by Julie | Apr 28, 2016 | Consulting, Efficiency, Employee Training, Interim Management, Management, Safety
TRAINING WITHIN INDUSTRY
Over the past few years, I have had the pleasure of being an instructor at the Investment Casting Institute’s Process Control Class. It was in this class that I had my first introduction to Training Within Industry.
During World War II, there was a shortage of skilled and trained workers at a time when the demand on manufacturing was very high. As a result, Training Within Industry was developed to quickly and efficiently train operators.
There are four programs of Training Within Industry:
- Job Instruction (JI) – this component teaches trainers how to train
- Job Methods (JM) – a methodology that employees use to make their job easier
- Job Relations (JR) – an analytical method for addressing personnel issues
- Program Development (PD) –how to solve production problems that are unique to a particular organization
Each of the programs are broken into four steps and the training and implementation of these programs is very structured. However, the organizations which followed this approach realized unbelievable results. After the war, TWI became less common place in the United States, however, the Japanese learned about it and TWI is credited to be the foundation of Lean Manufacturing.
In the book Training Within Industry by Donald Dinero, the author states that “TWI helped lay the bases for “learning organizations,” where successful companies train their employees to question, think and solve problems. “
Can you imagine a better workforce than one that can question, think and solve problems? There are a number of resources available online to learn more about Training Within Industry. In the upcoming articles, I’ll provide more information on each of the programs.
For more practical tips for manufacturing professionals to attract, train and retain your hourly workforce, go to www.keyprocessinnovations.com.
by Julie | Apr 14, 2016 | Consulting, Employee Training, Interim Management, Management, Onboarding, Safety
THE START OF SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL
Starting a new job can be a little stressful. Meeting new people, learning new tasks and an adjusting to a new workplace culture. Can you think back to your first day with your current employer? Were you nervous? Excited? How were you greeted by your new peers? Was everyone expecting you?
Some employers seem burned out from the hiring phase – it is like a revolving door for new employees. Employees are hired and then they leave within a week or two resulting in more time and money spent on recruiting and training.
Without a doubt, hiring employees has gotten much more difficult in recent years. There is a shortage of skilled workers who have the workplace competencies needed in manufacturing. So, recruiting qualified candidates is much more difficult. (Check out this article on tips on recruiting the most qualified employees.)
But, once you have selected a qualified employee, you want to make them feel welcome. Have you thought about the first impression you give your new employee on their first day? Could you do more to let your new employees know you view them as a valuable member of your team? Here are few suggestions that could help in retaining your new employees:
- Interview current employees about what they thought about their first day, week or month with the company. What was their impression of how they were welcomed by the company? What is one thing they would like to see improved or implemented?
- Establish a mentor program so veteran employees can assist new hires assimilate into the culture.
- Create an employee based committee to assist in developing and instituting the onboarding process. You might even consider allowing them to participate in interviewing candidates.
- Provide a checklist for the hiring manager or supervisor so they can ensure the company is prepared for a new employee prior to the first day.
Establishing an onboarding program is an important part of retaining your work force (check out this blog for more information on onboarding). But, don’t overlook the importance of making a good impression on the first day. Making the employee feel welcome and helping them adjust to your culture can help retain a valuable new employee.
For more practical tips for manufacturing professionals to attract, train and retain your hourly workforce, go to www.keyprocessinnovations.com.
by Julie | Apr 7, 2016 | Consulting, Employee Training, Interim Management, Management, Onboarding, Safety
The goal in manufacturing is to SAFELY make an end product that meets customer specifications with the lowest cost possible. There is nothing more important than the safety of the employees. But even looking beyond the employee, having a strong safety culture also impacts your bottom line.
I recently met with a manufacturing professional who shared if you want to know if a company is profitable, ask them about their safety statistics. If they don’t know them off the top of their head or can’t find them quickly, they are probably struggling financially. Without a strong safety program, eventually the number of workplace accidents will start to climb.
When thinking about workplace accidents, I imagine an iceberg with 20% above the water and 80% below the water. The cost of the accident is the part above the water including doctor/hospital bills, employee time-off, etc. But, the actual cost is what is under the water which includes increased insurance premiums, higher payroll and reduced plant productivity.
But, you don’t have to take my word for it. I found a lot of data that supports the relationship between a strong safety culture and profitability, including the following:
- A Liberty Mutual survey reports 61% of executives say $3 or more is saved for each $1 invested in work place safety (http://www.the-osha-advisor.com/CASE.html)
- Participation in OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program saved one company $930,000 per year and the company had 450 fewer lost-time injuries than its industry average (http://www.asse.org/bosc-article-6/)
- According to the American Society of Safety Engineers, investment in health and safety programs can result in saving in workman’s comp claims, liability damages and litigation costs in addition to improvement in productivity and employee morale.
Providing a safe workplace for your employees is a win-win. It is good for the employees and good for your bottom line. If you believe your safety program needs a little work, there are a number of resources available online including an article I recently wrote on the importance of reporting near-misses.
For more practical tips for manufacturing professionals to attract, train and retain your hourly workforce, go to www.keyprocessinnovations.com.
by Julie | Mar 31, 2016 | Consulting, Efficiency, Employee Training, Interim Management, Management
WITH RIGIDITY OR FLEXIBILITY?
One of the reasons operators are trained to do a task the same way is to ensure uniformity and reduce process variability. However, this approach may not take into account how operators should react to slight process variations.
Yes, we want consistency from operator to operator but, we also want the operator to be aware of process fluctuations and adjust accordingly. One of the benefits of having an operator do a job rather than a robot is that they can observe the process. However, operators need to know what to do when slight changes are observed. Should they modify the process or stop production and notify management?
Some argue that operators should all do the same thing and not make any changes to the process. Others suggest that it is best to have operators aware of the overall process and the desired end result and then give them the flexibility to modify the steps based on their perceived best method. I see benefits and challenges with each of those approaches.
If operators are instructed to follow the process exactly as they were trained, the following questions come to mind:
- What is the impetus for making improvements to the process?
- What if a shift in the process impacts the final product?
- How do the operators provide input for a better method?
- Who decides whether this new method should be implemented?
If the operators have the flexibility to modify the process based on their perceived best method, I start to question:
- How do the operators know that their modification won’t impact product quality?
- Is their modification the most ergonomic method?
- Will other operators try the same modification but achieve a different result?
Regardless of the how you approach improvements to a process, it is critical that the operators have input. They work in the process on an ongoing basis and will detect subtle changes that might otherwise go unnoticed. Establishing a method for incorporating process improvements will go a long way towards reducing process variability.
For more practical tips for manufacturing professionals to attract, train and retain your hourly workforce, go to www.keyprocessinnovations.com.
by Julie | Mar 25, 2016 | Consulting, Employee Training, Onboarding
UTILIZING SCIENCE TO OPTIMIZE ADULT LEARNING
As you develop an approach to training your operators, it is important to remember that adults have different motivations than children or adolescents. Being aware of these differences and making adjustments to your training approach will make your operator training much more effective.
Andragogy is the method and practice of teaching adult learners. After studying the theory of adult education, Malcolm Knowles combined his research with andragogy and developed six assumptions related to adult learning:
- Tell them the Why. It isn’t enough to tell an adult that something has to be done a particular way – they also need to know why it is important.
- Motivation. Adults are motivated both externally (promotions, higher salaries, etc.) and internally (increased knowledge or self-esteem). Awareness of these motivators can augment the learning process.
- Self-concept. They need to be treated like they are capable of learning and have the ability to direct their learning. This means giving them freedom to identify areas of weakness that require further study.
- Respect prior experience. Adults have different experiences that they will bring into their new workplace or position. Try to draw out these experiences to use as a foundation for current training.
- Readiness. Motivation is much greater when focused on subjects they will encounter in either their work or personal lives. The days of learning Advanced Linear Algebra have passed (one would hope).
- Orientation. Learning should be based on problems that will be faced instead of theoretical issues. The student will ask how this knowledge will solve a problem. If a sufficient answer can’t be found, the motivation may be lost.
So, as you begin training your operators, try to keep these assumptions in mind. As training material is developed, ensure that it contains information that is pertinent to the task they are being trained to do. Use job specific examples that can be easily applied. And remember to include why the training is important. The more mindful you are of these assumptions, the more effective the training will be. And that will in turn have the desired affect.
For more practical tips for manufacturing professionals to attract, train and retain your hourly workforce, go to www.keyprocessinnovations.com.
