Celebrating 20 Years With Long-Time Aerospace Industry Client Triumph Thermal Systems LLC and Retirement of its Lead Advocate

by Proactive Technologies, Inc. Staff

Since 2000, Proactive Technologies, Inc. has provided technical implementation support for the structured on-the-job training system they were asked to set-up at Triumph Thermal Systems LLC, a division of the global Triumph Group. It is a manufacturer of civilian and military aircraft engine heat exchange systems and a registered F.A.A. repair site.

Initially, Ken Jackson, Human Resources Director’s, who retired in the Fall of 2019, primary concern was the loss of fully trained experts due to approaching retirements (i.e. 40% of the technically trained workforce was scheduled to retire in a 2 year period; 80% over a 6 year period). Triumph, originally “Parker Hannifin United Aircraft Products” when the project started,  is located in one of those rare remaining small-town heartland places where workers are hired and stay for their career – often repeated generation to generation. Cross-training allows workers to train in, and master, multiple job areas during their time at Triumph, so opportunities for personal growth abound.

Recently, with the changes brought about by ISO 9001:2015  (promulgated to AS 9000  and IATF 16 949 quality models) concerning the “capture and management of legacy knowledge,” and Nadcap the company realized that they have been capturing and managing legacy knowledge for the hourly positions all along. Nadcap (formerly NADCAP, the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program) is a global cooperative accreditation program for aerospace engineering, defense and related industries.

Complying with the requirements to capture and manage the process knowledge, identify gaps between the job knowledge needed to perform in the job and the employee’s consistent performance of the tasks of the job, and documentation to provide evidence that the gap was found and closed, has been a routine component of the PROTECH© system of managed human resource development. The many tools, reports and benefits ensure the approach to all job classifications, all employees is consistent – even though the jobs and people are not.

The OJT Tasks Mastered Report is proudly posted on the Gemba boards of each department to show ISO/AS auditors, and clients and future clients, not just generalizations of work behavior, but more importantly the level to which each worker is trained to perform, and has mastered, each detailed task of their job classification. Since this structured on-the-job training program has been ongoing for so long, average worker capacity has been maintained for each worker, in each department, at much higher levels than normally found in organizations without a formal structure. Yet, task mastery gaps are clearly displayed for the employee and supervisor to see, ensuring that opportunities to drive each incumbent, new-hire and cross-training worker to full job mastery are not missed.

For each “X” representing mastery of that task, a training record is filed to record the event and the link to processes, quality and engineering specifications, as well as mandated safety and legal requirements documented. Unlike traditional environments where data about the job and employee is decentralized (often making incorporating and updating data related to developing workers very difficult if not impossible), this data is centrally focused on the job itself and relationships of each department’s data to the role of developing masterful worker performance is made certain. Any change in any variable is quickly addressed and all reports and training tools are updated at the same time. Promulgating changes to the worker is done quickly and records of updated training maintained.

It all started with a pilot project of 5 job areas prioritized based on retirement dates. Before the expert had a chance to leave with the technical expertise and process wisdom, a detailed job/task analysis was performed by Proactive Technologies. This analysis captured the best practice process for each task from the “expert’s perspective,” which consolidated safety, engineering and quality requirements for each task. Once corroborated by the other experts, the data was entered into Proactive Technologies’ PROTECH© software system, which facilitated the quick and complete collection of job data to cut the analysis time from many months to a few weeks. Periodically, the data is revalidated to ensure its continued accuracy.

From the validated data, Proactive Technologies software also developed all of the tools of the human resource development process, including Job Descriptions, OJT Training Plans, OJT Training Checklists, Technical Procedures and more. These reports and tools are automatically developed in minutes, unlike the costly six months to a year development time using manual methods – still in use today – to just develop a training guide.

This approach established an infrastructure for the accelerated transfer of expertise™ from retiring workers to those who are to replace them. First, the “skill (task-based) gap” for incumbent workers was identified. Then incumbent workers, new-hires and cross-trainees were, and continue to be, driven to full job mastery, with the PROTECH software documenting, tracking and reporting each worker’s progress. Once job mastery is reached, a Certificate of Job Mastery™  portfolio is conveyed in partnership with a local partner educational institution, in this case for many years The Ohio State University – Alber Enterprise Center before it closed the center in 2020. The new partner is Tri-Rivers Career Center Adult Education – RAMTEC.

Based on the pilot project success, the project grew to include the remaining 14 hourly job classifications  (e.g. NC Machinist, Welder, Production Inspection, Assembly, Component Fabrication (presses and specialty machines), Braze Operator, Maintenance, Electrician, Tool & Die, Tool & Gage, Material Control and others). Throughout the 20 years, jobs changed, so too processes, products and mandated requirements. Workers moved from job to job, but all changes have continued to be accommodated in “real-time.” The PROTECH software system makes such a large scope project not only possible for small and mid-size companies, the investment to set-up and implement a structured on-the-job training system is a fraction of what traditional approaches require. The project continues to this day led by the training department, which consists of the new Human Resources Manager Steve Brinkman and his assistant, which also represents the entire human resources department!

By focusing on the job, and the development and management of worker capacity, it made it easy to address changes in any variable that affects the job. This allowed Triumph Thermal Systems to focus on how to leverage this system in place to address evolving challenges, maximize its use and provide new opportunities to workers knowing that every task a worker masters increases the worker’s ROWI, “return on worker investment.”

Mr. Jackson was responsible for bringing the PROTECH system to Triumph Thermal Systems to address, what could have been, enormous challenges with potential disruptive effects. He oversaw the program until his retirement, while carrying out all of his other duties as Human Resources Director. The worker training partnership with Proactive Technologies has been a model partnership between the Company, Proactive Technologies and its related technical instruction partners. Triumph Thermal System’s Human Resources department selects and coordinates the delivery of beneficial related technical instruction (selected based on the job/task analysis data and evidence of completion added to the trainee’s record in the PROTECH database) – all meant to shore up the foundation upon which to build task-mastery performance. Concurrently, Proactive Technologies’ manages the structured on-the-job training component. There was no need to add staff or to purchase expensive learning equipment, since the latest models of equipment are on the factory floor…where the work is performed and where the bulk of the training should occur.

Although faced with the same obstacles that other employers face when bringing in a program with “holistic” implications such as this – challenges like economic factors, organizational priorities, production priorities, changing technology and changing processes, changing personnel and an organization’s cultural acceptance – Mr. Jacksons’s decision is revalidated each time a challenge emerges and is easily, or has been previously, addressed.

Retired Human Resources Director Ken Jackson

Before retiring, Mr. Jackson commented,  “Although we have continued to implement the PROTECH system here at this facility for all of these years, we are still finding tools in PROTECH we didn’t know existed or think we needed. Encountering new challenges that PROTECH was already designed to address just adds to the value we have received. I am convinced that will continue to be the case.” Triumph Thermal Systems continues to explore other opportunities to utilize this approach such as internships and expansion to salary job classifications. The structured on-the-job training in place makes registering and administering any of the job training programs as apprenticeships simple and highly effective, but the programs function as apprenticeships regardless.

The Proactive Technologies Staff wants its new Human Resources Manager Steve L. Brinkman and to express its gratitude to Triumph Thermal Systems and its staff for 20 years of a mutually rewarding partnership. We look forward to many more!

If you would like to know how this approach might work at your firm, and how a pilot project may be the best way to introduce this approach to your organization, contact a Proactive Technologies representative today to schedule a GoToMeeting videoconference briefing to your computer. This can followed up with an onsite presentation for you and your colleagues. A 13-minute promo briefing is available at the Proactive Technologies website and provides an overview to get you started and to help you explain it to your staff.