Situation
This American-based company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and distributors of pulp and various paper products, packaging, building products, and related chemicals. The company employs over 30,000 people and operates in more than 200 locations in North America, South America, and Europe.
This pulp & paper company used an interactive electronic training manual to support their operator training.
Challenge
The client has a mill with two linerboard paper machines with a combined annual capacity of one million tons. Two new fiber lines have been commissioned in 2016 and will be able to produce enough pulp to meet this capacity, while also improving paper quality and reducing the amount of natural resources to produce the end product. This will be accomplished by the enhanced ability to remove pulp rejects, improving fiber formation and strength. Operators require training on these new lines. The client needed a partner that could design and develop customized training materials for this purpose.
Solution
GP Strategies® was able to provide a flexible solution by creating customized Interactive Electronic Training Manuals. GP Strategies worked with the client to pinpoint four areas of focus for the training manuals:
- System Overview
- Equipment Description
- Troubleshooting
- Controls and Logic
These Interactive Electronic Training Manuals are designed to request information from the user, and based on that input, determine what information to display next. They have the ability to guide a user through different procedures in a way a paper manual cannot, creating a more robust learning experience. Interactive Electronic Training Manuals are taking training materials to the next level. Paper-based manuals have become increasingly costly to produce, and when using them, it is difficult to manage and track the progress of the training process.
Training Model
GP Strategies’ design of the Interactive Electronic Training Manuals is based on the GPM PRO training model. This task–based, multi–tiered approach provides all employees, with varying degrees of experience, the core skills and competencies they need to develop into qualified technicians and operators. The model comprises four levels. To progress through the different levels, employees must demonstrate their knowledge and skills at the completion of each level.
In addition to creating the Interactive Electronic Training Manuals, GP Strategies is also developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to enhance training consistency, operator accuracy, and a platform for continuous improvement. An eLearning overview module has been created as well to assist in the onboarding of new hires. A blended training model is used to incorporate classroom instruction, hands-on training, and online learning.
Results
By partnering with GP Strategies, the customer gained the necessary training materials and SOPs they required to complete their operator training prior to the new fiber lines being installed and commissioned. What was initially a customized solution transforms into a turnkey solution going forward. The client owns the Interactive Electronic Training Manuals and other training materials, so they can continue to use these tools when onboarding new operators. This way, each operator is trained in the same manner every time, thus creating an environment where training program sustainability can be achieved.
