The Perils of Poorly Trained Operators

Given today’s softening manufacturing talent pool, turnover is rarely avoided. And, when employees retire, get promoted, or leave for a better opportunity, what’s often lost is their expertise and experience in a machine’s operation.

But even when operators are in place, too many of today’s printers and binderies believe they can successfully compete without providing them with proper training. Often that’s because they have already made significant investments in a new machine purchase or a legacy upgrade, and the additional training cost seems like an arduous expense, or one that can be finessed with a cheaper alternative.

That often involves hiring a third party (i.e., non-OEM) to install the machine at the lowest price possible. That installer also provides the operator training. The problem that arises is that this installer’s focus is typically on price and speed—not quality and production. So you may be getting a great deal on the equipment, but if it’s running at half its productivity in the first month alone, you’ve essentially erased any savings you had hoped to gain.

So the reality is this: operators who are not trained properly are draining your profits. Here’s how:

Productivity losses. When a machine is not running at its optimum, this all-too-often results in time-laden make-readies and eventually costly downtime that’s caused by breakdowns, followed by expensive emergency repairs. These situations can also invite exposure to customers who assume their products are being produced expertly and efficiently.

Safety issues. No matter what type of equipment, operating machinery has inherent safety concerns. These concerns are always explained and reinforced during OEM-directed operator training sessions. The OEM also points out the functions that require more attentiveness, including knife changes, working around hot glue, and proximity to moving parts. It goes to reason that the money spent on proper training is a more sensible (and proactive) solution than having to deal with an injured employee or OSHA.

Laissez faire morale. Workers who lack proper training are not vested in the performance of the machine they operate. They tend to accept status-quo outcomes simply because they haven’t been trained to achieve optimum results. But, making the investment in training—and your employees—means that they will:

• Reach maximum productivity levels in the shortest time possible
• Operate the machine safely for themselves and their surrounding co-workers
• Know when something starts to go wrong—before incurring costly downtime

Offer ideas for process improvement for the entire operation
So commit to proper training from an OEM professional. And benefit from a safer, more productive, more efficient operator. And one who is a better moneymaker for your company.

Fred Jones is National Service Manager at MMNA. Muller Martini’s MMImprove provides highly knowledgeable OEM-customized machine training for supervisors and operators at your site or at Muller Martini. Email us for further information.