People Development: A critical pillar in World Class Manufacturing

Nurturing Excellence: The People Development Pillar in World Class Manufacturing

Amid the relentless change of the manufacturing environment, a timeless truth reverberates with newfound urgency: "That which does not grow is destined for obscurity." In today's cutthroat industrial arena, survival and success hinge on an organization's ability to adapt, innovate, and relentlessly pursue improvement. At the epicenter of this ever-changing journey stands the People Development (PD) pillar—an indispensable pillar of World Class Manufacturing (WCM). It is the driving force that fuels the engine of progress, infusing WCM's best practices, knowledge, and an unyielding commitment to continuous improvement into the DNA of every employee.

Understanding World Class Manufacturing (WCM)

WCM is not merely a buzzword; it's a systematic, equipment-focused approach to continuous improvement. Its core objective is to optimize production effectiveness by identifying and eliminating losses associated with equipment and production inefficiency throughout the entire life cycle of a manufacturing plant. This pursuit of excellence takes shape through group activities that involve employees at all levels of the operational hierarchy.

Strengthening the Weakest Link

The PD pillar recognizes that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. It's all about empowering individuals by enhancing their skills and competencies. By doing so, it fortifies the organization as a whole. The PD pillar's responsibilities extend to various facets, including spreading knowledge about WCM principles, providing the organization with essential roles, establishing a clear vision of WCM's technical pillars, and fostering effective participation in WCM group activities. Moreover, it underscores the significance of managerial factors in the successful implementation of WCM.

The Foundation of People Development

Like other pillars within WCM, the PD pillar stands tall on three foundational elements: 6S, group activities, and visual management. The journey of PD begins with the identification of the skills required for daily 6S activities. PD then assembles cross-functional groups with the appropriate composition to facilitate optimum skill transfer among members. Visual management comes into play, offering a dynamic tool for assessing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats within the WCM structure. It also plays a pivotal role in facilitating knowledge sharing and retention.

Delivering People Development

PD is delivered through three key settings: best practices study sessions, classroom training, and on-the-job training. Best practices study sessions serve as forums for sharing successful approaches and reinforcing learning through success stories and case studies. Classroom training imparts theoretical knowledge about various WCM aspects, while on-the-job training allows members to gain practical skills through hands-on experience, reducing training costs and increasing efficiency.

Collaborative Development

The development of the PD pillar is a collaborative effort that involves extensive planning, risk assessment, environmental scanning, and consultation with key stakeholders within and outside the organization. PD draws strength from key WCM drivers and change enablers, shaping its approach to align with WCM objectives. The result is a clear methodology that supports the operationalization of the WCM structure.

The Four Levels of Skills

Skills, the cornerstone of PD, are classified into four levels:

1. Does not know: Lacking knowledge or experience.

2. Knows: Possesses knowledge but lacks practical application.

3. Knows and can do: Able to apply knowledge effectively.

4. Knows, can do, and teach: Mastery level where one can impart knowledge to others.

In PD, it's not enough to know how; members must have sufficient knowledge to understand why. This empowers them to uncover the root causes of issues and prevent problems rather than merely solving them.

Implementing the PD Pillar

Implementing the PD pillar involves five crucial steps:

1. Consider WCM Objectives: Understand WCM's key performance indicators and root causes of performance issues to address them effectively.

2. Assessment and Design: Define performance results, identify competency measures, recognize skill and knowledge requirements, determine training levels, and create evaluation tools.

3. Delivery Mode: Select a delivery mode that aligns with development needs and ensures interactive and engaging training.

4. PD Pillar Model: Apply the proposed model, focusing on rationale, objectives, activities, evaluation, and feedback.

5. Evaluation: Measure the impact of PD, including participants' satisfaction, changes in knowledge and skills, on-the-job behavior, process improvements, and return on investment.

The People Development pillar breathes life into the organization, nurturing a culture of continuous improvement and equipping individuals with the skills they need to drive success. As organizations adapt to the ever-changing landscape of manufacturing, the PD pillar stands as a stalwart, ensuring that growth remains a constant and that the chain never weakens but grows stronger with every link.