Accelerated Training is the only way to Deal with Dynamic Workforce Paradigm

As time period workers are in a role and especially a site, the systems and culture of learning, interacting and gaining knowledge must change. This happens with the knowledge and learning coming from this system as the worker requires and prepares for executing a task, vs tradition class / face to face sessions.

Operations teams in a broad range of manufacturing have discovered that the workforce, especially operators, are changing jobs more frequently.  This challenge has become more important than the “aging workforce”, although this also contributes to the acceleration of turnover.  There must be a strategy which effectively trains operators faster than their turnover.

One part of training best practices is to continue the training throughout the operators’ work term, such as summarized in the following diagrams:

The right-hand diagram summarizes some amount of acceleration in benefits, where OTJ is on-the-job training.  While this acceleration appears to be attractive, this acceleration isn’t enough – the time to profitability is still several years.  So an additional strategy is necessary, as shown in the following diagram:

The above diagram describes a strategy of acceleration: instead of focusing on the basics, the training focuses on the dynamic aspects.  This means that the operators are trained as early as possible on “advanced” topics.

The power generation industry has developed a measure of operator excellence called “error free”.  It is a measure where loss of production or damage to equipment was identified with operator errors.  During the last 7 years, power generation companies have demonstrated up to 6:1 acceleration in achieving “error free” status.

The technical change in the training simulators is focused on simulating the dynamic aspects such as weather, supply chain demand and changes in raw materials.

Time to remove manual processes, paper from Food and Beverage! How do we address regulations, at a cost effective level.

Last week I visited 2 Food and Beverage sites in the last week, and I am continued to be surprised by the amount of manual processes and paper trails that still exist. This is for set up of runs, quality, regulation, and process improvements.

To achieve a “positive release” of the product, there are many paper documents filled out across the production line that make up the production record for the run. This process has been running for years, often the data is captured on clip boards and then in some case re-entered into requirements of the business applications. All of this leaves significant room for error, but most of all it leaves limited room for agility of production.

During discussions, the increased requirements for satisfying regulations set down by government or retailers. One customer talked about new significant requirements coming from the “all important” RETAILERS, who own the “shelf space." Does this mean more paper, and how do you educate the operational staff and gain consistency?

Take this combine it with the other big business challengers in F & B:

·         Increased Variety of Products on lines, increased NPI (New Product Introduction)

·         Increased velocity of production

·         Driving of these costs down.

·         Increased regulation requirements.

Combine this with the changing workforce which I have talked about at length. Too deal with these challenger's business would ideally require a stable, experience workforce, but the opposite is now happening.

A foundational requirement is that the manual process / paper processes are replaced with “Managed Operational Processes” that are electronic and enable enter data once have a model driven workflow for “self-learning” of the process. This allows monitoring of the process, and improvement/ tuning of the process. Most of all it removes delays in capturing of data, while allowing workforce transition across activities.    

The technology is mature in Operational Process Modeling, and the shift to an electronic process, is real, it is key for F & B across the world to remove as fast as possible manual operational process!