MRO Today - Matlock preps them for real life

Matlock preps them for real life

by Paul V. Arnold

Inexperienced assembly workers make mistakes. It's a fact of life. But what if you could do something to ensure that those mistakes didn't hurt you? Didn't damage the new hire's confidence? Didn't damage valuable product? Didn't impact production?

The Stinger factory inside Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, Ariz., did just that.

The production center, which makes shoulder-fired, surface-to-air
missiles, created a training room where employees learn their job with "real" parts, and learn from their mistakes before taking a spot on the shop floor.

"The first thing companies do is put a new operator on the floor with another operator," says Stinger production manager Tom Stamps. "They're working on production hardware and, invariably, someone breaks something. It's inevitable. Our idea was to take the scrap, bring it in this room and give that new operator scrap to work on and play with until they are confident to come out. They don't work on the floor until they're trained, comfortable and able to do the job."

Debbie Matlock, MRO Today magazine's MRO Pro for April/May, is the Stinger area's trainer.

"I show them the ropes," says Matlock, a 15-year veteran of the plant who has worked in Stinger area since 1995. "I get them ready."

Matlock has little if any teaching experience. She did take a three-day course when her co-workers elected her to the position of training room Career Enrichment Program instructor last year. What she does bring is knowledge about Stinger's production processes. She knows the area's operations inside and out and is able to explain technical subject matter in a personable, conversational manner.

"Dealing with a variety of personalities can be a challenge," she says. "Also, some people pick things up slower than others, so you have to be patient."

On an employee's first day, Matlock takes him or her on a factory tour and introduces the person to managers and co-workers. Then, she meets with Stamps and decides the employee's specific training program.

Student and instructor then view videos or DVDs on assembly methods. Matlock provides info and commentary. After that, the employee practices on scrap parts.

Training can take anywhere from a week to a month. The new hire isn't rushed to graduate.

"It's pretty much a mutual thing," says Matlock. "If I feel someone is ready, I'll ask, 'Are you comfortable going out there and doing the job?' Some say, yes, but others tell me they aren't comfortable yet. That's fine. I want them to be honest. If the person isn't ready, they'll stay another week and then we'll talk about it again."

The training program is a phenomenal success.

"Because of the training, our rework has dropped to just about nothing," she says. "The mistakes are made before they work with product. I actually have to search to get scrap in here."

Matlock frequently gives presentations on the training room to other RMS factories, and leads room tours to companies benchmarking the plant's best practices.

This article appeared in the April/May 2000 issue of MRO Today magazine. Copyright, 2000.