The importance of training is often given short shrift in industry, when it is in fact a vitally important profit center for the business. A well-trained employee gets the job done better, faster and cares more. An employee that has been well trained appreciates the fact that the company cares enough to invest in educating him or her.
This in turn usually leads to the employee liking the equipment they’ve been trained on more and caring more about plant processes. Consequently, the trained employee does his or her job much better. Another resulting benefit is that the equipment is much better cared for. A case in point is laser alignment training.
Ludeca Inc. has been training its customers’ maintenance personnel for 25 years in this field. The incidence of mistreated laser alignment systems coming back for repair drops dramatically when a plant’s millwrights are properly trained in the use and capabilities of the system. The trained millwright understands and appreciates what the tool can do for him or her, and treats it far better, because he or she respects it.
The laser system, utilized correctly and to its full capabilities will result in plant machinery running far better aligned, with soft foot eliminated and targets for thermal growth taken into account. Well aligned machinery runs more efficiently, with less vibration and power consumption, and lasts much longer. This means repair costs plummet, unscheduled production downtime decreases and the likelihood of catastrophic machine failures, with all the attendant safety risks, also are reduced.
Thus, a relatively small investment in training results in a win-win-win scenario for the plant with a huge return.
Many plants that are fully cognizant of the benefits of good training have a completely separate fully funded training department, staffed with highly qualified instructors. These are often experienced long-time employees, who instead of retiring or continuing in the field under more arduous work conditions, now help younger colleagues with the benefit of their experience and expertise. They also should have been extensively trained by equipment vendors and process experts. Do not hesitate to hire outside experts to come in and train your people, just make sure these experts are really are qualified to train. Many a highly knowledgeable subject matter expert is incapable of teaching others because they simply do not have the ability to communicate their knowledge, or don’t possess the necessary people skills to do so effectively. Do not hesitate to research a prospective instructor’s credentials and follow up on references.
It is imperative that employees scheduled for training not be kept “on call” for their regular duties, forever under threat of being yanked out of the class to go put out a fire. Haphazardly scheduling the training to take place in the lunch room displaces and upsets other employees who are not in the training course, and subjects the trainees to distractions from noise and other activities. If you do not have dedicated training facilities, do not skimp: schedule the nice conference room or find a really suitable quiet area.
When you buy systems and tools, buy the best that you can afford and really train your people to use them. If you don’t, the equipment will sit in a closet, or be underutilized, used improperly or mishandled. Then you’ve wasted your maintenance capital money. Equally important is how you ensure the quality of your training program.
A well-equipped, dedicated training environment is essential in realizing the full benefits of a training. Such a facility provides a controlled environment where the employee can learn undisturbed to their maximum potential.
Training centers should be equipped with good lighting, good sanitary facilities, good quality tables and comfortable chairs (but not too comfortable!), a generous coffee pot and good snacks, and of course the latest SMARTboard technology, projectors, computers and Internet access.
