Lean Manufacturing Sparks the Return of Training within Industry (TWI)
article courtesy of allbusiness.com
 

In an era of global competition, American manufacturers have looked to the principles of Lean Manufacturing - eliminating waste in the manufacturing process and doing more with less - as a way to stay competitive. Yet in their attempt to go Lean, many manufacturers have hit a ceiling.

Lean Manufacturing puts much of the responsibility for improving operational efficiency on the workforce. Lean requires a flexible, mobile, highly skilled and knowledgeable workforce. It is about cooperation between supervisor and workers, about sharing ideas, moving away from "Do what I say" to "Can we do this together?" And that's where many manufacturers have hit the ceiling. They have not been able to improve because their workforce has lacked the training to take on a more critical, global responsibility. And for every day the workforce has been without that training, more ground has been lost against the competition.

With speed a critical factor for success, some manufacturers have turned to a tried and true on-the-job training system that was developed when the lack of worker training did more than just threaten a competitive edge. With much of the American workforce at war in the early 1940s, manufacturers needed a quick, efficient way to bring unskilled workers up to speed to produce the machines of war. Training within Industry (TWI) was born.

The system focused not on training the unskilled workers, but on training their supervisors to effectively teach the necessary skills in a step-by-step learn by doing process to achieve the goal of unprecedented productivity. After World War II, the TWI system was used to help Japan restore its manufacturing capability and served as the basis for Toyota Motor Corporation's highly successful manufacturing methods.

In America, TWI faded into the history books until the recent rise of Lean manufacturing thanks to increased global competition. A few years ago, The TWI Institute was founded by the not-for-profit Central New York Technology Development Organization, with the hopes of reviving TWI as a training solution for American manufacturers. The institute offers hands-on learning and practice for supervisors, following many of the TWI concepts developed in the 1940s.

Today, TWI follows the same three-part system as was used during WWII, with modifications for teaching technology. The three training elements include:

• Job Instruction (JI)
• Job Methods (JM)
• Job Relations (JR)

Job Instruction (JI) trains supervisors to teach standard work to factory workers by breaking down a process into its individual steps and then observing and coaching the worker as he/she performs the process ensuring that the skill is learned. Job Methods (JM) takes JI one step further - supervisors teach workers to analyze each step within a process to find areas for improvement: to eliminate, combine, rearrange or simplify steps enhancing the manufacturing process. TWI hinges on the third factor - Job Relations (JR) where supervisors are taught how to create and sustain a positive work environment, with strong communication and cooperation.

TWI solutions are being implemented throughout the country, in a variety of industries. What was once a footnote in the history of American manufacturing is now helping companies sustain Lean Manufacturing and win a competitive edge in the global market. For more information on Training within Industry, contact CONNSTEP at 800.266.6672.