If a production line only works correctly when an experienced master is present, the problem lies not with the master but with knowledge being confined to a single person. If the product bill of materials, machine setting, operation sequence, quality point and the action to be taken in case of error are not recorded, leave, shift change or personnel separation may slow down production. The aim is not to diminish the value of the master; to transform years of experience into a production standard that will not be lost and can be transferred to new employees.
Experience develops in the individual, production standards remain in the company
The master's intuition and problem-solving ability are valuable. The correct method of repetitive work should not be left to memory alone.
Signs That Production Is Tied to a Single Person
The same person is asked before the order starts
The amount of material, process order or setting value is searched in the master's memory, not in the system.
Shifts produce the same product differently
Since there is no written method, quality and duration vary depending on the employee on the shift.
When the error repeats, the solution is searched again
Since the previous problem, its cause and the applied correction are not recorded, the information is reproduced.
New staff learn just by watching
Since there is no training sequence, supervisor and qualification criteria, adaptation to the job varies from person to person.
10-item Production Information Checklist
For each item, answer not only whether there is documentation, but also whether it is actually used in the field and kept up to date.
Have critical jobs and employees who know these jobs been identified?
List any machine, mold, product, quality control or customer specific processes that a single person knows about. Identify at least one backup learning candidate for each critical piece of information.
Are product bills of materials and operation orders recorded?
Raw material, semi-finished product, quantity, waste share and operation order should be defined on a product or variant basis. How to set up a bill of materials In the BOM and bill of materials guide and review it.
Are machine settings stored on a product or mold basis?
Speed, temperature, pressure, time, tool, apparatus and initial part settings should not remain only in a notebook or personal note. The date of revision and the person who approved the setting should also be recorded.
Are quality control points and acceptance criteria written down?
It should be clear what will be measured in which operation, the acceptance interval, sample frequency and who will be informed in case of non-compliance.
Are the actions to be taken in abnormal situations defined?
When machine downtime, material discrepancy, quality deviation or measurement error occurs, the operator must know the steps to stop production, separate, and report.
Are the visual work instructions up to date?
Instead of long text, use right-wrong application photos, process sequence, critical measures and safety warnings. Make sure the instruction is field accessible and the latest revision.
Is there a backup staff and task transfer plan?
Not only the name of the second person who knows the critical job, but also the level at which he can work independently and what applications he has completed should be recorded.
Is the order and responsibility of new personnel training clear?
Establish a training sequence for occupational safety, product knowledge, machine use, quality control and error reporting. Determine the instructor and completion criteria for each step.
Are training and qualification results recorded?
Following training is not the same as doing the job correctly. Establish a qualification record through application observation, sample result or supervisor approval.
Is the currentness of the information checked regularly?
When the product, material, machine or method changes, the bill of materials, settings, instructions and training content should be updated together. Keeping the old instructions in the field is as risky as working without documentation.
How many items can you say “yes” to with confidence?
First remove critical work and information left in one person.
Complete the records with field usage and currentness.
Maintain backup, proficiency and revision checks.
How Does Information Turn into Corporate Memory?
Watch the master’s work
Extract steps, decision points and exceptions.
Create bills of materials and instructions
Combine text, photos, dimensions and control points.
Try with another employee
Verify that you can follow the instructions alone and get correct results.
Record the change
When the new method occurs, remove the old record from the field.
Do not separate instruction, training and actual production from each other
Digital training content includes what staff are taught; The production record shows the bill of materials, operation and settings with which the job was done. For educational approach Korgün ERP online trainings, for the process structure production management guide and review it.
Personal Excel files and instructions kept in different folders can obscure which is the current record. These risks In the production tracking guide with Excel You can evaluate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it enough to put the master's knowledge in writing?
No. The instruction should be implemented by another employee, the result should be observed and the missing decision points should be completed.
What information should be recorded first?
Works that affect production the most when stopped should be started with settings that only one person knows and applications that directly change quality.
What should be in the visual work instruction?
The sequence of operations, correct and incorrect application, critical measure, tool to be used, quality point and safety warning should be clearly displayed.
When should information be updated?
When the product, material, machine, mould, method or quality criterion changes, all relevant records should be reviewed together.
To support the master's experience with work order and operation records production tracking module You can examine its scope; Work instructions and training order should also be prepared.
Make your production information individual-independent and traceable
Let's evaluate together how your bill of materials, operation, instruction and training records can be managed in a common structure.