training supervisory personnel and equipment operators for material handling operations

8/12/2019 Training Supervisory Personnel and Equipment Operators for Material Handling Operations

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i n con t r i bu t i ng to the evo l u t i on o f t he i ndus t ry and to cu r ren t p ri n con t r i bu t i ng to the evo l u t i on o f t he i ndus t ry and to cu r ren t p rac t i ce i s v i ew edact i ce i s v iewed

to be t imeles s , even though in many cases the authors and co mpanies c r ed i ted areto be t imeless , even though in many cases the author s and companies c r ed i ted are

no l onger i n the i ndus t ry .no l onger i n the i ndus t ry .

TRAINING SUPERVISORY PERSONNEL

AND EQUIPMENT OPERATORS

FOR MATERIAL HANDLING OPERATIONS1978 MHI INTER-SOCIETY

MATERIAL HANDLING SYMPOSIUM

June 13, 1978

WILLIS I. CROTHERSMARKETING MANAGERTHE TECHNICS GROUP

RAPISTAN, INC.

Can you imagine the kind of results a professional football team would get if they skipped the

preseason games and started the first regular season game with no practice at all? And pity thepoor head coach, who always gets the blame for losing.

Many new material handling systems suffer from this kind of a ridiculous start. With few exceptions, thesuccess of any new system is still in the hands of the people who use it and supervise it. Most new

equipment being purchased these days is intended to reduce the number of workers, or to at least makethe job easier and more attractive. Though the net result may be to reduce the number of people, the

effect is to increase your dependency on those that are left. If your quarterback only has two menblocking on a pass play, they will surely need special training if they expect to get the job done.Similarly, if your new system depends upon fewer people to operate it, you must take special pains to

prepare them for the new tasks.

In August, 1973, the editors of MODERN MATERIAL HANDLING posed the question, How do weavoid disasters? Their answer was In retrospect, probably the greatest single cause of poor performancehas been poor planning, particularly in the analysis and implementation of the system, rather than in the

engineering.


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All too often, the work stops when a purchase order is given to a vendor. It is common practice to assumethat implementation is the same as installation. As was pointed out earlier, one of the best ways toavoid disasters is to properly plan the implementation of your new material handling equipment. In the

paragraphs to follow, we will describe the general approach to training, which weve found to work wellin implementation programs.

A successful training program for a new or revised material handling system contains four key elements.Although the vendor can, and frequently does, carries much of the workload, it is the responsibility of the

purchaser to see to it that the program is planned and carried out properly. The four key elements are:

1. Enthusiasm2. Preparation3. Execution4. Follow-up

There is not too much to be said about Enthusiasm that isnt downright obvious. However, you shouldnot expect the players to be enthusiastic if the coach displays a so-so attitude about the game. The

project manager or facility manager must be the spiritual leader in a very positive way, or dont expectmuch more than half-hearted cooperation from the workers.

The teams that make it to the playoffs, and perhaps even the Superbowl, are the ones that did the

best job of Preparation. That preparation is the planning which is necessary to move from aconcept to a working system. As each step in the planning is considered, a means of transmittingthat new method or procedure to the user must be considered. In that way, the contents of the

training program will be developed. Each topic must be considered as to who will ultimately

train who, what results to expect, what means of training are best, and when should it be done.

As an example, lets consider a situation such as the implementation of a new conveyorizedOrder selection and shipping system to replace a walk-pick to a pushcart system.

1. Statement of Objectives: An introductory policy statement must be written whichwill be used to open the discussion of training employees and supervision. The statement should be

realistic and also indicate the enthusiasm which management hopes to generate.

2. Methods and Procedures Analysis: Be sure that you can clearly define the differences in jobcontent from the old to the new concept. You cannot afford to be embarrassed by a lack of

knowledge of the old methods.

3. Operations Manual: To insure that the new procedure is clear and that it can beMonitored for performance, write it down. This documentation can be used to train new

employees in later months, with greater success than word-of-mouth approaches often used. Itis imperative that such a document be updated, if subsequent changes are made.

4. Paperwork Flow: The organization and execution of proper paperwork, such as

order documents, picking labels, inventory control tags, etc., is only as good as its ability to be easily read and understood. The approval of each segment must include a clear plan as to how it will be used, who will use it, and what it replaces.

This exercise will formulate a very necessary part of your training program.

5. Workplace Layout and Required Tools. The previously mentioned methods and


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Procedures analysis will probably be based upon some new workplace layout. The new tools,such as any clipboard, tape dispenser, label container, etc., should also be well defined. Thetraining of each employee in his new task must include these implements and a through

knowledge of how to use them.

6. Phase-In Objectives: It seems academic to state that it takes time to achieve fullResults from any new system. The trainer and the trainee must be aware of the specificexpectations of each successive day or week of performance on the new system. If you expected

25% output, and achieved it, your realization was 100% to target. Success breeds success, and

there is nothing like it to keep the enthusiasm high.

7. Time, Facilities and Product: although difficult to sell, it is imperative that you planhave enough people, room, and merchandise available to use for training sessions. On-the-job

training is frequently the only practical approach, but dont be pressured into shortcutting yourprogram because of pressure to produce. The short-term losses will be far better than long term

inefficiency.

8. Visual Aides and Hand-Outs: As each topic is developed and the training programconsider the use of visual aids such as slides, movies, flip charts, and printed matter to assist you.Not only will the message come across better, but also the employees generally respond better tochange if you take special pains on their behalf.

9. Measure the RC Factor: That old clich, you cant teach an old dog new tricks isa myth. If you do your homework carefully, you can tailor your training program to compensatefor the RC Factor (Resistance to Change). This element of your planning process is similar, in

many respects, to simply knowing your audience.

Although Vince Lombardi, the late coach of the Green Bay Packers, was often called the games besttactician, he disagreed. He gave full credit to one philosophy proper Execution. Even the simplest

maneuvers, properly executed, would win in most cases.

The Packers were drilled to exhaustion by very thorough and demanding coaches, until everyone couldperform his task without errors. Judging by the record of the Lombardi era, the program was undoubtedly

correct.

When considering the EXECUTION of the new material handling system, you must carefully considereach step in the program. The following steps have been used successfully by several project teams.

1. Two-Step Training Plan: In most companies it is best to conduct a trainingprogram for all supervisors first. Then the supervisors will train their employees.

2. Introduction: This initial step is designed to provide a formalized kickoff of thetraining program to follow. The statement of objectives introduction of management and projectteam to new employees, and a review of the training activity to follow should be presented here.

Although the vendors should be involved, the best results will be gained by having the user

company representative chair the meeting.

3. General Orientation: If appropriate, a film of a similar operation could be

presented, to give the general idea of what the new tasks will be. The key points might be proper to bring out are increased productivity, (if talking to supervisors),


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reduced physical effort and improved working conditions, (if talking to direct labor).

4. System Run-through: It is very important that all employees have at least a generalknowledge of the whole system, so that each man can better appreciate his contribution to thetotal. If possible, the best means of communicating the flow of goods is to use slides or film of

the actual new system. Perspective drawings are also good, depending upon the size of youraudience. Blueprints which show plan and elevation views should only be used as a last resort.The odds are high that most of the direct labor and many supervisors will not understand them.

The effort here should be to explain, in general terms only, the flow of materials and what workmust be done at each stop along the way.

5. System Details: At this point, if training direct labor, the group should be brokenup into departmental groups. The elements which should be presented here are such things asspecial mechanized devices like transfer or sortation equipment; control devices such as limit

switches or flow controllers, process-control computers, optical scanners, on-off control; andsafety features of each element of the system. This is the time for emphasis on the dos and

donts of proper operation of each segment of the system. The best means of communication forthese features is usually to take the people out to the workplace and use a show-and-tellapproach.

6. Individual Job Training: Using the operations manuals and specific jobdescriptions as back up; each supervisor and/or worker should be shown each step in hisassigned job. The final results of your system will be directly proportional to how well this on-the-job training is accomplished. The most common failing is to allow individual employees to

find their own best approach. This always results in chaos and less than the required

throughput. It also makes performance evaluation very difficult.

If your predetermined methods are found to be incorrect, it is much easier to make the change later if everyone uses the original method.

It is no revelation that the successful coaches spend a lot of time studying films of their past

performances, win or lose. This allows them to correct mistakes and to build upon their team'sstrength.

This FOLLOW-UP technique is similarly important to your new system. During this trainingperiod, you can enhance the team spirit considerably by a dedicated effort to reach the systemobjectives.

1. Regular review meetings: In several major system efforts, we have employed thetactic of daily supervisory meetings to discuss results, problems, etc. On a weekly basis,

we bring all of the employees together briefly, to discuss the overall results to date. Theresults of these meetings are almost always positive, possibly because the people knowthat you are sincerely interested in results. The best way to get poor performance is toavoid talking to your people about productivity.

2. Monitor performance: This is a topic that is frequently a touchy subject. But thereis only one measure of performance, and you must have the throughput statistics in orderto evaluate the results. Frequently, just making it known that you are seeking a specific


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level of work, and perhaps charting the result, provides enough pressure to help the

supervisor achieve the goal.

3. Make changes where indicated: If a preplanned method is obviously wrong, donthesitate to make a change to a better approach. Its important that the change be carefullyconsidered.

4. Document changes: When a method is officially changed, be sure to annotate the original method description. This will simplify the process of training new

employees and of auditing the operation later on.

In summary, do not make the mistake of confusing installation with implementation. There is no substitute

for effective training of supervisors and equipment operators. Approach the training effort withenthusiasm, be prepared, execute properly, and follow-up thoroughly and you may well find yourself onthe roster of the next all-star game. Thank you and good luck.

training supervisory personnel and equipment operators for material handling operations

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