Employee training is critical in today's manufacturing environment, and one technique, in particular, has proven effective in training machine operators. Known as "shadowing," the technique provides trainees with firsthand, real-world insight into a specific role, its responsibilities, required skills, and working environment.
When trainees shadow an experienced individual, they not only learn faster, but they also gain a better understanding of the overall process. This is because they have ample opportunities to ask questions and interact with trainers.
To take its training program to the next level, plate and angle rolling OEM Davi Inc. uses shadowing, but not in the conventional sense of the technique. Instead of trainees shadowing trainers, the company reversed the process and has its trainers travel to customer shops and shadow their machine operators and other key personnel.
Davi's Shadow Program involves the company working as an on-site coach for customers to support their machines and operators. Davi service specialists and engineers shadow machine operators to refresh their training and offer advice as to how to optimize the efficiency of machines and any current rolling jobs. The company provides these shadow training sessions where and when needed and will tailor them specifically to each customer's needs.
The company developed its Shadow Program to work together with its customers and support existing Davi machines in the field. The program addresses three levels of new exposure situations involving operators, maintenance and management. These situations typically arise when operators were never formally trained and have relied on self-taught methods; when a shop's preventive maintenance program is managed by someone without proper machine maintenance education; or when a newly appointed manager has limited experience with fabrication processes such as angle or plate rolling.
For operators, Davi service providers shadow a shop's key employees, observe their CNC control capability, help them optimize their programs, and show these individuals how to run machines in auto mode whenever possible. Davi will also review a customer's current machine parameters with operators to strengthen their abilities and comprehension of the plate rolling machine and the overall plate rolling process.
At the maintenance level, Davi mentors a shop's key maintenance personnel, observes current practices, and interjects proper methods and procedures. The Davi team then develops maintenance timelines and reviews the shop's parts inventory and purchasing habits to help ensure faster scheduling and accurate completion of required maintenance. Additionally, Davi evaluates a shop's safety procedures and develops an advanced plan for periodic maintenance, parts acquisitions, machine calibrations, and reviews for continued machine operation improvements.
Davi developed its Shadow Program as part of the company's significantly expanded Service Division that helps ensure plate and angle rolling machine longevity and the utmost in efficiency and productivity for its customers. The Service Division supplies customers with more all-encompassing service and support that includes expert machine installation, large readily available stocks of spare parts and accessories, immediate response to service needs, preventive maintenance programs, and, of course, a customized Shadow Program.
For more information contact:
Davi
15107 Surveyor Blvd.
Addison, TX 75001
888-282-3284
www.davi.com