Failure Leads to Better Planning
Failure Leads to Better Planning
April 29, 2014 by Taylor Studios
What does failure teach you in exhibit fabrication? I’ve been wandering down memory lane, grimacing over fabrication mistakes over the years and reflecting on what we learned. We pulled a couple of all-nighters in the beginning, scrambling to get everything ready for an exhibit’s grand opening. At Holiday Park, my staff worked endless hours for days – not sleeping properly; just getting it done. An hour before the opening night event, I threw on a dress and carried a ladder to my guys who were doing the final programming inside an immersive environment. In the nick of time, they crawled out and slipped through the back door as I went and greeted guests. We got it done, but a little too close for comfort. Luckily, the client was forgiving because of our dedication and they tolerated the planning mistakes. They even enjoyed their exhibit so much, that they are back on our client list with a new project. Despite our success, our errors left me frustrated and I determined to focus on change.
The things you learn through experience:
Mistakes lead to lessons learned and better operating procedures. We now have systems, procedures and processes in place to avoid these mistakes. It could be as simple as written mixing instructions or as complex as a meticulous, hour by hour plan of how the installation will progress. We have developed communication and planning tools that help the client along too. It’s a partnership, after all.
We have grown from our mistakes and understand that they could have been avoided with better planning. We also have to accept that some things are out of our control. When the acrylic manufacturer got hit by a hurricane we couldn’t ask them to produce the acrylic faster with a closed plant. However, with better planning a contingency plan can be implemented effectively too.
One of the perks of working with an experienced company is that they have experienced more failures and have better systems and processes in place because of them. At Taylor Studios, Inc., we analyze our mistakes in order to grow, adapt, and constantly improve. Give us a call if you want to know what to watch out for as you are planning your exhibit.