In the day-to-day reality of manufacturing companies (and beyond), the role of continuous process improvement is more important than ever. Concepts such as Lean Management, Kaizen, Six Sigma, or Agile are no longer mysterious novelties
, and company executives and middle managers for whom these are still “some foreign fads” will either already have to, or will soon have to, face the consequences of a slow response to the ever-growing needs of today’s consumers.
Does innovation have to be a major, significant change?
Innovation doesn’t have to be something grand; often it’s just a change in a single element that, like the butterfly effect (
), acts as a small lever setting the gears of the revolution in motion. A good example of such an innovation is the change in Netflix’s algorithms, the result of the work of Anne Aaron and her team. This improvement allowed for better data transmission, thanks to which we can enjoy high-quality movies and TV shows even with a weaker connection. This change secured Netflix a solid position in the current market.
It could also be an idea that isn’t so much a response to the customer’s current needs as it is a strategic move to anticipate future preferences. Amazon introduced such an innovation, which allowed customers to make a purchase in its online store with a single click. This is now standard for every order placed at any online store.
It could also be a situation where Mr. Stanisław approaches the team leader on his own, reports the machine malfunction, shares his opinion on what went wrong, and then proceeds to fix it (assuming he has the necessary skills). Contrary to appearances, this kind of attitude isn’t as common as one might think. The attitude of “that’s not my problem; I’m not paid this pittance for that” is much more widespread—and not just on the production floor.
What makes a good employee at a manufacturing company?
Today, a good production worker is not, as was believed decades ago, a cog in a machine or an ant in an anthill. Machines and artificial intelligence are well on their way to replacing tedious human labor, but there is no machine, system, algorithm, or neural network that can replace human creativity and innovative thinking.
In light of history, the present, and the future, it seems essential to stimulate employees’ creativity, encourage them to share their ideas, document them (human memory is fallible), and test and implement the good ones.
How can manufacturing companies take advantage of new opportunities?
The WinWinBalance management tool is successfully used by managers at many different organizations, including a food manufacturing company, which we will use as an example. This tool consists of a mobile app and an associated online platform that serves three functions:
- Recording an employee's productivity for a given day.
- Recording of critical violations.
- Recording of positive and undesirable behaviors, including in areas such as collaboration with colleagues and self-management (behavioral categories vary depending on the company's profile).
- A registry of ideas and initiatives related to creativity and innovation.
The app helps identify the most engaged employees and, based on this, award various prizes and bonuses depending on each employee’s level of engagement. It builds and strengthens a culture of engagement, fairness, and a sense of agency among employees—it is designed to encourage desired behaviors and increase motivation to avoid undesirable ones. A clear correlation can be observed between team performance and the leader’s consistency in daily tracking of engagement—or the lack thereof—among their team members.
Submitting employee initiatives in the WinWinBalance system
The last of the app’s four features is the one that interests us most. It allows us to record innovative ideas and actions that go beyond the required scope of duties—actions that increase the efficiency of the entire facility or improve safety. Recording such innovations or actions serves as a form of recognition and appreciation (employee recognition) for the person who comes up with good ideas and/or implements them.
In summary, from the perspective of the topic under discussion, two issues are particularly important:
- Jotting down an idea or action.
- Increasing employee engagement in the following areas: additional initiatives, generating ideas, and implementing ideas.
Examples of initiatives registered in the WinWinBalance system
Here are some examples of employee ideas and initiatives, along with comments from their leaders:
Adaptation of the metal detector control system for the new machine
plant expansion design, comments on the energy balance, new furnaces
Preventing cardboard boxes from falling
Improving production workflow – an additional computer
Organizing the Product Cards folder
noticed and reported the need to correct an error in the product listings
solved the packaging issue at XXXX
painting the streetlights in the flower bed in front of the entrance
Solution to the problem of connecting the switchgear to the air conditioning system
He diagnosed downtime issues due to the lack of XXXXXX
Adaptation of the metal detector control system for the new machine
Independence and initiative in troubleshooting the operator panel at XXXXX
He solved the problem with the valve feed
XXXX – hidden names of machines and products
Example of registering an initiative in the Manager Panel
Employees who are withdrawn and reluctant to share their ideas begin to take the initiative themselves when they see that their colleagues’ ideas and actions are being recognized.
Some ideas are better than others, some actions are more significant (they add value), while others are less so, but every one is valuable. Each fosters a sense of shared responsibility, which, in the long run, is no less important for the company’s growth than even the most innovative idea.
If you’d like to learn more about how WinWinBalance works, please feel free to contact us—we’d be happy to answer any questions you may have! – Brad Consulting
