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How to Apply Everboarding to the Factory Floor

Learn how to apply everboarding in manufacturing, and how it is replacing traditional onboarding and training methods.

According to Brandon Hall Group research, investment in employee training and development programs to enhance skills and knowledge is the highest-rated initiative globally to improve the employee experience. One highly effective approach towards revolutionizing training and onboarding is a continuous learning method called everboarding.

applying everboarding in manufacturing

Everboarding is a modernized approach toward employee onboarding and training that recognizes learning as a continuous and ongoing process. Its foundational characteristic is the belief that learning doesn’t stop after the initial onboarding period. Instead, everboarding emphasizes continuous skill development and employee knowledge enhancement throughout their careers.

Applying everboarding in a manufacturing environment involves tailoring continuous learning and development approaches to the unique needs and challenges of factory floor operations. As industrial processes evolve, employees must be routinely educated on process improvements, new technologies, safety standards, and efficiency initiatives.

Read on to learn more about how to apply everboarding to the factory floor and how fostering a culture of continuous improvement and learning keeps frontline workers safe, efficient, and engaged:

Steps for Implementing Everboarding in Manufacturing Operations

Everboarding in the context of the manufacturing industry refers to a forward-looking approach that ensures employees remain well-trained, adaptable, and aligned with industry standards throughout their tenure. This is essential in dynamic and fast-paced industrial environments like manufacturing. Here are some steps and strategies to begin implementing everboarding in your operations:

  1. Operationalize Learning: Develop and maintain a systematic approach to training and workforce development and ensure that ongoing training and development are available for all shop floor workers.
  2. Develop Learning Pathways: Create clear learning pathways and career development plans for employees. These pathways should outline the skills and knowledge required for career advancement within the manufacturing shop floor.
  3. Implement Digital Learning Platforms: Leverage digital learning platforms and smart, connected solutions to provide employees with access to training materials, videos, courses, and other resources. These platforms can track progress, and employees can learn at their own pace.
  4. Integrate Learning into the Workflow: Using digital, mobile, and connected technologies, organizations can integrate training into the factory floor for moment-of-need guidance and microlearning that allows frontline workers to stay compliant and operations to continue smoothly.
  5. Provide Feedback and Improvement Loops: Create a feedback mechanism where employees can provide suggestions for improving training programs and processes. Make sure to act on the feedback to continuously enhance the training experience.
  6. Initiate Regular Skill Assessments: Implement regular assessments and evaluations to identify areas where employees need further training or improvement.

Everboarding in a manufacturing factory floor environment is critical for keeping the workforce skilled, adaptable, and able to meet changing demands and technological advancements. By fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement, you can ensure that the factory floor remains efficient and productive.

5 Useful Everboarding Technologies

Implementing Everboarding in manufacturing requires the use of various technologies to facilitate continuous learning and skill development. Here are five (5) useful technologies that can help speed the adoption of everboarding methods on the factory floor and support frontline workers on their continuous learning paths.

  1. Learning Management Systems (LMS): LMS platforms are essential for delivering and managing training content. They allow manufacturing companies to organize courses, track employee progress, and ensure compliance with training requirements.
  2. Connected Worker Applications: Connected worker applications provide mobile solutions, real-time data, and actionable insights that enable customized and personalized training dedicated to the needs of individual workers and specific tasks.
  3. Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI-driven systems can personalize training content based on employee performance and preferences. AI’s ability to process vast amounts of data, provide personalized experiences, and offer real-time feedback makes it a powerful tool for implementing everboarding.
  4. Internet of Things (IoT): IoT sensors can be integrated into manufacturing equipment to gather data on machine performance and employee interactions. This data can inform training needs and help identify areas for improvement.
  5. Wearable Technology: Wearable devices can be used for on-the-job training and performance monitoring. They are especially useful in high-risk manufacturing environments.

These technologies leverage connectivity, digital tools, and data to create a more dynamic and adaptive learning environment for frontline employees. By integrating emerging technologies like smart, connected worker solutions into manufacturing operations, companies can create a more agile and adaptive learning environment that supports the foundations of everboarding.

Pro Tip

Digital training tools can help implement everboarding and improve learning speed and retention. For example, workers who need visuals or real-world scenarios can access them using AI-powered software to create a comprehensive everboarding and training program that supports frontline employees throughout the entire skills and training lifecycle.

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Improving Manufacturing Training with Everboarding

Implementing new learning technologies in any industry is met with a certain number of challenges. This remains especially true for the factory floor where training and development are traditionally separate from the work being done, and where traditional onboarding has been a one-and-done type of approach.

However, because everboarding is a process of continuous learning, organizations can improve their industrial training and onboarding, ensuring employees continually acquire new skills and knowledge to adapt to evolving technologies and processes. This not only helps in training new employees but also enables continuous learning and skill development for the entire workforce, improving productivity, safety, and quality in the process.

Implementing everboarding in factory floor operations can seem complex but it is a rewarding process that can be streamlined through solutions like Augmentir’s connected worker solution. With our AI-driven insights, our connected solution reduces onboarding time and transforms workforce training, bringing learning to the factory floor through intelligent guidance that delivers information to workers at the point of need.

Learn how manufacturers are implementing Augmentir’s AI-driven connected worker tools to capture and digitize tribal knowledge, reskill and upskill their workers, and empower their frontline teams – schedule a live demo today.

 

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Modernizing Manufacturing Training with Continuous and Workflow Learning

Learn how continuous and workflow learning can help modernize employee training in the manufacturing industry.

Staying ahead of the curve in today’s manufacturing marketplace means that businesses need to innovate and adapt. To accomplish this, organizations must have a skilled workforce and ongoing training and workforce management processes to support continuous learning and development.

Modernizing training cultivates employee skillsets by implementing continuous learning in the flow of work.

modernize manufacturing training with continuous learning

Continuous learning is the process of attaining new skills on a constant basis. Workflow learning involves educating yourself on the job using resources and self-directed learning materials. Done together, this modern training approach can help streamline productivity.

If you want to learn how to improve manufacturing training with continuous learning and workflow learning, explore this article that answers the following:

What is continuous learning?

Continuous learning in manufacturing involves enabling workers to learn new skills regularly. It’s a great way to improve employee performance and innovation. According to Forbes, embracing a culture of continuous learning can help organizations adapt to market demands, foster innovation, as well as attract and retain top talent.

Learning can come in different forms, from formal course training to hands-on experience. Employees are encouraged to be self-starters who want to evolve their skills on an on-going basis. A good example of a continuous learning model is everboarding; everboarding is a modern approach toward employee onboarding and training that shifts away from the traditional “one-and-done” onboarding model and recognizes learning as an ongoing process.

How can continuous learning be used in manufacturing?

When businesses don’t support continuous learning, manufacturing processes stagnate. This contributes to a lack of innovation and hinders potential opportunities for success that a company may experience.

In a nutshell, the more workers know and the more they can accomplish, the more they can contribute to business growth. This may consist of employees taking an online course or learning a new technique hands-on, no matter what department they’re in.

For example, assembly line workers may learn new manufacturing processes to ensure everything is functioning properly. Meanwhile, operators may study the latest machinery to learn new tricks of the trade.

What is workflow learning?

Workflow training in manufacturing involves learning while doing. This means that workers pick up new skills while on the job through hands-on experience.

The key to workflow learning is that it happens while employees perform their everyday tasks.

Many workers in the manufacturing industry work in shift-based environments, making it difficult for them to attend traditional classroom-based training sessions. With workflow learning, organizations can incorporate more learning processes into the everyday workday of frontline workers – essentially bridging the gap between knowing and doing. This “active learning” aligns with the Pyramid of Learning visual model that illustrates the different stages of learning and their relative effectiveness.

pyramid of learning

Active learning involves the learner actively engaging with the material, often through problem-solving, discussion, or application of the knowledge while they are on the job.

In general, active learning is considered more effective than passive learning in promoting deep understanding and retention of information. Therefore, learning leaders often strive to design learning experiences that involve higher levels of active learning, moving beyond the lower levels of the pyramid and promoting critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills.

How can workflow learning be used in manufacturing?

Workflow learning consists of using resources at your disposal to complete tasks. This strategy is sometimes referred to as performance support.

For example, workers can look up answers to questions, steps of a process, or new services while performing their jobs instead of interrupting their workflow to go to a class or training session.

Pro Tip

Active, or workflow learning can be implemented with mobile learning solutions that leverage connected worker technology and AI to provide workers with bite-sized, on-demand training modules that they can access on smartphones or tablets. These modules can be developed with customized learning paths that are focused on the type of tasks and work employees are doing on the factory floor.

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How can technology improve manufacturing training?

The nature of manufacturing training is changing in the age of artificial intelligence. Today, many training processes can be streamlined and optimized using digital and smart, connected worker technologies.

For instance, data collected from everyday manufacturing processes can polish training programs online. Experienced workers can share best practices on customized dashboards for other employees to access. These can be updated in real-time and show changes highlighted to better optimize manufacturing processes.

Digital training tools can also help improve learning speed and retention. For example, workers who need visuals or real-world scenarios can assess them using AI-powered software to maximize their training.

 

Augmentir is the world’s leading AI-powered connected worker solution that helps industrial companies optimize the safety, quality, and productivity of the industrial frontline workforce. Contact us for a live demo, and learn why leading manufacturers are choosing us to elevate their manufacturing operations to the next level.

 

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Generative AI Learning Copilots: Transforming Learning as We Know It

Watch Augmentir’s presentation at Learning & HR Tech 2024 and see how Generative AI Copilots transform learning and development in manufacturing.

Generative AI in learning and development has started to shape the future of HR across the board including attracting, developing, engaging, and retaining talent.

AI has revolutionized how organizations approach:

  • Talent acquisition – for smarter recruiting
  • Talent development – for skills analysis and performance evaluations
  • Worker relations – capitalizing on its ability to personalize employee relations
  • Workforce planning – leveraging its ability to make sense of data to perform more accurate forecasting and capacity planning
  • People analytics – using AI to make sense of employee data from an engagement and skills optimization standpoint
  • Performance management – relying on it for benchmarking and progress evaluation
  • HR operations – leveraging AI’s ability to automate and support onboarding and offboarding processes
  • Learning and development – using AI in everything from content creation to delivering personalized and adaptive content

generative ai learning copilots

However, Generative AI in learning and development has yet to make a significant impact on employees where it matters the most – in the flow of work.

This is where Generative AI learning copilots and AI-powered connected worker solutions come in. Together these technologies are transforming learning for frontline workers, improving onboarding, enabling learning in the flow of work, and driving more efficient upskilling and reskilling.

Watch our full presentation from Learning and HR Tech 2024 “Generative AI Learning Copilots: Transforming Learning as We Know It”, on-demand below.

Key Highlights:

  • Generative AI in learning and development has started to shape the future of HR across the board including attracting, developing, engaging, and retaining talent.
  • Deskless workers make up 80% of all workers globally and are underserved from a learning and development perspective, with 78% feeling they don’t have the right amount of training to succeed.
  • Generative AI Learning Copilots can generate training content, translate languages, provide real-time feedback, give on-demand guidance and answers, and serve as a digital performance support tool.

Generative AI Learning Copilots for Deskless Workers

Deskless workers, often referred to as “frontline workers”, generally do not sit in front of a desk and make up about 80% of all workers globally, they are on the front lines – in factories, at retail counters, construction sites, hospitals, and more.

While frontline workers and activities have undergone dramatic changes over the past few years, they are still woefully underserved from a learning and development standpoint.

  • 78% of frontline workers feel they don’t have the right amount of training to succeed at work
  • 65% want information on-demand and “in the flow of work”
  • Only 12% of HR operations leaders are actually satisfied with their L&D processes in support of their frontline employees

The reality is that traditional onboarding and training practices have been proven to be ineffective, however, much like AI has historically been used to improve the efficiency and output of machines, we can do the same with our frontline workforce.

AI learning and development tools and GenAI assistants can help:

  • Identify areas for content improvement, and implement those improvements
  • Measure training effectiveness
  • Create personalized, job-relevant training and curriculums
  • Measure and improve workforce effectiveness

Managing Manufacturing Workforce Challenges with GenAI Learning Copilots

The workforce crisis in manufacturing is accelerating and at the forefront of the minds of operations and HR leaders.

In fact, even if every skilled worker in America were employed, there would still be 35% more unfilled job openings in the manufacturing sector than skilled workers capable of filling them. Deloitte predicts that the skilled labor crisis will cost manufacturers upwards of $1 trillion by 2030.

In 2019, the average tenure in manufacturing was 20 years, the average time in position was 7 years, and the average 90-day retention rate was 90%. As of 2023, however, the average tenure is 3 years, the average time in position is 9 months, and the average 90-day retention rate was 50%.

These are representative of drastically different manufacturing realities. The workforce of 2019 is not coming back, and neither will productivity, unless organizations make significant investments and strides in supporting frontline workers with the appropriate tools and training. Luckily, smart connected worker and generative AI technologies offer a path forward.

Generative AI helps manufacturers answer:

  • What is the skills inventory of the team that is in attendance today?
  • Who can/should perform this work?
  • Who would benefit the most from targeted training?
  • Where should they focus on for process improvement?
  • What type of training would give them the biggest return?
  • What training materials need Improvement?

Generative AI-powered copilots and digital assistants can take this further, allowing frontline manufacturing workers access to vast amounts of knowledge in the flow of work when they need it most, helping to predict and prevent skills gaps before they impact production, and to design efficient and personalized development curriculums to shorten the time it takes for workers to be effective and competent in their positions.

Interested in learning more?

If you’d like to learn more about Augmentir and see how our AI-powered connected worker platform improves onboarding, training, skills management, and other learning and development aspects across organizations, schedule a demo with one of our product experts.

 

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How well can we really know our workers?

AI-powered technology may be the missing puzzle piece for today’s workforce crisis.

It wouldn’t be fair to attribute all of manufacturing’s current labor shortage woes to the pandemic–there are a lot of factors contributing to this frustrating situation, and many of them were looming long before we ever heard of COVID-19. Did it make things worse? Probably. And the forecast doesn’t look very sunny if you believe what analysts have to say about it. However, despite the current crisis, there is hope yet for manufacturing, specifically in the form of AI and Connected Worker Technology.

Sure, the face of the workforce has changed dramatically. The pool of potential laborers has shrunk. Businesses are being forced to hire people traditionally considered under-qualified. And that leads to a whole host of other complications, including a drop in operational efficiency, a rise in safety issues, and more. The pessimists out there would only see the threat to the global market these challenges pose–the manufacturing industry makes between 11 and 12 percent of the US economy after all.

Good thing we’re optimists at heart! Behind every challenge is an opportunity, as far as we’re concerned. And when it comes to this challenging labor market in particular, we see a huge opportunity for businesses to work with what they’ve got, and still reach operational goals. We have the potential to assess how every worker performs on the job, regardless of the experience and skill set they bring on day one, and use that information to improve individual and enterprise-wide performance. Puts a new light on the labor shortage, doesn’t it?

You can’t fix what you can’t see.

We know using data is important to directing and improving operations–that’s business best practices 101. But insights drawn are only as good as the data itself. And even though there can’t be many businesses out there who haven’t yet jumped on the digital transformation bandwagon, we suspect a lot still rely on outdated data collecting and reporting mechanisms. Those digital spreadsheets had their moment, but we’ve got better options now. Maybe you opted for a Bluetooth software program or distributing a digital survey for your workers. But even with those innovations, what do these data indicators really tell you? Is this reliable and usable information? We didn’t think so either.

Imagine what you could do with real-time data, rather than a summary of operational KPIs at the end of set periods? Even better–imagine capturing the performance metrics of each individual worker rather than their self-generated assessments and observations and having the potential to use that knowledge to improve their skill set and operational proficiency. That’s when data becomes intelligence. And that intelligence has the potential to become so valuable to your enterprise that you’ll wonder how you ever operated without it.

Not convinced you could benefit from data at that level of individual performance? Let us draw an analogy we think you’ll appreciate.

Think of each worker as a newly licensed driver; what happens after passing the road test?

Remember the day you got your driver’s license? We spent hours, if not days and weeks practicing behind the wheel, eagerly waiting to be evaluated by a driving instructor. And let’s be honest, plenty of us winged it, too. Either way, once you show them you can do a three-point-turn and know to stop at the flashing pedestrian crossing sign, everyone walks away with the proof of their proficiency–a driver’s license. 

Then what happened? Nothing. Maybe a celebratory high-five and then eventually years of driving. In one, five, or ten years, what do we know about each person’s capabilities? Unless they’ve wracked up a stack of tickets for traffic violations, we don’t know anything. For all we know, they haven’t sat behind the steering wheel since passing. There is no mechanism to re-assess whether drivers are highly skilled or at-risk of creating an accident in operations.

Now what if we looked at our frontline workers through that lens? You know when they were hired that they could perform X, Y and Z. Some could do even more. But what about after that? What if you could assign an AI-based driver instructor to follow each new driver around for ongoing assessment and intervention in the moment of need?

Put smart connected worker technology in the passenger seat

Adopting connected worker technology powered by artificial intelligence (AI) increases the reliability and credibility of data by analyzing employee performance in ‘real-time.’ That individualized data can be used to connect workers with a company’s digital library of training tools and resources, having an immediate impact on operational proficiency and cultivating a healthy learning environment for workers.

Connected worker technology that leverages AI offers self-guided learning processes when opportunities are identified, reduces human error and improves safety, provides updates on pressing issues and equipment failures and access to a variety of applications. Who wouldn’t want to work for an organization like this? One that offers a high probability of job satisfaction and encourages personal skill development? A culture like that can help the operation on many levels, from reducing operational costs to attracting new employees. 

What now? There is only one connected worker solution that can provide this level of intelligence on your workforce–contact us to learn more about how Augmentir can benefit your business and ask for a demo!

3 Ways Manufacturers are Using Technology to Train, Develop, and Retain Talent

AI-powered technology may be the missing puzzle piece for today’s workforce crisis.

AI-powered technology may be the missing puzzle piece for today’s workforce crisis in manufacturing.

Is it just us or does recruiting, training, and retaining top talent today feel a lot like searching for that one elusive puzzle piece? The seismic shift in the workforce is forcing us to get creative and be adaptable like never before.  It’s a new generation and if we want to be competitive in hiring in this ultra-competitive environment, we need to re-access how we train, develop, and retain talent, embrace the variable nature of the labor market, and meet workers where they are. 

We can no longer try to force-fit the old model of staffing and training into a space that looks drastically different. It’s not just about a labor shortage or the supply chain challenges created by the pandemic. Workers themselves are changing. What they want from work, and how they want to work.

The solution to this head-scratching puzzle? AI-based technology. Digital work instructions and individualized training and on-the-job support can improve productivity, reliability, independence, and safety for every worker. It offers flexibility in scheduling for operations managers. It reduces downtime. All of which contribute to a more efficient – and profitable – operation.

Sound too good to be true? Brace yourselves. It’s not. Here are three ways that AI-powered technology can help.

1. Moving onboarding and training closer to the point of work

Imagine if we could train and develop someone in the context of doing their work, leading to increased engagement and allowing organizations to retain top talent. Furthermore, we could see an increase in productivity as they constantly evolve their learnings.

AI is allowing companies to understand a worker’s skillset and provides the ability for personalized digital work instructions to guide them in the context of work while they are doing their job, whether it’s a new worker or one with dozens of years of experience. With an AI-based onboarding approach, organizations are able to hire a wider range of individuals with varying skill sets and get those individuals productive faster.

2. Give support at the moment of need

Are you a people watcher? We are. Ever take notice of who is on the factory floor? Last time I checked, we got the “newbies” and “veterans”. The variability of the workforce, both skilled and young, proves that there’s not a one size fits all approach to troubleshooting and performance support.

Enter AI.

Give workers the support and guidance they need, at the moment of need, whether it’s immediate access to a digital troubleshooting guide, or connecting virtually with a subject matter expert.  Delivering personalized work procedures for every worker allows for continuous learning and growth.

3. Improve engagement and retention

Workers that are connected and empowered with digital technology can discover and nurture diverse skills based on their unique competencies and experience. They can earn greater responsibility and independence. This increases confidence and job satisfaction. Which in turn can improve employee retention and slow the revolving door of continual recruiting and training. 

The aftermath?

Workers are likely to stay and want to grow in the company when they feel included. Shortly, workers begin walking with poise and a “can-do” attitude to their next job task.

 

What else is possible with AI-powered connected worker technology?

AI-based technology is ideal for training workers in this variable environment. AI-based systems individualize information about workers based on previous training and data-driven performance insights and augments their capabilities. It offers step-by-step guidance at the moment of need for regularly scheduled maintenance as well as troubleshooting. It helps managers learn about workers’ existing skills and build a rationale for specific roles, resources, and certification support and then make clear recommendations based on demands.

Technology should fit into your business as simply as sliding that last puzzle piece into place. Workers are the heart of your business, and you should adapt technology to fit your business, not the other way around.

Technology should fit into your business as simply as sliding that last puzzle piece into place. That includes how you train your workers. But no two workers are exactly alike. Each will learn and approach problems differently. So why not use the technology that recognizes and adapts to those differences to your advantage?

 

To learn more about how Augmentir can help you embrace this opportunity, contact us for a personalized demo.

Stop Panicking About the Skilled Labor Shortage in Manufacturing

Augmentir’s take on the trending Workforce Institute’s staggering survey numbers.

Everyone is talking about it. The skilled labor shortage. It’s not a temporary problem. It’s here to stay. So instead of panicking and trying to use the same old strategies to identify, recruit and retain the increasingly rare skilled and experienced worker, let us present a different way of looking at the labor challenge. Spoiler alert: we see opportunity!

But first, let’s unpack some recent survey findings about the labor market. 

According to a survey by the Workforce Institute, a whopping 87 percent of manufacturers are feeling the ramifications of the shortage of skilled labor, including staff misalignment along the production lines, burnout, and supply chain disruption. 

Finding workers with the right skills, education and certifications can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack–hopeless and painful. The shrinking talent pool is forcing companies to rehire former employees who previously quit with limited skills or individuals with no manufacturing experience; it probably feels like the only viable option for production survival.

Where do you start with this new variable workforce? Standardized training programs? Excel spreadsheets for tracking and monitoring? These methods pose a concern for all workers on your production lines, regardless of their experience or skill set. Who needs what training? Who is responsible for tracking productivity and capturing relevant data? How confident are you in endorsing skills and assigning production teams with limited or imprecise information?

The old way would have led to panic. Today, there’s a better, smarter way. Today’s variable workforce in the manufacturing world is perfectly suited to adopt smart technology that will reduce, if not eliminate, the challenges associated with the labor shortage. Remember that thing we said about opportunity? Here it is.

Stay calm and carry on: smart digital tech can have an immediate and direct impact on learning about and managing worker skills.

Imagine if you could learn about a worker’s skills by tracking their performance in real time, immediately deliver training resources tailored to them based on their proficiency and certifications and then match them confidently to a production team where they’ll make a meaningful contribution. Sound like wishful thinking? It’s not.

Smart connected worker technology can collect data on worker patterns by tracking their performance journeys. It pulls relevant resources from the company inventory to deliver customized training programs. With the right training in place workers are engaged and feel safe while performing tasks. And, your teams are equipped to meet productivity goals.

The labor shortage is just a statistic. A smart connected worker suite is the solution.

Augmentir’s smart connected worker suite closes the gap between training and worker execution. Digitized instruction and skills management programs display and organize workers’ proficiencies based on levels of expertise. AI-driven insights monitor and easily match workers with procedures by assigning skills criteria. This proprietary Smart AI technology intelligently prompts workers for continuous training and accurately identifies appropriate skills endorsements to managers, helping them create better production lines. It’s the only solution of its kind on the market.

Kylene Zenk, Director of the Manufacturing Practice at UKG sees opportunity, too:

“If you can offer training or can tailor a job to meet candidates’ flexible qualifications, filling open headcount becomes more realistic in a tight labor market.”

We couldn’t agree more. Find out more about how and why manufacturers are taking smarter approaches to building a strong talent pipeline with Augmentir. Contact us for a demo today.

Like peanut butter and jelly, skills management and work execution are better when served together

Smart Skills Management software is helping manufacturers bridge the gap between training, skills, and work to build a more resilient and agile workforce.

Where are you on your journey with adopting new and emerging technologies? Many manufacturers are jumping on the bandwagon for some of the latest tools that provide digital guidance to workers. Maybe you decided to implement digital work instructions to help workers safely and efficiently perform tasks. Or maybe you’ve bought skills management software to help you catalog and organize the skills and capabilities of different workers. But are either of these enough on their own to achieve all your production goals? Possibly, but unlikely.

Digital work instructions on their own deliver standard work guidelines but fail to consider the unique skills of each worker. Standalone skills management programs may offer a highlight reel of the skills and certifications of your workers but neglect to capture performance in real-time to provide accurate skills evaluations. Nor do they offer personalized training content needed to ensure workers perform their absolute best. Can we agree then these two features should go hand-in-hand?

One cannot exist without the other: Blending skills into the flow of work

In the past, standalone skills management systems were sufficient because:

  • Turnover was infrequent so line supervisors knew everyone on their team and their current skills and endorsements, making it easy for the supervisor to assign work safely and optimally
  • Investments in training, reskilling, and upskilling were performed either in a one size fits all approach or through a purely subjective or anecdotal approach

Today, however, a different situation exists.

Line supervisors are dealing with team members that they don’t know well, new ones starting every day, and experienced ones leaving.  This creates safety issues and makes optimally assigning work difficult as not only are the workers variable, but their skill levels and certifications are a constantly moving target.

An integrated, closed-loop skills management system is the solution for this era of high workforce turnover and absenteeism.

 

skills and work

 

Skills management solutions that combine skills tracking capabilities with connected worker technology and on-the-job digital guidance can deliver significant additional value. Data from actual work performance can inform workforce development initiatives allowing you to target your training, reskilling, and upskilling efforts where they have the largest impact.

It can generate an abundance of valuable data to provide tailored training support and skills endorsements and identify workforce opportunities. What else is possible? Imagine reducing training costs, optimizing job scheduling, increasing safety, and improving productivity. And now consider what will happen when you add smart technology to this all-in-one package.

 

intelligently assign jobs

The power of smart digitization! Skills management and digital work instructions together boost productivity.

According to Deloitte, organizations are shifting to a skills-based approach to meet the demand for agility, agency, and equity. Connected worker solutions that combine skills management with digital work instructions, collaboration, and knowledge management are uniquely suited to optimize today’s variable workforce. AI-generated insights are pulled from patterns identified across all work activity in real-time. These insights identify where new and experienced workers may benefit from either reskilling or upskilling.

This combination of smart digital technology can also leverage your training resources, such as instructional videos, written instructions, or access to remote experts, to deliver personalized guidance for the worker to perform their best. These tools intelligently work together to help you assign workers to procedures based on required skill levels. No second guessing! Augmentir is the only smart connected worker solution to intertwine these management tools with AI making it a powerhouse for optimizing your operations and meeting production targets.

 

 

Learn how Smart Skills Management software is helping manufacturers bridge the gap between training, skills, and work to build a more resilient and agile workforce.

Download our latest eBook – The Future of Work: Connecting Skills Management with Standard Work.

Download the eBook

 

Five Steps to Reskill and Upskill Manufacturing Workers

Learn the five steps to upskill and reskill manufacturing employees. Find out the benefits such as improving productivity and retention.

While the terms ‘upskill’ and ‘reskill’ in reference to manufacturing workers are often used interchangeably, they are not the same.

Upskilling refers to cultivating a worker’s skillset to help them excel in their current role. Meanwhile, reskilling involves teaching an employee new skills in order to transition to a new role.

For example, a programmer can be reskilled to become a systems analyst. Or workers can be upskilled to manage technology as more jobs become automated.

Half of all workers will need to be upskilled by 2025 as more jobs become digitized, according to the World Economic Forum. Workers will take on more critical thinking and problem-solving roles, leaving technical tasks to artificial intelligence and machine learning. Furthermore, the growing skilled labor gap in manufacturing has created a workforce shortage, and upskilling and training are becoming necessary to ensure production capacity is met.

Explore the following topics below to learn more about upskilling and reskilling in manufacturing, including a step by step guides to reskilling and upskilling manufacturing workers.

What does upskill mean?

Upskilling involves evaluating an employee’s existing skills and helping them to advance in their current role. It helps facilitate continuous learning by providing training opportunities to develop employee skills.

It can involve refining either soft skills or technical skills to fill workplace gaps. For instance, emotional intelligence is a soft skill that can be honed in leadership roles. Similarly, technical skills are needed in many manufacturing positions. Working with technology is a must as companies automate more and more of their operations.

An HR representative with data analytics experience, for example, can hone their skills to take on more specialized tasks. This can consist of taking a class to gain more knowledge or attending a virtual conference to learn about industry-specific technology.

Upskilling staff can help your business stay on top of industry trends and pivot in an ever-changing digital landscape.

What is reskilling?

Reskilling involves learning new skills to move on to a new role within a company. It’s also a cost-effective alternative to hiring new employees.

For example, an electrician may have excellent planning and job estimation skills. The organization could choose to reskill that worker to an estimation position instead of hiring someone from the outside.

Or an employer could reskill a production assembler to work as a maintenance technician. The new role may require taking a series of training courses and completing certain safety classes or certifications.

Reskilling and upskilling are efficient ways to retain a manufacturing workforce. Both provide opportunities to help workers grow and advance skills. Learn how to upskill and reskill staff with the following steps.

How to upskill manufacturing workers

It’s important to have a clear plan to upskill manufacturing workers:

Step 1: Assess current skills.

It’s crucial to map employees’ current skills. This data will serve as the baseline for measuring employee progress.

A great way to outline worker skills is through a skills matrix, which digitizes and helps accurately track skills across your organization. This can help identify any skills gaps that exist in current departments.

skills matrix

Step 2: Access skills needed for the future.

After assessing current employee skills, it’s time to identify any skills needed for the future. Keep in mind that these must align with any changes expected to occur in the manufacturing industry or in your long-term business plan.

Step 3: Create upskilling goals.

Set employee-specific goals. For example, you may want each worker to take training courses to hone job-specific skills.

Step 4: Match workers with new learning opportunities.

Workers can develop skills through new learning opportunities. It’s important to offer training and development opportunities that help workers grow and foster their skills.

Step 5: Monitor progress.

By this stage, you should have mapped employee skills and outlined which ones are needed. It’s important to monitor any progress made. Organizations that digitally track employee skills can map “what the worker has been trained on” to actual job performance (“how the worker is doing”) to create a true representation of proficiency gaps and upskilling opportunities.

skills job proficiency mapping

How to reskill manufacturing workers

If you’re looking to reskill manufacturing workers, consider the following steps below:

Step 1: Identify what skills need cultivating.

Pinpoint which skills are the most valuable and create training programs to train workers on those skills. Think about which new roles need to be created.

Step 2: Integrate upskilling.

It’s vital to start training employees and offering resources to advance skills. For example, training your workers on how to operate digital tools or a specific piece of equipment can help them take advantage of promotion opportunities down the line.

skills job proficiency mapping

Step 3: Customize learning plan.

Develop a plan of core learning opportunities for any skillsets that are needed now or in the future. For example, you can customize learning plans to specific roles.

Step 4: Test and adjust.

Developing a perfect reskilling plan on the first try is no small feat. Be willing to acknowledge any mistakes and fix them.

Step 5: Invest in budget.

Allocating enough financial resources for reskilling employees is vital to company growth. Modify your budget to make reskilling a priority.

Benefits of upskilling and reskilling manufacturing employees

Workplace roles are changing and expanding in the age of automation. This change can bring about skill gaps that need to be filled for a business to stay ahead of the curve.

Upskilling and reskilling manufacturing employees has a number of long-term benefits for employers, such as:

  • Boosts retention. Investing in your employees’ skills development fosters better relationships. Workers who feel valued are less likely to leave. Improving retention can save businesses money on hiring and training new workers.
  • Improves morale. Businesses that offer training and development opportunities help their workers grow and move forward in the company. This can help employees feel like they’re working toward something and not staying stagnant within the company.
  • Improves quality and productivity. Beyond retention and morale improvement, upskilling and reskilling can have production benefits. A more skilled and trained workforce can result in improved quality, productivity, and efficiency throughout your organization.

Looking to improve upskilling and reskilling within your organization?

Augmentir’s suite of smart connected worker tools helps manufacturing organizations create a more skilled and productive workforce. Find out how our software can make it easier to reskill and upskill manufacturing workers in your organization. If you’d like a demo, let us know and we’ll be in touch.