The workplace is a system full of interconnected elements that interact with and influence one another.
These elements include facilities, organizational hierarchy, workplace processes, equipment, workers, vendors, tools and much more.
In many cases, these relationships lead to desired outcomes, but can also result in negative, even unrecognized outcomes as well. As a result, plant optimization efforts should always take a "systems" approach, using systems thinking to lead to a more comprehensive, nuanced and accurate understanding of the complexity of the context in which we perform work, develop products and deliver services. This systems approach improves the learning necessary for plant optimization.
While systems include many elements, one of the most important elements to consider early in the plant optimization process is the workforce. This is true for two main reasons: first, because workers often have valuable insights into the way the elements at an organization interact and influence one another; and second, because organizations can play a role in helping distribute knowledge and skills throughout the organization using training and the principles of learning organizations. In short, the best learning occurs when workers are involved.
Many organizations have come to value approaches such as the human and organizational performance (HOP) approach to increase operational learning and tap into the insights that employees have about their workplaces. Practitioners of HOP often conduct "learning team" exercises, study normal work, and study not only failures and incidents at work, but also successes. Learning team activities bring forth essential information that's often not visible to managers. Studying normal work helps managers learn how workers handle complexity and variation on a daily basis, and studying successes at work makes it easier to create more success in the future.
Learnings acquired through HOP processes can then be channeled into employee training programs, including training programs for onboarding, continued skill development, career path progression and compliance as part of your plant optimization efforts. While much of this training is performed face-to-face on the jobsite or in a classroom, online learning plays a large and growing role at many leading organizations. Learning management systems (LMS) make it easier to manage and administer all training, including, but not limited to, online training; e-learning courses on essential topics that can help workers acquire knowledge and develop critical job skills; and instructor-led virtual training that provides an additional tool in one's online training toolkit.
Vector Solutions offers learning and performance-improvement tools for plant optimization efforts as well as sustained operations. Vector offers a purpose-built LMS to manage your training; e-learning courses for oil and gas, energy, petrochemical manufacturing, refining, industrial and facilities maintenance; mobile risk communication platforms; safety management software and much more.
For more information, visit www.vectorsolutions.com/BIC or call (813) 207-0012.
