety gear ahead of time. Ensure that equipment is operating to provide action interest. Provide safety gear to all participants when necessary.
• Rehearse the tour the day before. It may be helpful for participants to answer possible questions to prepare for issues the legislator might raise.

Your legislator is often in their district office during congressional recesses, which are especially good times to schedule a plant tour. State legislative recesses vary throughout the country. Contact your state legislators' offices to determine the recess schedule. Usual congressional recesses are:

• President's Day Recess (February)
• Spring Recess (March/April)
• Memorial Day Recess (May)
• Independence Day Recess (July)
• Summer Recess (August - Labor Day)
• Election season (September – November)
• FaIl/Winter Recess (November - January)

A plant tour is an appropriate and useful way to educate legislators and help increase the 'comfort index' of grassroots participants. While a plant tour may be a familiar activity, the following tips will assist you in conducting a tour to meet your objectives:

• Begin the visit in your office. Provide the legislator with an overview of important facts about your company's facilities and the tour, including environmental and energy problems and outlays, standards and advances in health and safety, and new products and equipment.
• Talk in quiet areas along the way. Provide the legislator with an economic profile, including number of employees and amount of payroll, taxes, and local expenditures for materials and services. Be careful to avoid overwhelming the legislator with more technical or economic data than an interested layperson can absorb.
• Be sure to introduce employees the legislator encounters during the tour. Remember, employees are the legislator's constituents. Also be sure to introduce all those with whom the legislator has a personal or political relationship as well as all grassroots program participants.
• Conclude the tour with a meeting. A discussion provides an opportunity to answer the legislator's questions and reemphasize key messages and legislative issues in detail.

Suggestions for follow up activities to build on the relationship established by the tour:

• Send a thank you note to the legislator. Always thank the legislator in writing. Reiterate the points discussed on the visit.
• Forward black and white prints taken during the tour for the legislator to use in his or her own newsletters.

Via Fax (or e-mail)—1 page Fax Number: [District Office]

NEWS ALERT                                               [Insert company logo]

[Alert Number]                                   NEWS CONTACTS: [Company Contact] (000) 555-5555-[extension] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE         [CONTACT] (703) 522-6778

Press Advisory

[NAME OF COMPANY] PLANT TO HOST [NAME OF LAWMAKER] [DATE]

When:     [Name of company and city, state] will host [name of lawmaker] for a plant tour tomorrow morning as part of an effort to make legislators more aware of both the benefits pellet fuel manufacturers bring to communities and the unprecedented challenges now facing America’s manufacturing sector.

The member of Congress will observe the facility’s production of [give a brief description of what the lawmaker will see while on the plant tour] and offer brief remarks to gathering employees.

[Company name] is a member company of IPC- Association Connecting Electronics Industries, the trade association for the printed circuit board and electronics assembly industries. These critical electronic products are the foundation of all of America’s consumer and industrial electronics, including defense, transportation, and telecommunications equipment.

Who:       [Name of lawmaker] [Company name]

Where:   [Company name] [Plant address] [City, State, Zip]

When:     [Date and time]

[Insert company address and website, if applicable]

• Identify your Member of Congress
• Send a letter requesting your Member of Congress to visit your facility. Include available dates and times, as well as your company's line of business, location and number of employees.
• Contact your legislator's office 7-10 days after mailing your letter. If you need to locate phone numbers, call +1 202-225-3121 for a House Member or +1 202-224-3121 for a Senate Member.
• Contact your local print and broadcast media outlets. Invite them to participate in the plant tour.
• Ensure that your plant complies with OSHA, EPA, and any other regulations. Prepare your plant with signs marking any hazardous areas.
• Prepare a fact kit including industry- and company-specific information for the legislator to take with him or her. IPC can help you with industry information.
• Take photos during the tour, including pictures of the legislator with employees and a finished product.
• Send a thank you letter to the Member of Congress, and enclose copies of photos, media coverage and press clippings.
• Share your successful plant tour with IPC.

For more information, or for help planning your plant tour, please contact Rich Cappetto, senior director, North American government relations. 

Rich Cappetto