by Mitch Emmons
Training Within Industry is a threeince 1976 Auburn Technical component proAssistance Center, Auburn gram that is the University’s affiliate of the ideal process for Alabama Technology Network training people and an Economic Development within an industry Administration University Center, has who are responsible helped business, industry and not-forfor training others profit entities learn how to improve and in job skills, monienhance their competitiveness and effitoring and effectiveciency through a variety of educational ly managing continand outreach services. uous improvement ATAC also works with manufacturing initiatives, and industries to provide training and expertdoing so with conise in the areas of Lean manufacturing, a sistent and proven philosophy that emerged from the Toyota results. production system and the Japanese “TWI is an automotive industry designed to remove American-develwaste and non-value-added elements oped process that from the manufacturing process. was extremely TWI course participants listen as ATAC Instructor Dave Devore describes the three Sustaining a continuous improveeffective in keeping TWI components of job instruction, job relations and job methods. ment initiative is arguably the most diffithe United States’ cult undertaking in a Lean enterprise. By industrial base resurrecting a training method develstrong and productive during World War and current Lean clients to transfer TWI oped to sustain the United States’ indusII,” says ATAC Lean Specialist Hank into those firms’ continuous improvetrial might during World War II, ATAC is Czarnecki. “But with the U.S. emerging ment system. showing companies that going back to as a victor in both combat and industriOne of those companies is AmTech the basics is exactly the catalyst needed al power, interest in TWI as a component LLC in Alexander City, Ala. to maintain continuous improvement in maintaining America’s industrial “Once we tried it, we quickly saw and maximize their investment in Lean. superiority soon faded. Post-war Japan how TWI can help us in not only conquickly seized the ducting our training more quickly and potential of TWI efficiently, but we also saw how it and used it to tremendously boosts quality, aids in launch and sustain standardizing our manufacturing its post-war indusprocess and the transfer of job skills trial prosperity. knowledge, as well as increases employTWI essentially is ee morale,” said AmTech Lean the foundation of Facilitator Cohen Vickers. what we know Manufacturers are finding that basic today as Lean.” methodologies that worked so well more Czarnecki, along than 60 years ago are providing compaw i t h ATA C nies already immersed in the implemenInstructors David tation of Lean and continuous improveHicks and Dave ment with a proven way to promote, creDevore currently ate and sustain standardized work; define are the only TWI and develop consistent work procedures; certified instructors and to do so through a system based on affiliated with the identifying and accurately reproducing AmTech President Roger Hendrick speaks to participants in a TWI open enrollment ATN. They are the key steps in the job process. class hosted by the Alexander City, Ala., company about how his firm utilizes and working with a C o n t a c t ATA C t o l l f r e e a t benefits from Training Within Industry. Looking on are ATAC Instructors Dave number of compa1.800.446.0386 or www.auburnworks.org. nies who are former Devore, left, and Hank Czarnecki.
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2008 Auburn Football Illustrated
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