by Julie | Jun 3, 2016 | Consulting, Employee Training, Management, Process Improvement
CAPTURING THE NUANCES OF YOUR SKILLED WORKERS
In a survey recently conducted by AKT and the Northwest Food Processors Association, manufacturers expressed concern about finding employees with the necessary skills to fill open positions while nearly all respondents admitted their operator training program has room for improvement.
One of the challenges in training a new operator is teaching those “soft” skills to do a task. There is often an art to doing a task that can be hard to learn. This art may be a technique to reduce physical fatigue, troubleshooting a piece of equipment or evaluating a part prior to processing.
So, how do you capture those soft skills and effectively transfer them to a new employee? One technique that has worked well is to video the skilled operator performing the task. If it is a repetitive task, capture the task multiple times looking for differences. These may highlight some of the nuances that need to be captured. Taking video from different angles may also pick up subtle differences.
Once complete, review the video with the operator and have him explain what he is doing and why. Look for small movements which could be overlooked. These may include shifting weight from one leg to another, rotating the part in his hand as part of his inspection process or verifying fixture set-up before every part.
Incorporate the what and why from your skilled operator into your training documentation including procedures, standard work or even training videos. Once complete, have a different operator perform the task following the updated documentation. Incorporate his comments and then try it again. It may take a few iterations, but, eventually, you will have the necessary materials to assist in training new operators.
So, where should you start? I would begin with the position that has the greatest impact to the business. It will take some time to complete, but, establishing a process and getting started will help reduce some of your business exposure.
Click here if you are interested in reading the entire survey conducted by AKT and NWFPA.
For more practical tips for manufacturing professionals to attract, train and retain your hourly workforce, go to www.keyprocessinnovations.com.
by Julie | May 27, 2016 | Consulting, Employee Training, Management, Process Improvement
OVERCOMING THE OBSTACLES OF BEING A UNIQUE ORGANIZATION
As you look at your organizational challenges, do you have some nagging issues that you can’t seem to resolve? One manufacturer shared they do a good job of implementing process improvements, but, they don’t seem to “stick”. Another said the operators don’t follow instructions.
Often during discussions around potential resolutions to these issues I hear, “we tried that but it didn’t work.” Perhaps you have heard that phrase as you work to resolve your organizational challenges.
Over the past few weeks, I have been discussing the programs within Training Within Industry. The first three programs, Job Instruction, Job Methods and Job Relations provide tools to help people learn to do their jobs quickly, improve how the jobs are done and effectively deal with conflict that arises along with way. Each of these programs can effectively be applied to individual manufacturing plants. However, at some point, there are some challenges that are unique to a particular plant or company. So, the last program contained in Training Within Industry is Program Development which is defined as “how to address a production problem through training.” The program includes defining the production problem, developing a specific plan, putting the plan into action and then checking to ensuring the action has the desired results.
When defining the problem, it is helpful to gather evidence and underlying causes for the specific issue. This data can help determine if you have a training issue or perhaps a different production issue. All too often the problem isn’t fully defined before implementing a quick fix resulting in a nagging organization issue.
Following this process may take a lot of time, a precious resource in most organizations. But, before deciding that you don’t have time to utilize this program, ask yourself, how much is this issue costing my bottom line? If I don’t address it, am I willing to live with this ongoing problem? If you decide that the organization needs to address the issue, follow the process outlined in Program Development. I am confident that you will be able to make lasting improvements to your organization.
For more practical tips for manufacturing professionals to attract, train and retain your hourly workforce, go to www.keyprocessinnovations.com.
by Julie | May 19, 2016 | Consulting, Employee Training, Management, Process Improvement
Tips to Enhance Employee Involvement in Process Improvement
I enjoy trying new recipes but if you know me at all, I’m not very good at following instructions. So, the first time I try a recipe, I will try to follow the instructions and for the most part, use the specified ingredients. If a recipe proves to be worth trying again, I will begin analyzing the instructions in order to find a more efficient way to prepare the dish.
I am sure that the creator of the recipe came up with the process based on the skills and equipment that she had, but, my kitchen set-up is different and as a result, I’m sure I can find a more efficient way to achieve the same results.
The Job Methods program within Training Within Industry has a similar goal but on a much larger scale. This program was developed to teach employees to understand and improve their work and to sell their improvement ideas to their supervisors, peers and upper management. The goal is to give plant personnel the tools they need in order to produce more products in less time with the same level of quality while utilizing the available resources.
If you believe that your plant has opportunities to enhance employee involvement in your process improvement initiatives, I would make the following suggestions:
- State the organizational goals and how improving the process of how things are done will help achieve those goals. Make sure these goals are congruent with the workforce goals, i.e. increased profitability.
- Give employees the freedom to question how things are done. Don’t allow the phrase “but we have always done it that way” to be used. Perhaps set-up a friendly fine for the person who expresses that sentiment.
- When looking at ways to improve a process, utilize a Job Methods Breakdown sheet in order to capture all the steps in the process and then question every step. Ask Why? What? Where? When? Who? How? as you work through each of the steps.
- Provide employees a method for making suggestions for process improvements. I have often heard employees say that they have made suggestions but no one ever accepts them. But, in order for a process improvement idea to be made, it needs to be well thought out and presented in a setting where constructive feedback can be made and received.
- Make sure employees receive recognition for their ideas. The more recognition they receive; the more ideas they will generate.
Employee involvement in continuous improvement activities is an important key to the success of manufacturing companies. But, without the proper training and support, employees may end up feeling disconnected from these activities. Effective communication, robust training and an open and supportive workplace will go a long way towards achieving your productivity goals.
For more practical tips for manufacturing professionals to attract, train and retain your hourly workforce, go to www.keyprocessinnovations.com.
by Julie | May 17, 2016 | Consulting, Efficiency, Employee Training, Management
Training Supervisors on Conflict Resolution
Dealing with conflict is an important part of a healthy work environment. And making sure people have the skills to resolve those issues was so important that Job Relations Training was included as one of the four programs within Training Within Industry. Donald Dinero in his book “Training Within Industry” said Job Relations Training “gives supervisors an easy method to use on a daily basis to inform their decisions and make their jobs easier.”
The program includes a 4 step method for handling conflict. As I read through the 4 steps (Get the Facts, Weigh and Decide, Take Action and Check Results), I thought about how difficult it can be to take unemotional approach to a situation where you are emotionally involved.
But, being effective in a supervisory role requires the ability to look beyond the emotions and focus on what is best for the organization. The importance of a supervisor is often overlooked but, he or she probably has one of the most difficult positions within a manufacturing plant. It is the supervisor’s responsibility to produce consistent results in order to meet the business objectives, however, they are also responsible for addressing the day to day concerns of the hourly employees. I imagine the supervisor being pulled in both directions when at times, these two groups are perceived to be diametrically opposed. The supervisor is expected to be calm under pressure, patient, demanding, understanding, unyielding, etc.
Have you looked at the organization through the supervisor’s glasses? Do they have the skills they need in order to keep your organization moving in the direction you want it to move? Are they getting the support they need in order to address the concerns of the hourly work force while focusing on the organizational goals?
For more practical tips for manufacturing professionals to attract, train and retain your hourly workforce, go to www.keyprocessinnovations.com.
by Julie | May 5, 2016 | Consulting, Efficiency, Employee Training, Onboarding
Introducing Job Instruction Training
One way to remove variability from your process is to ensure the operators are properly trained. Sounds easy enough – but how do you go about doing that?
Fortunately, a proven methodology has already been developed. Job Instruction Training (JI), one of four programs contained in Training Within Industry (see this blog for more information on TWI) covers this important topic. According to JI, training can be broken down into the following steps:
- Prepare the Operator. People tend to be nervous before learning something new and this can impact the learning process. So, try to relax the operator while learning more about him, including any relevant experience. You also want to explain why what they are learning is important and how this task relates to the overall manufacturing process.
- Present the Operation. Explain each of the steps in the operation, identifying key points along with the reasons for each step. Describing each step while the operator watches will help the operator learn much faster. The more senses that are utilized during learning will increase the retention rate and speed.
- Perform the Operation. Once the operator has seen the steps performed and had the key points and reasons explained, now is the time to try it himself. As the operator works through the steps, have him explain the key points and reasons for each step. Be patient as the operator walks through each of the steps taking the time to check for understanding by asking questions.
- Follow-Up. Once you feel the operator has a good understanding of the process, you can leave him alone. But, make sure you check back with him periodically (more frequently initially) to ensure the steps are being followed and he doesn’t have any questions.
After reviewing this information, you probably had a similar reaction as me which was “this seems fairly straightforward.” However, I also wondered how many instructors have been taught how to train an employee to do a new job. Without a doubt, it is possible to be successful without a fully defined training methodology, but, I wonder, how much more efficient and effective could you be if you took the time to establish a formal training method for your instructors to follow?
For more practical tips for manufacturing professionals to attract, train and retain your hourly workforce, go to www.keyprocessinnovations.com.
