The Buddy System

The Buddy System is a tool that can be used to elevate your tech team from good to great. Every great tech team has
always been proficient at helping one another, getting their jobs in quickly and installing them correctly the first time.
The Buddy System is your easiest way to transform your summer tech program. It is the easy way to raise inspection
sores while decreasing service calls and lowering your install times which may, in turn, raise sales rep satisfaction and
confidence. All of these results are however mere side effects of an excellent Buddy System. The Buddy System is
designed for and intended to quicken the first and last installs of the day. We want our technicians to promptly finish
their first jobs so that we have as many technicians available for prime time as possible. We also do not want a
technicians stuck in a house at midnight because he can’t get his signals to go through. If you use the Buddy System
correctly you will be able to install many more jobs at a higher rate of quality.

The Buddy System can be broken in three main parts: 1. Buddy Order, 2. Assignments/Tasks, 3. Enforcement

1. Buddy Order
How to pair your technicians (i.e. an office of 8 techs would pair as follows: 1/5 2/6 3/7 4/8)

Pairing your technicians this way allows your technicians the greatest potential amount of time to help each
other on their jobs.

When a tech receives a job he immediately calls his partner and gives him the address. Both technicians are
immediately dispatched to that location.

Time is essential for the first jobs of the day. Technicians must be in the area and need to be close to their
Buddy.

2. Assignment/Tasks
Having a plan of attack in any situation significantly improves your chance for success. Your techs need to have
two plans.

Solo Job

Partnered Job

These plans are put in place to eliminate downtime, questions and useless conversation.

PRIMARY TECHNICIAN

1. Walk Thru
2. Wire Run
3. Mount Panel
4. Customer Instructions
 Buddy

1. Mount Sensors
2. Jump Panel/Program
3. Register Cell Unit
4. Call job in to Data Entry

You will find that when you give your Buddy System specific assignments you installs times should be less than
one hour.

Note: No more than 3 technicians on a job as this slows the installation.

Enforcement
The most difficult part of the Buddy System is finding a way to get all of your techs to cooperate. Every great
tech team has been known for their ability to work together.

Getting you techs to “buy into” the Buddy System is going to be the deciding factor on the success of your buddy
system.

There are two ways in which I lead/enforce the Buddy System.

1. Respect-the most important of all

NO SITTING IN THE OFFICE
HELP ALL DAY
DON’T PLAY FAVORITES
STAY LATE/WORK HARDER THAN ALL OF YOUR TECHS
2. Establish Rules/Enforce Policy
Rules: Help your Buddy
Don’t leave you Buddy on his last install before it is called in.

Punishment: If a tech breaks one of the rules he is placed at the bottom of the list for
one month.
If the same tech breaks a rule again his employment is terminated.

Conclusion: As Lead Technicians for APX we are in a unique situation this year. Many people have been lining up at
the door for employment. Use this situation to your advantage. You will limit you tech team and negatively impact your
sales if you keep technicians who won’t abide by your rules. The Buddy Systems is the perfect way to implement
cooperation and productivity while weeding out any possible “bad eggs”. There are no downsides to a well run Buddy
System.