Send each question to the area that owns it

Routine questions get answered faster when they reach the owning area first. Use the table below to find that owner, and read the sample handoff to see what a good shift-to-shift note contains.

If you are not sure who owns something, start with your area lead on shift. They can pass it on and tell you who answered.

Area responsibilities

Sample matrix for Northstar Services. Roles, not named people.

Area Owns First stop for routine questions Hands off to
Production lines Daily output, changeovers, station readiness Area lead on shift Maintenance or Quality, depending on the issue
Facilities and maintenance Building services, equipment upkeep requests Facilities coordinator Area lead, to schedule access
Quality Inspection standards, hold and release decisions Quality technician for the area Quality manager
Materials and logistics Receiving, staging, restocking Materials lead Production planner
Safety and environment Site safety program, follow-up on reported concerns Site safety lead Plant manager

A shift handoff, worked through

A good handoff lets the next shift start without a phone call. This sample is from day shift to evening shift on a packaging line.

Handoff note: Line 2 packaging, day to evening

  • Status: order 4471 labelled 1,800 of 2,400 units. The remaining 600 are staged at the Line 2 pack table.
  • Open observation: the label roll runs out about two hours into a shift. Spare rolls are in the materials cage, bay 3.
  • Affected area: Line 2 packaging only. Lines 1 and 3 are unaffected.
  • Next owner: the evening Line 2 lead finishes the remaining 600 units. Materials restocks label rolls by 18:00.

Why each line is there

  • Status gives a count, so the next shift knows where to restart.
  • The observation says where the spare stock is, so nobody has to search for it.
  • The affected area stops people checking lines that are fine.
  • The next owner is a role plus a time, so you can tell whether it was done.