Video-based workplace training – effective knowledge transfer in Factory 4.0
Training production employees requires familiarizing them with numerous procedures and rules applicable at the plant, as well as the processes they will be involved in. Training sessions conducted in many companies often require reading multi-page sheets or listening to long presentations, during which it is easy to lose focus. Video presentations are an effective way to better understand and remember the information conveyed during training. How can this be used when conducting on-the-job training in a factory?
Video format as a way to learn faster and remember information better
The visualization and use of images or videos plays an important role in the process of memorizing information. This phenomenon is confirmed by the picture superiority effect discussed in numerous studies, including the study Recognition memory for words, sentences, and pictures. Journal of Verbal Learning & Verbal Behavior, conducted by Roger Shepard.
The picture superiority effect refers to the phenomenon in which images are remembered much faster and easier than words. The graphic representation that forms the basis of the video format has characteristic features that increase memory capacity compared to verbal signals. The superiority of images over words is expressed in better recognition, significantly faster memorization, and better retention of images in memory. The use of video to create on-the-job training allows trainees to remember more details, visualize the work more easily, and then reproduce it in practice at their workstation.
Why is it worth conducting on-the-job training in the form of videos?
When using standard training methods that involve only reading or listening to instructions, employees must independently carry out a visualization process in their minds, which may differ significantly from what they will actually be doing.
Confronting the job may therefore require time to adapt to the new reality. Video tutorials allow employees to see, understand, and remember information already at the theoretical training stage—thus, when they arrive at their workplace, they know exactly what steps to expect. Prior knowledge of the process enables them to efficiently reproduce the task.
The use of videos to create training materials brings a number of benefits to both the employee and the company. What are these benefits?
From the employee’s point of view:
- excessive stress related to lack of adequate preparation is eliminated;
- a full understanding of the process allows you to quickly achieve good performance and quality of work, which motivates you to become even more involved.
From the employer’s point of view, however:
- Video training allows you to condense essential information, speed up the onboarding process, and make it more effective.
- Preparing appropriate video instruction is a way to automate training—the same material (updated as needed) can be presented equally effectively to many people over a long period of time, eliminating the need to engage internal or external trainers.
- A well-trained employee can achieve the expected productivity and quality faster, which translates into higher plant efficiency rates.
Practical on-the-job training videos on the noSilo platform
The noSilo platform is a revolutionary tool that allows you to create real-life video training manuals using best practices. What does that mean?
- The materials are created at the workplace by the operators themselves, rather than by external specialists – this ensures that all instructions are communicated in a clear and understandable manner to the employees undergoing training.
- On-the-job training reflects the actual machine park and organizational structure, which makes it easier for new employees to navigate the factory.
- The knowledge base also provides access to training materials during further work – employees can ensure that they are performing tasks correctly without having to involve third parties and interrupt their own work.
- The initiative to create training content comes from the employees themselves – they can decide what information is worth adding to the instructions or how to present it so that the training is clear and understandable for newcomers.
Industry 4.0 requires factories to use modern solutions that increase the efficiency and quality of processes. The implementation of video-based on-the-job training allows for a high degree of automation in the training of new production employees. Effective training enables new hires to achieve the desired efficiency faster, which brings a number of benefits to both the employees themselves and the entire company.
Your factory can also operate more efficiently! Introduce video workstation training — schedule a presentation of our system now.
Bibliography:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/BF03328986;
https://www.forbes.com/sites/paycom/2017/02/14/learning-management-systems-101-rethinking-your-approach-to-employee-training/?sh=268c34d6755b.
She has many years of experience in the manufacturing environment, gained both in team management and in the coordination of internal processes. Her practical experience in operational and managerial work has given her a deep understanding of the challenges faced by managers and production employees – from work standardization and communication to competence development.
This experience forms the foundation on which she bases her current expert activity. In her articles, she shows how digital solutions and modern management methods can realistically support the daily work of production plants, making processes more transparent, orderly, and effective.
