Most case studies and BB Q&As seem to involve continuous production companies (chemicals, consumer products, micro-electronics, etc.). Is there any good information on implementing Natural Work Teams (or SDWTs, HPWTs, if you like) in “discrete operations” environments, such as construction, maintenance services, dispatched services operations, and the like? My company is a unionized electric and gas utility that has begun streamlining and simplifying its organizational structure and work processes. We will be implementing a Natural Work Team pilot project in the near future, with the intent to learn and then adopt the concept widely in our distribution line of business. Our process operators work in multiple processes, and are spread out over wide geographical areas in most cases, so it will be difficult to create teams that focus on a single process in a specific location.

-- Hudson Hoen (Hudson.Hoen@Conectiv.com), January 09, 2001