What is Training Within Industry (TWI)?

Training Within Industry (TWI) is an off-the-shelf training package that develops essential leadership skills and enables supervisors to dramatically increase their performance. There are several TWI programs, each of them focused on developing one key supervisor skill. Trough TWI training supervisors learn to:

develop excellent jobs skills in their teams (TWI Job Instruction - TWI JI)
improve methods & processes of the work performed in their area (TWI Job Methods - TWI JM)
solve people-problems and motivating staff (TWI Job Relations - TWI JR)
anticipate and avert safety risks in people and their work environment (TWI Job Safety - TWI JS)
manage daily production in a way that sustainably improves results (TWI Production Management - TWI PM)
do and lead rapid problem solving to prevent problem recurrence (TWI Problem Solving - TWI PS)

All Training within Industry programs are short and hands-on, featuring practical 4-step routines that can be easily internalised through repeated application. Through repetition supervisors develop solid skills and daily habits that transform operations culture and boost operating results.

What is TWI Job Instruction? (TWI JI)

The purpose of TWI Job Instruction (TWI JI) is to use better on-the-job training to accelerate on-boarding of new employees and to improve the performance of experienced employees. TWI JI ensures that the trainees quickly remember exactly how to do their jobs efficiently, safely, conscientiously and above all to do it correctly every time.

TWI Job Instruction is an essential foundational skill supervisors require for on the job training, to stabilise processes and to implement and sustain standardised work.

Through the standardised TWI Job Instruction training program, supervisors learn how to deliver effective on the job training that ensures people reliably perform every task exactly the way it should be done to get consistently good results. TWI Job Instruction is a highly effective foundation skill to support standardisation efforts. By applying TWI Job Instruction consistently, organisations achieve stable, reliable process performance.

“Generally, work method variation can be traced back to faulty on-the-job training and follow-up”

The four-step method of TWI Job Instruction (TWI JI)

Participants of TWI Job Instruction training learn how to prepare Job Instruction Breakdowns that capture the know-how of the best workers. Writing good TWI Job Instruction breakdowns requires plenty of practice and coaching. Once a JI breakdown has been written and tested, the supervisor uses the 4-Step TWI JI Method to deliver highly effective and efficient job-skills training. Like all Training within Industry methods, TWI JI has four steps.

1. Prepare the learner

In Step 1 of TWI Job Instruction the job-skills trainer prepares the trainee for the training. The trainer states the job and finds out how much related knowledge and skill the person has. The trainer then motivates the trainee to learn the job, and places the trainee in the position where s/he can see and hear the instruction clearly.

2. Present the operation

In Step 2 of TWI JI the trainer presents the job step by step, following a carefully prepared breakdown detailing the performance-critical aspects of the job, as well as knacks and tricks shared by the most experienced workers. Each of the instructed key points is reinforced with a clear explanation why it is vital for the jobs success in terms of quality, safety or efficiency.

3. Try out performance

In Step 3 of TWI Job Instruction the trainee does the job repeatedly under the supervision of the trainer, who carefully spots & corrects any mistakes immediately. The expectation is for the learner to execute the breakdown exactly as it was demonstrated by the trainer in Step 2 of TWI JI, and to explain what s/he does, the key points, that is the precise technique of doing each important step correctly, and why this technique matters.

4. Follow up

Once the trainee has completed the supervised practice and ‘teach-back’ of the correct method of doing the job in Step 3, s/he progressively begins to work independently. In Step 4 of TWI JI is focused on practising the job and building the ‘muscle-memory’ to execute the job correctly and at the required pace. The trainer follows up with the trainee to see how s/he is doing, confirm that both the method and the outcome meet expectations and to answer questions. Finally, the TWI JI trainer formalises the employee’s certification to do the job independently and closes the period of follow-up and coaching.

“Squeezing method-variation is one of the most important responsibilities of supervisors”

Why are TWI Job Instruction (TWI JI) skills essential for standardised work and continuous improvement?

Thanks to ISO and other certification requirements, most businesses have work standards for their main processes defined on paper, including quality control plans, safety procedures, SOPs and work instructions.

But what we say we do and what actually happens on the process often does not quite match up. In many processes, people are still one of the most critical inputs. When you observe the work of operators and office staff, you often find plenty of differences in the way work is done across shifts, production lines and individuals.

This variation in job methods translates directly into output variation and mistakes. Squeezing method variation is therefore, arguably, the most important thing operations leaders can do to create stable, predictable process performance.

Generally, work method variation can be traced back to faulty on-the-job training and follow-up: training content might not be specified enough, too complex or delivered poorly. Follow-up is difficult or not done. This automatically leads to method variation on the process and affects outcomes.

Therefore, if we want to standardise work methods, we need to improve the way we train and follow up on the training. We need a simple and reliable training system: TWI Job Instruction - TWI JI.

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What is TWI Job Relations? (TWI JR)

The purpose of TWI Job Relations is to improve staff engagement, boost attitudes, behaviours and relationships and accelerate change. TWI-JR develops your managers’ and supervisors’ capability to build strong trust, collaboration and engagement of their teams. Supervisors get results through other people. Leading people, therefore, is one of the essential supervisor skills. Through TWI JR training, supervisors acquire practical skills at handling people - related problems

TWI Job Relations enables organisations to significantly accelerate process changes, and Operations Excellence & Lean Manufacturing / Lean Service initiatives. With this, TWI JR not only boosts the pace of process improvement and builds your competitive edge faster, it also does this with a much happier, more creative workforce than otherwise possible.

“Supervisors get results through people. Leading people is an essential supervisor skill.”

The four-step method of TWI Job Relations (TWI JR)

Participants in TWI Job Relations (TWI JR) leadership training learn how to prevent people-problems by making the Four Foundations for Good Relations part of their daily work. Supervisors practising the four foundations of TWI JR habitually give quality feedback and guidance, show appreciation for good performance, involve team members in shaping upcoming changes, and actively support the development of skills and job roles. By doing this, they prevent many people problems. When they do arise, however, supervisors need to be skilled in detecting problems early and solving them swiftly, fairly and sustainably. This is achieved by applying the four problem-solving steps of TWI Job Relations.

Step 1 - Get the Facts

In the first step of TWI JR the supervisor gathers all the facts related to the problem. By looking at what is known or recorded about the involved individuals (including written information about performance, attendance, achievements, disciplinary reports) as well as applicable rules and customs, the supervisor sets out to build a balanced picture of the problem. This data helps the supervisor to understand the problem context and evolution: did it start a long time ago, is it repetitive or a one-time occurrence? However, supervisors practising TWI Job Relations know that decisions should not be based on this kind of data alone. Before taking any decisions, it is critical to gather the opinions and feelings of the concerned individuals.

Step 2 - Weigh & Decide

In Step 2 of TWI JR the supervisor combines the facts into information that allows him or her to generate a diverse list of appropriate possible actions in line with company practices and policies. The supervisor then assesses the likely impact of each possible action by considering the effect of these actions on the supervisor’s objective, the individuals concerned, their team and the department’s performance. Particular attention is paid to including all of the facts available when generating possible actions, as this prevents the supervisor from ‘jumping to conclusions’ and taking inappropriate action. Based on this analysis, the supervisor decides which actions are likely to give the best result in Step 3 of TWI Job Relations.

Step 3 - Take Action

In Step 3 of TWI JR the supervisor takes a well considered action. The supervisor takes a final decision on what action s/he will take to solve the problem. She carefully considers her ability to handle the problem by herself or whether she requires assistance by a specialist experienced in handling this kind of personnel issues, colleagues of the individuals concerned, or whether she needs help in handling the problem consistent with relevant practices and policies. If the problem or action exceeds the authority of the supervisor, she refers it to her manager. Finally, before proceeding, the supervisor considers the timing of the action. The right action at the wrong time could have a negative effect on the department’s people or performance.

Step 4 - Check Results

In Step 4 of TWI Job Relations the supervisor follows up on the actions and their effect on output, attitudes and relationships in the department. Here again, timing is a key consideration, as the supervisor plans how soon and how frequently to follow up. Small adjustments or additional actions might be needed to fully solve the problem. Supervisors practising TWI JR know that when dealing with people-problems one cannot rely just on figures but must be attentive to subtle changes in people’s behaviours to know if the action is working.

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Use TWI Job Methods (TWI JM) to rapidly solve process problems, build robust processes and accelerate improvement

TWI Job Methods (TWI JM) develops your supervisors’ capability in leading their teams in rapid, continuous improvement. With TWI Job Methods, they generate and implement many more high-quality improvement ideas, boosting workplace ergonomics, product and service quality, shortening lead times and creating leaps in productivity.

TWI Job Methods (TWI JM) teaches how to quickly analyse the method of how work is performed and systematically question every detail so the method can be simplified and optimised. It also teaches how to test, sell and implement improvement proposals, so that process changes are fast and well supported.

By applying TWI Job Methods (TWI JM) consistently, organisations multiply their improvement capacity and accelerate the pace of continuous improvement. With the help of TWI JM training, rapid, team-based improvement capability can be transformed into a competitive advantage. Organisations that improve faster than their competitors stand out by consistently widening the gap in superior service, quality and productivity.

HOW DOES TWI JOB METHODS WORK?

TWI Job Methods removes the improvement bottleneck that slows down improvement by providing supervisors and their teams with an easy to learn, robust methods for optimising their own processes. Like all Training within Industry (TWI) skills, TWI JM follows a 4 Step Pattern that is practised frequently and becomes second nature to the improvement practitioners.

TWI Job Methods training makes classic process engineering and change management skills accessible to everyone, without losing its rigour. TWI JM develops hands-on skills in analysing and questioning methods and processes in detail, and then eliminating, combining, rearranging or simplifying each elements quickly to improve robustness and efficiency of the work.

TWI Job Methods accelerates change management. By providing everyone with a common improvement language, supervisors can collaborate more effectively with operators, engineers and business analysts in developing their ideas. TWI JM also teaches supervisors how to evaluate and sell their proposals effectively to their peers and managers, so that many ideas are rapidly implemented and deliver results.

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Use TWI Problem Solving skills to develop your front-line leaders’ capability in identifying and removing the true causes of complex production problems quickly and sustainably.

TWI Problem Solving (TWI-PS) enables organisations to raise people and process performance to the next level. It allows middle-managers and supervisors to leverage & enhance the benefits of standard work established through TWI Job Instruction.

TWI PS creates predictable, reliable performance through effective process stabilisation, and boosts performance though the development of simpler, more reliable processes & methods.

WHAT PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS DO SUPERVISORS NEED?

The ability to problem-solve rapidly and effectively is part of the essential skill-set of high performing supervisors. Problem solving requires supervisors to be able to work effectively at two levels: containment (short term, ‘stop the bleeding’) and countermeasure (longer-term, remove the cause, prevent recurrence).

At the first level “containment” supervisors must be able to quickly identify and enact measures that stop poor quality, keep production moving and people conflicts from escalating - and return to the normal, stable operating pattern defined in standard work methods. This skill is developed in our Leader Standard Work training program.

At the second level “countermeasure”, supervisors and middle managers dig deeper into the problem, understand its causes and develop longer-term solutions that prevent its recurrence and raise performance. This skill is developed through our TWI Problem Solving training program.

HOW DOES TWI PROBLEM SOLVING WORK?

Like all TWI skills, TWI Problem Solving is based on a 4 Step pattern that is meant to be applied & repeated frequently to build effective skills and establish new habits.

TWI Problem Solving unifies the skills of TWI Job Methods, TWI Job Instruction and TWI Job Relations into one simple, coherent framework. This means it rebalances the focus of problem solving, exploring in-depth people-related causes, not just process. It is therefore more effective and generates more sustainable solutions than other problem-solving frameworks which predominantly focus on technical aspects of the work.

Following a carefully scripted questioning pattern, supervisors learn how to reveal the true causes of operations problems. Based on this analysis, they learn how to formulate effective solutions, that generate rapid, sustainable improvements in operating results.

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Supervisor Standard Work training develops your front-line leaders’ capability in accelerating improvement & stabilisation of their processes. By re-balancing daily tasks, problem solving and people development, they run today’s production more effectively whilst building processes & people that make ‘tomorrow better than today’

In recent years the role of the supervisor has changed dramatically. They must acquire new leadership skills and improvement capabilities to succeed in today’s environment. They must fit new improvement, training and coaching tasks into their already crammed work schedules. Many supervisors struggle with this.

Through Supervisor Standard Work, organisations can ensure

all activities required to manage production & ensure improvement are carried out correctly and reliably
supervisors & team leaders transition to ‘process focus’ by ‘doing it’
performing the supervisors’ enhanced role becomes easier & less mentally exhausting
the capabilities developed through leadership & improvement skills training get locked in & deliver operating results faster
the pace of Operations Excellence and Lean transformation accelerates’

How does SSW Work?

Just as standard work for operators ensures products and services are made and delivered at the right quality, time and cost, Supervisor Standard Work ensures that all critical front-line leadership functions are carried out correctly & completely to assure optimum operating performance, as well as fast-paced people and process improvement.

Our Supervisor Standard Work training teaches first-line leaders and their managers how to prioritise daily management tasks and align leaders to stabilise processes and optimise performance.

It follows the success-formula of our Training within Industry (TWI) programs, and comes with a pocket-card that outlines a practical 4 Step problem-solving method enabling rapid skills development and sustainable culture change.

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Many organisations struggle to make the concept of daily, continuous improvement a reality. Improvement projects are in the hands of dedicated specialists, target big-step improvement and take a long time to complete. Front line employees & their supervisors are hard to get on board. Improvement is slow.

To get to daily improvement, we need to change people’s routines. Skills and habits are developed through repetition of simple patterns. In contrast, typical Lean training raises awareness but often does not lead to changed habits. Just knowing about something is not enough to make people act differently. As the Lean saying goes:

‘You can’t think your way to a new way of acting, but you can act your way to a new way of thinking.’

Kata (a term borrowed from martial arts) are practice routines that develop skills to the point that they become automatic, sub-conscious & easy.

Toyota Kata develops the improvement & leadership skills that enable fast-paced, daily improvement. It enables organisations to:

Quickly engage their workforce in continuous improvement
Grow their improvement capability (real, hands-on skills) & capacity (more people, more often)
Deploy operations strategy faster
Accelerate process stabilisation & Operations Excellence efforts

Our Toyota Kata training develops three fundamental supervisor skills:

Running fast-paced experiments to rapidly close performance gaps
Aligning team & improvement priorities with operations strategy
Coaching them to use the Improvement Kata effectively

As is the case with all other Supervisor Academy skills training programmes, Toyota Kata develops a common language for improvement that enhances collaboration between your people and shapes a distinctive organisational culture.

By aligning direction with common business and operations challenges & focusing improvement purely on obstacles that get in in the way of your operations strategy, rather than random improvement opportunities, Toyota Kata ensures the use of your organisation’s improvement capacity is optimised and better results are achieved much faster.

Toyota Kata develops your front-line leaders skill in executing & coaching fast-paced improvement.

It enables your organisation to engage your entire workforce in rapid, daily improvement (Kaizen) and to grow the problem-solving skills of supervisors & their teams. By doing this, Toyota Kata boosts the deployment speed & impact of your operations strategy & operations excellence program.

Our experienced Supervisor Academy coaches accompany you and your team from training through full deployment of Toyota Kata skills, provide guidance on how and where to apply them to extract rapid Return on Training Investment (ROTI) and how to ensure sustainability of the new habits.

As supervisors and teams integrate the new practices in their daily work, they quickly get better at improving & coaching. They develop the skills and capability that enable your organisation to accelerate the pace of your Operations Excellence journey / Lean program and generate stable, capable processes that deliver exceptional operating results.

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