Introduction
In factories and production sites, training is a strategic lever that is often under-exploited. Between mandatory certifications, regulatory approvals and job-specific training, manufacturers juggle a multitude of skills that need to be kept up to date.
Production and HR managers see it every day: without a reliable training tracking system (See the Training platform), the consequences can be manifold - operators placed in positions without adequate qualifications, audits that turn into nightmares, or even retirements taking valuable know-how with them. The performance of production sites depends directly on the ability to train, monitor and develop the skills of each employee.
1. The challenges of industrial training
Regulations and audit requirements
Industrial sectors are subject to strict regulatory requirements. The pharmaceutical, agri-food, aeronautical and cosmetics industries, for example, must comply with standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice).
In the event of an audit, one question always comes up: can you prove that your operators are properly trained for their jobs? Without training traceability, companies run the risk of non-compliance, penalties or even loss of certification.
For example, in the aeronautics industry, regulations require that training information be kept for up to 15 years for accident investigation purposes. This traceability is becoming a critical issue in guaranteeing compliance.
Loss of know-how and turnover
The departure of experienced employees is a major risk for industrial sites. According to data from the Observatoire de la Métallurgie, by 2030 almost 43% of industrial technicians employed in 2015 will have ceased their activity. This situation is exacerbated by a turnover that reaches 33% in some sectors.
Without a structured training follow-up and skills transfer system, companies risk losing valuable know-how built up over the years.
Versatility as a response to production challenges
Faced with production fluctuations, unforeseen absences or technological developments, team versatility becomes a competitive advantage. Good training follow-up enables us to identify employees capable of working in different positions, and to plan the necessary skills upgrades.
2. The limits of traditional methods
The trap of multiple Excel files
The situation is often the same in many plants: one Excel file for regulatory approvals, another for technical training, a third for tracking assessments... This multiplication of tracking tools leads to confusion and wasted time.
At SEW USOCOME, prior to the digitization of their processes, no fewer than 50 separate Excel and Word files were used to manage skills and training. This dispersal of information made a coherent overall view impossible. (View SEW Usocome results)
The difficulty of keeping data up to date
When training tracking is based on manual files, updating becomes a real challenge. Information stagnates, authorization expiry dates go unnoticed, and managers waste a considerable amount of time tracking down and checking data.
At Villars Chocolat, skills were only updated once a year before the process was digitized. This insufficient frequency prevented us from having a reliable and up-to-date view of the skills available on the site. (View Villars Chocolat results)
Lack of global vision and traceability
With dispersed tools, how do you quickly know which operators can replace an absent colleague? How can we identify the critical skills held by a single employee close to retirement?
Furthermore, during audits, the quality manager often has to spend hours collecting evidence of training from different systems, with no guarantee of completeness.
3. How to set up effective training follow-up
Digitizing the training process
The first step is to digitize the entire training process - from the definition of needs to the evaluation of acquired skills. This transformation enables :
- Create standardized training paths for each position
- Integrate evaluation questionnaires directly into the tool
- Validate skills by electronic signature
- Automatically generate training certificates
At LVMH Fragrance Brands, the digitization of training tracking has enabled us to move from an annual review of skills to a quarterly update, considerably improving data reliability. (View LVMH Fragrance Brands results)
Centralize training and skills data
To solve the problem of dispersed information, it is essential to centralize skills data in a single tool. This approach offers several advantages:
- A dynamic skills matrix accessible to all hierarchical levels
- Clear visualization of each operator's skill levels
- Monitoring of regulatory clearances and their expiry dates
- Rapid identification of critical or poorly shared skills
Interconnect systems (HRIS, ERP, etc.)
Optimal training follow-up relies on interconnected systems. The challenge is to make HR tools interact with production systems in order to :
- Automatically retrieve employee data from HRIS
- Integrate absence and presence information from GTA
- Connect production needs (from ERP) to available skills
- Enable direct access to training documents from workstations
This interconnection avoids double entries and ensures consistency of information between different departments.
Automate skill expiration alerts
Setting up automatic alerts for expiring skills and authorizations represents a considerable gain. As one HR manager at Exxelia explains, "I no longer have to worry about keeping track of critical authorizations or skills that are due to expire, as Mercateam sends me a reminder several months in advance."
This system makes it possible to anticipate training needs and organize retraining before skills become obsolete, thus ensuring continuity of operations in full compliance.
4. The benefits of optimized training follow-up
Time-saving for managers and supervisors
The first tangible benefit of optimized training follow-up is that it frees up managers' time. By automating training-related administrative tasks, managers can concentrate on higher value-added activities such as supporting teams or improving processes.
Increased versatility of teams
Structured training follow-up helps identify skills gaps and implement targeted action plans to develop versatility. This methodical approach generates impressive results:
- At Lisi, the versatility rate increased from 20%
- Shiseido saw a 34% increase in the versatility of its teams
Versatility also strengthens the company's resilience in the face of production contingencies. In the event of absence, peak activity or reorganization, having operators capable of working on different jobs is a major asset in maintaining performance.
Securing audits and compliance
In sectors subject to strict regulations, securing audits is a critical issue. A high-performance training follow-up system enables you to :
- Respond to listener requests in just a few clicks
- Demonstrate mastery of skills for each position
- Prove the validity of regulatory authorizations
- Maintain training history
At Unither Pharmaceuticals, digitizing the process has enabled us to meet the requirements of pharmaceutical standards while considerably simplifying audit preparation. Managers can now quickly extract proof of training, with impeccable traceability.
Enhancing employee skills
Beyond the operational aspects, training follow-up plays a key role in enhancing human capital. By making the skills acquired and the progress made visible, the company recognizes its employees' efforts and stimulates their commitment.
In concrete terms, this enhancement translates into :
- Greater recognition for in-house experts
- Clear visualization of possible career paths
- A sense of professional advancement for operators
- Increased talent retention
Mercateam has thus contributed to putting people back at the center of the plant, in line with the challenges of Industry 4.0, which requires teams to continuously upgrade their skills.
5. Feedback: concrete results
Examples of successful transformations
Feedback from manufacturers who have optimized their training programs bears witness to far-reaching changes in skills management:
SEW Usocome has completely rethought its operator qualification process. By digitizing its skills matrix, the company was able to make the integration and training of its employees more reliable. Over 450 paper training binders and 20 computer files were eliminated in favor of a centralized system accessible to all.
Valrhonaa specialist in top-of-the-range chocolate, faced growth of 15% in a context of high staff turnover (20%). Thanks to optimized skills management, the company was able to structure its training courses to respond more rapidly to the need for versatility. Training time has been considerably reduced, enabling new employees to be integrated more effectively.
Measurable performance indicators
The benefits of optimized training follow-up are reflected in concrete performance indicators:
Reduce administrative costs:
- Reduction in the number of Excel files (35 deleted at SEB, 14 at Shiseido)
- FTE savings on administrative tasks
- Reduction of paper printouts (elimination of 450 training folders at SEW Usocome)
Improving skills management :
- Increased versatility (+34% at Shiseido)
- Reduced training time (divided by 4 in the aeronautics industry)
- Frequency of skills updates (from annual to quarterly at LVMH)
Optimizing compliance :
- Reduced audit preparation time (divided by 3 at Lisi)
- Anticipation of authorization expiries (alerts up to 3 months in advance)
- Complete traceability of training paths
These indicators show that investing in a high-performance training tracking system generates a rapid return on investment, both financially and organizationally.
Conclusion
Investing in the digitization of training follow-up is not just about saving time and money. It is part of a broader approach to developing human capital, the real asset of industrial companies. By placing the operator at the heart of its skills development strategy, industry can face the challenges ahead with confidence.
