In a lean environment, training is the last part of the production process to be transformed by the new approach to efficiency. While smaller work groups are streamlining steps and multitasking to eliminate waste and improve output, individuals continue to be linked to single skills or production lines, which limits their flexibility and stymies the facility’s ability to adjust to changing workloads.In this economy, where workers are competing both locally and internationally for a dearth of manufacturing jobs, the idea that a person only needs one or two skills is no longer viable, says Mike Meadows, manufacturing manager for Kaiser Electroprecision’s special products division. Kaiser manufactures defense systems and commercial aviation products that are extremely intricate. It often has hundreds of components that require detailed subassembly, but are frequently produced only a few times a year or in small batches of five or 10 units.

Meadows’ lean unit depends on cross-training through mentoring and custom-made CD-ROM and DVD-based training courses called QuickLearns. They maximize the capabilities of a small team so the employees can adjust performance according to need. “The high-complexity, low-volume nature of Kaiser’s work could otherwise have serious productivity implications,” Meadows says. “It’s hard to maintain an even flow of work across the facility.”

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