Director of Manufacturing at Trojan Batteries for Lithium Product

samples and then modifying the racks to the specific needs. Mobility is important; therefore, I always insist on adding wheels. 

Cross-Training 

The industry standard is having three operators trained per station to cover absenteeism and turnover. My protocol is to have all operators trained in all workspaces of the manufacturing plant. While the process can take a few months with some operator pushback, it is worth it. While training employees in multiple areas is timely and intensive, it is more cost-effective down the road, mainly by reducing scrap. By doing so, employee retention is higher because there is flexibility in their position, and they are better equipped for promotions. Give your team the opportunity and tools to succeed. 

In my years as a leader, I have extended this exercise to indirect employees as well. I have found indirect employees more apt to take advantage of this opportunity by providing them with online training. This is because indirect employees have tended to have limited knowledge across the board, and online training provides them with the opportunity to learn at their own pace without embarrassment. Even if they only grasp 30 percent of the material, that is still 30 percent more than ground zero. 

Respect the Health and Safety of the Team

The daily Gemba should not be limited to managers and leaders. Including operators in the process gives them a sense of ownership and accountability. 

In manufacturing facilities across the country, there is a lack of oversight and care for the health and safety of the employees. Companies feel like they do enough by providing coffee and snacks in the workplace or giving out gym memberships. A leader needs to respect what the employees are doing on a daily basis and the toll it can take on them.

"The team needs to know that the leader is capable of doing, not just delegating

I worked in a facility that was predominantly women. I saw them lifting product that was well over forty pounds. Women in the facilities are not supposed to lift more than thirty at a time. While it is expensive and time-consuming to speak with suppliers and reconfigure packaging and the allocation of parts to make each component lighter, it is a necessity to ensure that we are looking out for the health and safety of our employees. When you show respect, you earn respect.

Keep Your Team in the Loop

Visual management should not be limited to leadership and customers. It should be for the entire operations team. Operators spend over eight hours a day on-site and are the most critical to the plant's success. Sharing targets and forecasts creates transparency with the team (see pic 3). I have found the best practice to include employees during Gemba reviews.

Team members that are efficient and effective need to be recognized in the plant. I always implement a system that evaluates my employees so they are able to gauge their performance. This also allows us to build improvement plans for internal growth (see pic 4). 

Normally neglected in a plant is the area that contains the non-conforming parts. Improper stacking, parts left without their original packaging, and misidentification signal that there is disorganization and a lack of pride in the plant. When this area is clean and organized, it propels the facility to a world-class plant.