Focus on People in an Automated World Part II - The People Factor

People are often the unknown factor in assessing business growth, production, and even client relations. A machine shop can add many aspects of automation and artificial intelligence to improve production but people are still required for sales, programming, maintenance, design, administration, and a host of other services that create an efficient machine shop. We discussed the use of AI beyond the shop floor in a recent article and continue to focus on people in an automated world as the base that builds a strong business. Part I of this article focused on the relationship between people and machines. Here we discuss more of the people factor.

Employees

It has been many years since the labour force has been able to keep up with the changing automation and sheer production demand in manufacturing. The number of young minds entering the field of machining has been dwindling and the demand for careers within CNC machining has also been changing. Employers are wise to offer training and internal growth opportunities for staff. Moving machine operators into maintenance training or programming streams and fostering an attitude of leadership and ownership will encourage staff to stay invested in the company with a focus on collaborative success. Where machinists may have once seen little room for growth with a company, a variety of new career options are available. Expertise can be developed on particular equipment or software, and new positions in the company can grow their salary too.

Top-down management is shifting to a team approach. Involving staff in equipment reviews and plans help them feel invested in the business. Their input is often critical because they know the flow and bottlenecks in production. Investing in staff training may leave some employers leery at investing in staff who may move on to a new career somewhere else, but a Harris Poll survey shows that a very low percentage of people would consider leaving when training and opportunities are offered. It is costly to replace staff. Providing benefits and good pay will ensure you keep quality staff in an industry where many employment gaps simply can’t be filled.

Partners

Manufacturers partner with various suppliers of machines, tools, and software programs. Working with partners can provide great benefit to training staff, either onsite or at their facilities with new technology additions. One of our partners, Mastercam, offers several suggestions to train and engage employees. Their Mastercam University provides content in a self-paced virtual platform. They also work with schools and, of course, can train right in your shop.

While business volume may not be back to full production due to the tumultuous economy of the last few years, this may be good timing for your business to put some training initiatives in place. Investing when income is lower may seem counter-productive, but this is also the time you can afford to operate with some staff away benefitting from training programs. The advantage of well-trained and engaged employees will increase production, require less supervision, and reduce errors and injuries for better business moving forward.

Customers

Without customers, where would our business be? We need to consider clients as part of our team. Paying particular attention to their needs and requests will not only solidify our relationships with them but also may lead to additional customers from referrals or new processes they initiated that will serve a larger client base. Find ways to stay in touch with customers beyond transactional sales calls. Getting to know their business and their people will create relationships that improve longevity through trust. Even if things go wrong, there will be an opportunity to repair and move forward because of the focus on people.

But let’s not forget, the best way to serve customers is by having an empowered staff. That empowerment comes from developing each employee as a leader. The clear focus on people inside the operation will naturally translate to customer service at all levels: innovative ideas; improved quality; reduced production time. No matter what new technology brings into CNC machining the focus on people in an automated world will always bring the best ROI for your shop.