How to Build Ownership of Your New Material Handling System
By Greg Hammack, Project Manager
You may be familiar with some of the most common reasons that material handling system implementations fail. The usual culprit cited is improper operation due to inadequate training, substandard design, or poor human interface.
The most common failure, however, occurs when employees fail to take ownership of the new system. There are many aspects that can contribute to lack of ownership, but the results are the same: disinterest in solving problems, missing project schedule milestones, and failure of continuous process improvement.
When employees feel ownership for the system, they take pride in its operation and the results it was designed to achieve (e.g., improved service, cost savings). They are interested in continuous improvement of the system’s operations, addressing issues with the new system, and measuring performance of the system and the facility’s operations.
But just how do you encourage this attitude? Read on for general and specific ways to promote employee ownership of a new material handling system.
Encourage ‘Own It’ Attitude
Providing adequate operations training is an obvious way to help improve ownership of the system. Trained operators have more confidence in performing their duties using the new system. They are also quicker to identify and solve problems. Less obvious methods include:
- Formation of a Transition Team – During the design phase of the project, build a cross-functional team whose responsibility it is to lead the operations organization throughout the implementation, from the design phase through activation. The team should include members from operations, maintenance, operations support, and the system implementer along with representatives from all shifts. Once the team is formed, it should be thoroughly trained and subsequently empowered by management to make day-to-day decisions regarding system implementation. During the installation phase, the transition team is responsible for communicating with the rest of the organization. This includes providing project updates and describing the operation of the system to future users.
- Empowerment – Operations employees, and particularly the transition team, should be given power by the facility’s management to get involved with the design, installation, and activation of the material handling system. Furthermore, the transition team should have responsibility for implementation planning and communication.
- Early and comprehensive involvement – It is best if involvement by operations begins as early as possible in the project life cycle (even during the design and planning phases) and continue through go-live. The employees involved should come from not only the operations organization, but also from all parts of the enterprise that are involved in the system (maintenance, operations support, management and so on).
Ways to Get Involved
A typical material handling project can be broken down into three phases:
- Design – At the beginning of the design phase, the material handling system is conceptualized. Next, a high-level design is developed, followed by a detailed design. Upon completion of this phase, the system has been designed and procurement and installation is ready to begin.
- Installation – This phase starts with the procurement of material handling and controls equipment specified in the design phase. The facility may need modifications to building structure, power, air, etc., in order to accept the installation of the equipment. The material handling equipment is then received and installed in accordance with installation plans developed during the design phase. It is also during this phase that the system’s equipment, controls, computers, software, and networks are integrated with each other and with existing equipment and computer systems. When the installation phase is complete, the system has been installed and tested and is ready for operation.
- Operation – This phase begins with the activation (go-live) of the material handling system and beneficial use by operations. The initial part of the operation phase is the ramp-up, where the system is incrementally brought online or different areas of the facility or functions are incrementally added.
As you can see, there are many ways for employees to get involved and develop ownership during these three key phases.
Participating in the Design Phase
During the design phase, there are several opportunities for personnel to become engaged. The most obvious opportunity here is for operations personnel to provide input in design reviews. Operations—the people who are most knowledgeable on the facility’s operations—can provide valuable insight into the system design to ensure an ergonomic and efficient operation.
Operations personnel should also have input into the design of the material handling control system’s graphical user interface (GUI). Early looks at the design by operations folks on the transition team will also facilitate subsequent operations training.
As for maintenance personnel, they can provide input into the design process regarding maintainability of the new system. This ensures that all system components have critical spares and equipment that needs frequent maintenance is easily accessible.Contributing to the Installation Phase
During the installation phase, the transition team works on developing and documenting standard operating procedures (SOPs) and plans for the material handling system, including safety plans, contingency plans, exception handling plans, and ramp-up plans.
Transition team members provide updates to other personnel in the operations, maintenance, and management areas of the enterprise. This helps inform the rest of the personnel while facilitating ownership and acceptance of the system.
Another key opportunity for operations and maintenance involvement arises while the system is being installed and integrated. Operations personnel can work with the integration staff to help perform testing on the new material handling equipment. This not only provides some information training, but it also develops a sense of ownership in all involved in the testing process. Maintenance personnel can work hand-in-hand with installation and integration personnel to help install, test, and debug the controls. As with operations personnel, the maintenance personnel get an early look at the controls and how to maintain the system, which also increases a sense of ownership.
Joining in the Operations Phase
When the system goes live, the transition team provides leadership to the rest of operations while they learn how to operate the new system. This may also require that the transition team be split up and divided across multiple shifts while they continue to meet and lead the way in continuous process improvement process. At this point, quality teams can be formed to improve the operations and material handling processes.
Early Involvement Equals Success
By getting employees involved early in the project, acceptance and ownership of the material handling system can easily be achieved. Interested, involved, and enthusiastic employees will not only result in better operations, but will help the design and installation process as well. Ownership is the vital component in the equation.
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