What to Expect During a Shift Handover Observation
If you have booked a handover review, here is what happens during our visit and how to prepare your team.
Clients sometimes ask what a Shift Handover Review looks like in practice. Here is the straightforward version so your team knows what to expect.
Before we arrive
We send a short questionnaire: shift times, crew sizes, products running that week, and any recent handover incidents (rework, missed quality checks, duplicated setups). This takes ten minutes to complete and helps us know what to watch for.
During the visit
We attend one or two live shift changes — typically 30 to 45 minutes at the boundary. We stand where operators gather, listen to verbal handovers, and photograph any written logs (with permission). We do not interrupt unless a safety issue is apparent.
After the shift change, we interview the outgoing and incoming leads separately for about fifteen minutes each. Questions are practical: what did you need to know that was not said? What do you write down every time versus only when something goes wrong?
What we do not do
We do not evaluate individual performance or report to management about specific operators. Findings are about the system — the template, the timing, the physical location of the logbook — not about blaming a person.
What you receive
Within three business days: a gap analysis (usually two to three pages), a draft one-page handover template, and a brief call to walk both shift leads through it. We recommend running the template for two weeks before making further changes.
How to prepare
Tell both shifts we are coming — surprises create stiff, unnatural handovers. Have the current logbook or whiteboard available even if it is mostly blank. Nominate one person from each shift who is comfortable speaking candidly.
Book a handover review or include it as part of a full Efficiency Assessment.