Articles by CBAssociates

Published, Newspapers and Technology, December 2000

When Training is a Knowledge Transfer System there is Joy

When newspapers are deciding which equipment to purchase the training programs can be important considerations. Training can be a critical element in the decision making process on large acquisitions.

The expectations of the buyer and the offering of the seller can cover a wide spectrum. On the buyer's side, it could range from a feeling of "give us the equipment and we will take it from there", to requiring massive training efforts.

On the seller's side, it can be a process that is limited to demonstrating how to operate the equipment, to suggesting the staff spend many days away from the newspaper in training sessions.

The programs run from informal systems to textbook examples of correct training techniques and material.

The results can range from the buyer feeling the results were unacceptable to a feeling that there should have been more or better training.

On the supplier's side they can quickly point out that startup could have been more successful if there had been skilled operators, the staff had better attitudes, more people were made available for training, or not purchasing enough of the training packages.

Most employees and many managers feel they do not receive enough training. Survey after survey reconfirms this testimony.

I have never been to an operation that thought training was done perfectly. Training, it seems, is a bit like the song that states there is not such a thing as "too much fun."

Executives do not sign blank checks, but it has been my experience that most support training and are less likely to cut these costs than other aspects of the purchase. So, if there is financial support for training, why is it there are problems with equipment startup?

There can be a significant difference between customer's expectations, such as no delays in publications or customer complaints and suppliers who are equipment focused.

Most training systems are based on everything going right. The instructor will discuss the affect of water being too high and that causes more ink to be added. The recommendation is to reduce the water if they encounter this problem. In actual practice, the operators only reduce water as a last resort because the bridge between theory and the practical application has not been established.

Recently, I visited two plants that were running the same press and installed within a year of each other. One is running the water and ink correctly and the paper is nice and dry with minimum set off. The other is running it too high and they have set off. The managers seemed to be similar in knowledge and are motivated. Same supplier, same training program, same training period, but different results.

There were, of course, differences between the crews and the trainers, but it illustrates that a training program of a supplier does not guarantee equal knowledge transfer.

Many executives expect training programs to yield the same results as would be provided by experienced crews.

On press installations it can take up to a couple years before the crews gain enough experience to run the new press, so the results are as dependable as the old equipment. It takes time before many reoccurring problems surface and the crew learns how to resolve them quickly. On auxiliary equipment there are too many examples of the equipment collecting dust because there were problems the training did not prepare them to handle.

A supplier can see training as a function to perform. Spend a given amount of time teaching or demonstrating how to use the equipment and get paid…end of obligation. Suppliers would not admit this is their policy, but there are enough examples to confirm it exists.

Training is to experience what a foundation is to a house. The more knowledge transfer that takes place during the initial training means the shorter the experience learning curve.

We could use up this entire column to list what buyers do wrong, such as not making the people available for training, and what suppliers do wrong, such as expecting the buyer to make the crew available when it is convenient for the instructor. Both lists would be honest statements of how each did not do what was necessary to ensure success.

Most suppliers of major equipment have significantly improved their training programs over the last several years. The problems that still exist most often are because knowledge transfer does not occur from the training program and the expectation gap between what is bought and what is provided.

The fundamental gap is typically the difference in goals. The supplier develops a program to teach people how to run the equipment and maintain everything to factor specifications. If that is done, they feel the results will be good.

The buyer's expectation could be their crew will be transformed into world class operators that once and for all will eliminate all editorial, advertiser and circulation complaints and do this with training costs that is at benchmark level.Happiness is when our expectations are realized. Joy is when they are exceeded. Understanding these basic differences in the training process is the first step toward creating training programs that are Knowledge Transfer Systems.

Doing this, and meeting your overly optimistic budget, will bring great joy to you and the publisher.

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