Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
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tasks may also be poorly documented and offer little instruction. In this scenario, when maintenance professionals retire, their replace- ments (assuming there are replacements) will not have the same resident knowledge to perform the tasks adequately. Documenting work tasks in the appropriate manner will help to prevent this situation from occurring and allow the organization to retain and transfer knowledge, improve/update historical prac- tices, and enjoy greater flexibility. Indeed, the company must learn to manage knowledge in order for it to remain viable long term. Apprenticeship Training Programs An apprenticeship training program is a common method used to replace maintenance workers. The benefit of this type of program is that it can incorporate existing workers who understand the production processes and have good discipline and attendance records. The disadvantages of these programs are that they may take three to four years and are expensive to conduct. Before beginning a training program, you should be assured that the candidates for training have the necessary skills to learn what is being presented. This can be accomplished by requiring specific qualifications or certifications. Of course, you must use caution, as these credentials are only as good as the curriculum at the institu- tion granting them. Mentors/Coaches Another option when replacing workers is to train veteran maintenance personnel to be mentors or coaches and share their knowledge with new employees. For this approach to be sustainable, you must carefully select individuals who not only have experience but also the competency to serve as a mentor. Potential candidates should be able to perform several key functions, such as: • Present issues in an understandable way • Build collaboration and rapport • Be respectful • Be a good time manager • Ask questions, formulate hypotheses and offer examples that promote knowledge transfer • Balance individual and group activities • Help apprentices achieve autonomy and confidence in the learning process • Provide positive feedback • Possess emotional intelligence Keep in mind when implementing a KM system that you must record and update the existing knowledge of personnel who are close to retirement while also managing the knowledge transfer to new employees through procedures, training or mentoring. Mainte- nance operations especially should develop mechanisms to preserve their intellectual capital. Otherwise, this valuable experience and know-how will disappear when personnel quit or retire and take their knowledge with them. ML