Case Studies
International Auto Manufacturer
Client Description
The client engineers body part components, paints and completes final assembly for car, truck and SUV products.
The Problem
United Autoworkers Union (of which the client is a member) believed that their membership would achieve a greater payout of performance bonus if each team member understood how the bonus system was structured and how they could personally improve the key measures of quality and efficiency.
The Company agreed that the desired performance level of their employees was contingent upon the team members understanding
the key measures of the program and how to achieve them. While
they had provided a bonus system, there was no formal training for the team members.
What was at Stake?
As part of the Union Membership program, improvement in quality and efficiency goals could deliver 25% more bonus per individual,
or $600 per year. For the Company, the improvement objective in quality, measured in First Pass Yield or “Direct Run” was planned
for 15% per year to best-in-class within three years.
The Need
Conceive an approach for training the team members about the bonus plan that would integrate the requirements of both the Union and
the Company.
The Proposal
- STEP 1: Provide facilitation between the Union and the Company to develop requirements, a training outline and a methodology.
- STEP 2: Write and construct training courseware based on Step One.
- STEP 3: Implement the training and measure the results.
The Project
Working with the Union and the Company’s Learning Group, Affinity Partners developed a Train-the-Trainer program that equipped the front-line supervisors to deliver training to their Team Members. This required development of three, one-half hour sessions for the Team Members and two hour-long sessions for the supervisors. The development included content, how-to-present and presentation role-play. In total, twenty sessions over five weeks were completed to train the 250 plus supervisors. The company’s commitment to the program was clear when the decision was made to stop the production line three times during all shifts to provide time to train.
Affinity Partners conducted many iterations of review with both the Union and the Company on content and delivery before reaching agreement and consensus. A final pilot was presented to a mixed audience of Team Members, Union representatives and Company management. All changes were integrated into the final presentation.
Because the Union was concerned that hearing-impaired team members receive the same presentation, Affinity Partners produced, directed and narrated a video version of the Team Member sessions with American Sign Language translation. Subsequent new hire training will incorporate the new program.
The Results
“The Train-the-Trainer sessions were well received and
the feedback we obtained from attendees was that both the content and delivery of the sessions were first-rate
and would provide the skills and information necessary
to successfully train employees.”
Reference Letter from Company Manager of Learning
“The goal of improving the two key measures of efficiency and quality is being accomplished. Since February, the quality measure—Direct Run—has improved from 54.7% to 59% for cars and from 55.5% to 74% for trucks. Both of these measures exceed the overall goal of 55%. As a result, Team Members are on track to earn the maximum payout this quarter.”
Reference Letter from Union International Representative
