Maggie Slowik, global industry director for manufacturing, IFS. (Image source: IFS)
Between an aging workforce, and the difficulty to attract new workers, the manufacturing industry is fraught with problems and a growing shortage of skilled labour.
But on its very own shop floors exist years of knowledge and expertise from its current workers, the very human tools that will help manufacturers uphold quality standards.
Without the correct systems in place, the knowledge from experienced workers goes undocumented, and a lack of standardised processes stop manufacturers from capturing crucial information, the sort of information that could easily result in product recalls.
Now, with the addition of connected worker technologies, manufacturers can tackle countless pain points felt by today’s companies, simply by connecting training and empowering frontline workers.
When you put the connected worker at the heart of your operations, the entire quality lifecycle is enhanced – workers are fully trained on the latest standards, new quality efficiencies can be realised as algorithms and data are analysed, and the risk of product recalls are minimised.
Human intelligence
Of course, machines and technology are getting smarter—but so are humans, and having the two work in tandem can help manufacturers reap real rewards in the fight for continuous improvement of product quality.
It’s the frontline workers in these operations that will make or break a successful quality and food safety operation before it leaves the factory.
Connected, trained, and empowered workers are essential to add a frontline layer of quality control and an all-seeing eye on what’s happening on the shop floor. Giving workers the ability to access and analyse data based on algorithms and use cases will drive efficiencies across quality control. We see this with features like Digital Forms and Issues Management from Poka Inc., an IFS company, which give frontline workers the tools to perform essential quality checks.
The power of real-time information
Poka’s connected worker platform provides the opportunity to learn from other workers and their manufacturing experiences. It enables manufacturers to take their best, most knowledgeable employees and capture and reuse their knowledge. They can ensure the best people are training new employees to the best possible standards—and they only have to do it once.
The results? When frontline workers are fully trained on the most up-to-date processes and standards, they contribute to the organisation’s ability to reduce waste, optimise production efficiency, and, crucially, minimise defects. The 70:20:10 model, which puts collaborative working on top of the learning and development scale, is precisely how training and development works for frontline workers on the shop floor. As opposed to simply telling workers to ‘go on a course’ the model focuses on 70% of learning on the job, 20% of learning through colleagues and 10% via formal training programmes.
Integrate technology to combat quality issues
Integrating connected worker platforms alongside enterprise resource planning (ERP) software gives manufacturers embedded functionalities to address the entire quality lifecycle—from supply chain management, manufacturing work in progress, and maintenance, through to warehouse management, and distribution.
By giving frontline workers the tools to document quality checks, and access information to stay compliant and proactive, manufacturers can empower a company-wide culture of innovation. When the focus is shifted to empowering your frontline workers, you’re able to give your teams the tools to identify opportunities for improvement.
This article was authored by Maggie Slowik, global industry director for manufacturing, IFS. It has been edited for brevity.
