The Job Performance Aid: A Training and Referential Device to Improve Industrial Efficiency

Abstract

The Consulting Division at the L. Lee Stryker Center creates a product for it's clientele known as the Job Performance Aid (or Manual). The manual is used as an operator friendly tool designed to increase productivity in an industrial setting. Opposed to the complex manuals supplied by the manufacturer, the Stryker Center attempts to capture the pertinent information in an easy to comprehend format. The manual was incorporated into the Consulting Division's list of services approximately two years ago. Starting with a thorough description of the Job Performance Aid, this paper will describe the collection, processing, and assembly of the manual. From there, it will move on to describe the Stryker Center's relationship with the Michigan Jobs Commission, an entity which funds 75% of the manual's production costs. In addition, I will give an overview of the Durametallic Corporation, along with an account of my experiences encountered in the manual's creation. The manual I produced for Durametallic is included as an appendix, as well as the staff reports I submitted weekly that charted my progress. The paper ends with observations and conclusions I have drawn from completing two manuals in two different industrial locations. In both of my experiences the importance of establishing and maintaining a good rapport with the machine operator was vital to the manual's production. The operator's attitude determines the quality of the project, as well as the extent to which the manual will be utilized in daily production, and with the training of new operators.