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MODAPTS Blog

Talent: The Future Supply Chain’s Missing Link

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According to a 2013 research study – over the next decade we may find that talent is the missing link in our supply chain. It follows that companies are actively recruiting as well as mentoring high-value talent, while there is a major shift happening within talent management today. The study was conducted by a group called Supply Chain Insights LLC. The results were objective and independent, and revealed current markets trends for supply chain talent and it’s current availability as they connect to future trends. The research conducted by Supply Chain Insights is intended for application to the supply chain manufacturing industry to better predict short falls and other critical events that can cause a destabilization of the industry. Industry Response: Supply Chain Management Talent Shortage Solutions The study goes on to report that many manufacturing administrators remain unaware of the impending shortages. They also fail to take into account the potential solutions that can be reinforced immediately to protect a company from the shortages hitting too hard or too soon. Within the executive overview of this study – it was announced that there is no debate over the facts of the results. The impending talent shortage for supply chain management is facing a crisis. Yet nowhere in the text of the response, were there reports or even mention of the effective response to this shortage that many in this industry have already wisely attended to: namely – the critical value of establishing predetermined time standards to address effective and efficient performance of specific supply chain manufacturing tasks within key positions. Predetermined Time Standards Clearly the manufacturing industry is experiencing the dawn of a new era. Much to everyone’s chagrin, when companies go to the market to recruit, they are discovering the competition for manufacturing supply chain talent has never been tougher. The result of this reality is that more often than not – smart manufacturing supply chain leaders are turning to the use of predetermined time standards, like MODAPTS, for reliable productivity measurement, while making cross training and cross talent pools even more accessible within their enterprises. In this revealing study, more companies rated themselves as worse than their peer group in managing supply chain talent. This ratio was 2:1. In the study, when companies were asked to self-assess their capabilities for managing their supply chain talent, 17 percent reported that they perform better than their peer group while 34 percent reported that they did worse. Currently there is a rolling 15 percent turnover within supply chain employees. In the report -, 46 percent of companies try to hire from within the company. 17 percent fill roles mostly by recruiting talent from other supply chain manufacturing companies. The current dynamics of supply and demand make it challenging to fill an open position within this supply chain manufacturing industry. Most of these companies have open positions that remain empty for up to four months. This pain is more than critical. The average company in the study has four positions open for five months at a time. The most difficult positions to fill are in the areas of planning. These require both a technical mastery of technology and an organizational understanding of the business drivers. Only 23 percent of companies responding to the study enjoy the benefits of a planned cross-functional training program for existing employees. In the predetermined time systems, MODAPTS, MODular Arrangement of Predetermined Time Standards is the easiest to learn and simplest to use system available. This study points out the need for cross-functional skill development. Why not make MODAPT training for mid-management supply chain management leaders part of your world class company? With the provision of MODAPTS efficiency and effectiveness results in greater profitability every time. Are you interested in learning more about how predetermined systems can be used to train and teach your employees? If so, contact us for more information. We have helped others, maybe we can help you too.

MODAPTS Blog

Rethinking How You Develop Work Standards

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In today’s fast-paced world of global competition – organizations need to keep their processes on the cutting edge. This includes the training of your employees as they cycle through their assignments on their upward trek within your organization. When it comes to the process of training – people should always rotate through – avoiding a rotation of the fundamental training itself – be it finance, marketing, product design or manufacturing. Key Training Overview The key to a solid foundation and growing strength for any organization is the robustness of the training curriculum itself. This means the classes should be developed for both an overview – as well as being in depth enough to provide competence and quality when taking the next steps. This process should include methods that deliver consistent job performances and approaches that make it possible to more simply cross-train for back up of critical positions. It should also include methods that heighten the awareness of trainees to the standard amounts of time that are required to perform and complete an average task that is commonly conducted by numerous other workers. Company Upward Mobility Subject matter technical experts should be groomed for leadership or senior department positions as “go to” people for each class of new hires that come into the company. Experienced guidance is a critical element when it comes to quality training, class design and implementation. Utilizing the most talented workers and actively honing their talents for the benefit of the company is an efficient way to garner greater levels of loyalty and effectiveness. Creating Reasonable and Profitable Work Standards One essential aspect of establishing work standards that are effective across the field of trainees – is the comprehension of the value of time standards for task performances. When reliable work standards are developed and effectively communicated – they can have a permeating effect across entire work force in a manner that establishes highly productive work performances. When the culture within any organization shares a comprehensive overview of performance standards – it can assist in the further development of goal setting and realistic projections of any time-dependent process across the organizational landscape. MODular Arrangement of Predetermined Time Standards, or MODAPTS, is one of the most commonly utilized approaches to determine reasonable expectations for the time required to complete a defined task by a typical operator. Cross-Training for Greater Flexibility and Understanding Having well established predetermined time standards for commonly conducted tasks is also the best way to stabilize a company’s work ethic within its internal culture. Anytime workers become alert to commonly established norms – and a culture of competition and goal setting is also encouraged – there can be a dynamic community of loyal and motivated participants. Cross-training of employees is a key and dynamic way to approach the perspective of worker equality and worker engagement as active team members working towards similar or identical goals. Cross training also encourages greater awareness and overview as to the underlying structure of how and why any company is organized in the manner that has been established. Rethinking the Development of Work Standards If you are part of an organization that can improve its company culture or one that needs to enhance its training programs for current and incoming employees – it would be beneficial to consider exploring the MODAPTS training curriculum before further designing your own program. Expansion towards even greater profitability lies largely within the realm of accurate time projections, and efficient labor management. When focusing on these target areas – the enhancement of efficiency, effectiveness and quality reputation management is always much more attainable. Are you interested in learning more about how predetermined systems can be used to train and teach your employees? If so, contact us for more information. We have helped others, maybe we can help you too.

MODAPTS Blog

Tools and Equipment for Material Handling Operators

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According to Michael Levans, Group Editorial Director of Supply Chain Group, this year’s Warehouse and Distribution Center DC Operations Survey, reducing operating costs continues to be the top priority for professionals in charge of warehouse and distribution center (DC) operations—yet they have little no new capital to sink into improvements. So when it comes to optimizing the number of employees required to keep a production line stocked JIT with the correct parts- there are many options to consider before implementation which help support getting your materials handlers to optimal levels. Material Handling engineers can help you find the right equipment to lift, rotate, transport, position and dispense material or equipment in the safest, most effective manner your world class manufacturing environment and process requires. Various Material Handling Equipment Regardless if you are working with parts in containers-totes, handling materials on pallets or transporting loads or loading and storing large metal coils – there are methods and processes to make every job safer, easier, ergo friendly and much more efficient. Even when utilizing these time, labor and energy-saving tools or equipment – anytime any company also applies time and performance standards for measurement using a predetermined time system will provide–even more operator efficiency because non-valued added movements are exposed. Lift Tables Portable lift tables come with both powered and non-powered mobile and stationary scissor-lift versions. There are standard tops available along with rotatable tops and tilting tops.  You can also find stainless steel construction. Some companies even make lift tables for material handling to suit the exact physical size as well as lift capacity of the user. Container Tilters A significant increase in productivity for an assembly or manufacturing process comes with eliminating the need for laborers to dig through containers of parts. Container tilters can dramatically improve productivity and safety.  It is critical to position baskets so that parts can easily be accessible without stretching, bending, or reaching. Turntables These are both powered and manual. They come in a variety of sizes and capabilities designed specifically to meet your needs. Pallet Handling And Stacking Equipment Manual stackers benefit from a rugged, ergonomic design.  Simple to use, they are highly maneuverable and support capacities up to 3,000 lbs. and lifting heights up to 80 ft. Lift is accomplished by simply pushing a button embedded into an ergonomically designed comfort-grip handle. An indicator provides charge status at-a-glance and also includes a charger. Coil Up-enders Coil up-enders let users upend palletized metal coils to a coil cart safely. A load-deck rotates 90 degrees, inverting the coil so it’s ready for loading. Up-enders are available with a full variety of capacities. Coil Transporters Coil transports provide movement for metal coils both to – and from coil storage – to stock reels. They arrive ready for positioning onto a stock-reel mandrel. Transporters are best-suited anywhere movement of coils using cranes isn’t practical. Jib Cranes Invest in jib cranes to load metal coils onto coil reels – for skid mounting and transport by fork-truck. Jib cranes are placed at the coil payout device. This allows your operators to use a coil hook, lifting the coil from a pallet and manipulating it onto a reel mandrel or into the nest of a coil cradle. Jib cranes also work to position other loads to work station positions. This is needed most where overhead cranes and/or use of fork-trucks is not possible. Jib cranes can be designed to a customers’ application needs. So summarize the aforementioned equipment, rare is the manufacturing, warehousing or distribution facility that does not suffer from some amount of space limitations. Maybe inventory has exceeded current capacity, or perhaps the footprint of the facility limits expansion possibilities. The point being the proper equipment can help to improve most any operation. The Value of Predetermined Time Standards for Material Handling Tasks The accountants help us determine the value of our equipment investment. Material handling engineers can help you select from multiple kinds of device designs for lifting, manipulating and repositioning materials and assembly-line products to ensure we get the best value. They can also help support predetermining time standards by planning the ergonomics of an operators movements. I think most engineers and companies “get that.” I believe the true “valve” of your labor, however, comes from your efforts to engage them in what they do. The true value of any company is in the creativeness of their employees. I believe there is no better example of the age old adage “knowledge is power” in a manufacturing facility then where an employee is engaged in the decision making process. Going forward, the trend in labor strategies within socially responsible companies is to focus on the individual more than the production numbers. Remember Edward Deming? It seems like a lifetime ago already – but he stated, “People support what they help create.” In the November’s addition of Industry Week, Rick Bohan, principle of Chagrin River Consulting states, “It’s not that the value of labor is ignored, it’s that it is not thought about in many organizations.” To learn more about how predetermined time standards can help your organization directly involve your employees in the creation of labor standards please contact us.

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