You've probably noticed that the average age of production workers is increasing, and retirement is approaching sooner. This has a few, but crucial, implications for the industry. What happens to valuable knowledge? In this blog, we'll share more about what you can do to address this issue.
Digitize Documentation
One of the best ways to safeguard your knowledge is by digitizing all relevant information. Take photos and videos of critical processes and procedures. Additionally, store information about machines and maintenance routines in one place for quick retrieval.
Implement E-Learning
E-learning platforms can be a fantastic way to transfer knowledge. Create courses and training accessible to all employees. This enables new workers to quickly acquire necessary skills and benefit from the expertise of the older generation.
Ensure that employees are encouraged to continuously update their skills. Changes happen rapidly nowadays, so staying current with the latest technologies and methods is crucial.
Simplify with Applications
Applications can automate repetitive tasks, making it easier for older workers to stay productive and transfer expertise to younger colleagues. This not only saves time but also ensures a smooth transition between colleagues while retaining valuable knowledge within the company.
An example of this is paperless Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Organizations can develop, share, and update digital SOPs, improving operational efficiency and reducing paper usage. It's an intuitive and flexible approach to streamline business processes and meet compliance requirements, resulting in a modern, sustainable, and optimized workflow.
Stay Open to Change
Be willing to change and embrace new technologies. The digitization of processes is an inevitable step in modern production. By embracing these changes, you contribute to knowledge retention and the future growth of the industry.
Real-World Use Cases
An organization with experience in this area is Pop Vriend Seeds (PVS). They automated production planning with low-code. The entire planning was in Excel, orders were processed on paper, and their ERP did not support all their complex business rules. The solution that works for PVS is an application in Mendix that automated the entire production planning. This made the process much faster, provided real-time insights for both the production and customer service teams, reduced the chance of errors, and created a flexible layer around their ERP, making it easier to implement changes.
Not only at Pop Vriend Seeds but also at Weener Plastics (processes automated through business rules in an application) and VDL Nedcar (automatic planning), business processes have been automated using Mendix. Curious about what we did there? Click on the links to read more.
The aging of production workers doesn't have to be a cause for concern. With the right approach and technological tools, we can preserve valuable knowledge, secure the future of the industry, and streamline processes. Together, we can ensure that the wisdom of older generations is not lost but passed on to those who follow. At Emixa, we have years of experience in automating (critical) business processes.
Want to know more?
There are plenty of opportunities to drive forward digital transformation in the tech industry. Would you like to improve the digital state of your organisation? And are you looking for a partner who can help you achieve this goal? In that case, Emixa is the right fit for you. We translate complex issues into simple, user-friendly IT solutions that accelerate your digital transformation and take your business to a higher level. Don’t hesitate to contact us. We would be delighted to meet you!
