The first step to train and retain preventive maintenance technicians is to identify the skills gap between your current workforce and your desired performance. You can use various methods to assess the skills gap, such as surveys, tests, interviews, observations, or audits. The skills gap analysis should cover both technical and soft skills, such as troubleshooting, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. By identifying the skills gap, you can prioritize the training needs and design a tailored curriculum for your technicians.
What we struggle with is leadership has no idea what skills the mechanics actually have. So it is impossible to identify the gaps
But this has to be an ongoing process. Otherwise you and your technicians will become stagnant as the world around you progresses through technological, equipment and process improvements.
OTJ training is all I’ve experienced for the last 15 years at three different employers. Not much emphasis is put on newer techs other than experienced techs training them.
Premièrement vous ne pouvez pas recruter du personnel sur qualifié pour un poste et espérer qu’il va durer à son poste de travail: s’il est là c’est juste à cause qu’il n’a pas encore trouver mieux ailleurs. Deuxièmement, la plus part du temps les managers de maintenance ne connaissent même pas la valeur du technicien de maintenance préventive, il est sous estimé et pas très écouté le plus souvent: recrutez déjà des managers qui sont compétents pour espérer avoir une bonne fiabilité de l’usine.
Breaking down skills into Awareness, Knowledge, Skill, and Mastery levels is an effective strategy for identifying and addressing skills gaps in preventive maintenance technicians. This approach provides a detailed understanding of each employee's competency in specific skills, enabling organizations to pinpoint areas of weakness and customize training programs accordingly. By categorizing skills in this manner, companies can track individual progress, design curricula, and ensure a more comprehensive approach to skills development. This is particularly valuable in preventive maintenance, where a diverse set of technical and soft skills is crucial for success, ultimately leading to improved technician performance and job satisfaction.
The second step to train and retain preventive maintenance technicians is to provide ongoing training that is relevant, engaging, and accessible. You can use different formats and methods to deliver training, such as online courses, webinars, videos, podcasts, manuals, or simulations. You can also leverage the expertise of your senior technicians, vendors, or external trainers to provide mentoring, coaching, or feedback. The training should be aligned with your business goals, industry standards, and best practices. You should also evaluate the effectiveness of the training and measure the impact on performance.
Trade shows to learn about ways to perform PMs and inspections easier or .ore effectively are also a great way to show trust and empowerment to the front line technicians.
Rarely do companies truly invest in the level of training needed for the level of complexity of today's machinery. World class technicians need world class training. Electrical would include PLC programming, servo and drive control, networking, in addition to the traditional electrical knowledge expected. Mechanical would include precision maintenance, laser alignment, use of predictive/preventive tools, some machine shop, as well as the traditional mechanical knowledge expected. In today's high speed world of automation, yesterday's level of maintenance skills are not adequate. Employers also need to be aware that with these additional skills come additional costs. True technicians operate at an engineering level on a daily basis.
Every technician learns differently and remembers different parts of training. This plays back into step 1 in evaluating the technician. Repetition of the task and personal involvement by experienced senior techs will best verify understanding. For non-practicable task, Safety programs for example, consistent messaging by experienced leadership shows great results.
The leaders must understand that the P.M. completion is not the actual intended goal.The goal is to take and make enough time to teach as many truly interested people as possible what is important and how to keep the machine in good working order. New leaders don't always have the history of the machine and how we may need to service it under the specific conditions under we are using it. Many times the machine is being used other than its intended purpose and or external environment , like water, heat , cold ,physical abuse etc. Let's teach the new people everything we know. We should encourage new ideas?? always . Reward and recognition is a good practice.
Ongoing training required to every maintenane team member related to latest/specific equipments application, function, failure modes, effect of failures, and counter measures. Ongoing retraining is required in every failures and to be done by weekly basis in a small team. Re-training serves as reminders or refresher to a team member and re-assesment of preventive maintenance measures. Effective re-training is by actual equipment breakdown or a case study.
The third step to train and retain preventive maintenance technicians is to create a career path that offers opportunities for growth and development. You can use various strategies to create a career path, such as defining the roles and responsibilities, setting the expectations and criteria, providing the resources and support, or recognizing the achievements and rewards. You can also encourage your technicians to pursue certifications, licenses, or degrees that can enhance their skills and credentials. By creating a career path, you can motivate your technicians to stay and advance in your organization.
Absolutely. The only way to provide quality technicians today is to grow your own within the company. This way you have people who already have the knowledge of your policies and procedures which saves time and money.
My thought, technicians make the best chief engineers and those Chief Engineers become the best Facility/Site Managers. I truly believe that in order to properly lead, you should have had the opportunity to follow. Only then will you truly understand what your technicians deal with on a daily basis.
Considero que crear una carrera profesional, haciendo partícipe al técnico, de hacia donde se dirige su puesto de trabajo, y alinearlo con sus inquietudes profesionales, se consiguen grandes resultados para ambas partes
Establishing a clear career path is instrumental in retaining preventive maintenance technicians. Beyond defining roles and expectations, consider implementing mentorship programs that facilitate knowledge transfer and skill development. Encourage continuous education by supporting certifications or advanced degrees, aligning individual growth with organizational goals. Acknowledge achievements through a structured recognition system and provide avenues for upward mobility. Fostering a culture that values career progression not only enhances technician satisfaction but also contributes to a skilled and committed workforce, ultimately bolstering the effectiveness of preventive maintenance initiatives within the organization.
A proper development plan needs to be in placed. Staff are usually placed in certain grades, say grade 1, 2, 3, 4, while 5 and above need certain requirements to climb, for example a degree and what not. Though certain grade levels are there, the "how" to be promoted to the next grade, the criteria and chratacteristics of each grades, are often not clear. This leads to technicians being frustrated as they are not clear what they need to do to get promoted. A development plan shall have all this. This is criteria of grade 2. To achieve this, these are the trainings that needs to be attended. Assessment is about this topic. When all this is outlined, a technician at grade 1 now knows what he needs to go through to be promoted to grade 2.
The fourth step to train and retain preventive maintenance technicians is to build a positive culture that fosters trust, respect, and collaboration. You can use various tactics to build a positive culture, such as communicating the vision and values, soliciting feedback and input, promoting diversity and inclusion, or celebrating success and innovation. You can also foster a culture of learning and improvement, where your technicians can share their knowledge, skills, and experiences, and learn from their mistakes and challenges. By building a positive culture, you can increase your technicians' engagement and loyalty.
From my perspective culture has a massive impact. A positive culture will retain technicians. Investing in the team by providing the correct training and encouraging sharing of knowledge helps too. Compensation has to be on par with similar roles. Pay bumps for certifications and licensure helps. Not have a division among managers and workers also helps. Be one team. If there is a us versus them mentality it is really hard to develop a positive culture.
Preventative Maintenance Standard Work Instructions need to be written by competent persons with a full understanding of the equipment involved. The completion of the PM should involve tasks that help with the understanding of the equipment operation for technicians to increase their confidence and knowledge. Having Technicians with familiarity and confidence on the equipment will allow efficient fault finding if there is a breakdown.
Many maintenance teams suffer from a culture of pencil whipping and incomplete checks. Sometimes, this is the result of management seeking to ensure their KPI's are "met." Maintenance Managers should strive to ensure their KPI's are accurate first and foremost, even if that means your KPI's suffer initially. When I first started at Amazon, this was the culture I walked into. I made it clear that I was going to instill a culture of honesty in reporting. Once the data integrity goes up, you will get a better understanding of where your opportunities lie.
It definitely helps when your working within a team that's positive and work together, no matter how tough a situation might be. Low morale can cause underperformance and in some critical environments, can also open more room for error. Training also makes you feel valued and ensures your on the right track for career progression or just becoming a better and more skilled employee.
A business has to understand the importance of being proactive first of all, preventative maintenance is extremely important but some use KPIs as barriers. Stopping the line hits production but not carrying out preventative maintenance can be even more costly.
The fifth step to train and retain preventive maintenance technicians is to invest in technology that can enhance their productivity, efficiency, and safety. You can use various tools and systems to invest in technology, such as computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS), sensors, smart devices, or augmented reality. These technologies can help your technicians perform preventive maintenance tasks more effectively, accurately, and conveniently. They can also provide real-time data, insights, and alerts that can help your technicians make better decisions and prevent breakdowns. By investing in technology, you can empower your technicians and keep them updated with the latest trends and innovations.
Continuous training at every level is part of all organizations, especially in the technical and trade roles. New tools or software can undoubtedly save time and effort, making the technician's job easier and more rewarding. However, improper training will result in misuse, which could cause safety concerns, or non-use which will waste budget and moral. Many times third party training or manufacturer recommended training is best. With this, you can designate an "expert" from the group who can provide peer training while everyone comes up to proficient. Designating the "expert" again goes back to step 1 of evaluating skills.
The sixth step to train and retain preventive maintenance technicians is to provide feedback and recognition that can boost their morale, confidence, and performance. You can use various ways to provide feedback and recognition, such as regular performance reviews, constructive criticism, praise, or rewards. You can also use different channels and platforms to provide feedback and recognition, such as face-to-face meetings, emails, newsletters, or social media. The feedback and recognition should be specific, timely, and sincere. By providing feedback and recognition, you can show your technicians that you value their work and contribution.
Según mi experiencia, las reuniones cara a cara son muy efectivas para la retroalimentación y reconocimiento, pues se tiene la oportunidad de primeramente hacer notar las cosas que se están haciendo bien para luego abordar las oportunidades de mejora en las que se tiene que ir trabajando. Estoy de acuerdo también en que los reconocimientos deben de ser sinceros y específicos, especialmente los que son representados en forma de recompensa o premio, pues muchas veces se otorgan solo por el hecho de querer cumplir con alguna meta u objetivo de la compa?ía, o por el hecho de tener algún compromiso/amistad con el receptor.
This is huge. A paycheck is not enough, you need a culture where management recognizes the people on the floor and they feel appreciated. Otherwise, they are going to take a job at the place across the street for a nickel more.
El plan de formaciòn ademàs de contribuir con el crecimiento personal de los tecnicos, debe generar posibilidades de ascenso en la organizaciòn, la reubicacion para posiciones de otro nivel, promociòn de becas en universidades o institutos y el incremento en el beneficio salarial entre otros.
Dentro de um ambiente de trabalho é primordial oferecer programas de treinamento regularmente para manter os técnicos atualizados com as últimas tecnologias e práticas de manuten??o. Além do reconhecimento, recompensado os técnicos que demonstram excelência em seu trabalho, seja através de elogios, feedback positivos, prêmios ou oportunidades de desenvolvimento e carreira dentro da companhia!
Remember that when it comes to equipment maintenance, you will either schedule time for it, or the equipment will. If the latter happens, it will come at the cost of extensive downtime and require exponentially more resources to correct. Make sure your maintenance team understands how vital of a role they have, and how important it is for the PMs to be completed properly. On the other hand, make sure the operations team understands that without proper PMs, unplanned downtime will increase, and their throughput will suffer.
Some MMS tasks are seen as just tick boxes for audits, challenge your staff to see if they are in date or could be improved with pictures to make the tasks easier for everyone to understand. Make daily walks of the line or equipment, use your senses, 1- Eyes: is something different or out of place, 2 - Ears: Can you hear something different and 3 - Communicate, talk and listen to the operator who is there when you are not, these 3 steps cost nothing, take minutes and are in obtrusive but could find serious problems which could.
I totally agree, I encourage my apprentices to talk with their operators and setup personal. They are a great asset to have on your side when diagnosing issues and making repairs
Training and education is one of the important pillar of a company but some of maintenance leader did not aware of it. Without training and retraining it takes decades to a maintenance person to discover strategies and develop their skills but if the training is implemented they will be effective and reliable maintenance person in short period of time.
One is the responsibility as leadership is performance management indicated that you can evaluate the performance of the staff regarding his profession and be able to do the for Maintenace, then give a seminar and training for continues personal grow.