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Recently, Augmentir’s Dave Landreth sat down with Christopher Lind from Learning Tech Talks, and discussed the evolution of learning technology and the role that connected worker solutions play.

Recently, Augmentir’s Dave Landreth sat down with Christopher Lind from Learning Tech Talks, and discussed connected worker solutions, and how leading manufacturing organizations are digitizing their workforce and transforming their frontline operations.

learning tech talks

The Evolving Landscape of Learning Technology

Learning Tech Talks explore the evolving landscape of learning and training technology through unbiased conversations with experts and technology providers from around the world.  In this episode, Dave and Chris discuss the role that connected worker solutions play in learning for frontline workers.  The discussion covers what connected worker solutions are, their value to manufacturing organizations, and walks through the process of using this technology to digitize a workforce from “hire to retire”, as well as investigates some of the insights and opportunities that are available in a smarter connected collaboration.

 

Smart Skills Management software is helping manufacturers bridge the gap between training, skills, and work to build a more resilient and agile workforce.

Skills management and tracking software helps manufacturers identify and track employee expertise. You can map skills from a centralized library to individual workers, analyze the performance of your teams, and fill any skill gaps that exist.

These smart insights can help businesses improve their talent management strategy, including training and development programs and recruiting opportunities.

If you’re interested in learning how to find the best skills tracking software, explore this article as we cover:

  • Benefits of skill management and tracking software
  • What to look for in tracking software
  • FAQs about skills tracking and management tools
  • Why Augmentir

Benefits of skill management and tracking software

Skills management involves identifying workers’ expertise and experience to determine whether they’re a right fit for a role, which areas need improvement, and how to best facilitate learning opportunities. A reliable skills management software solution lets you keep track of what your employees can and can’t do, and integrates that information with the actual work being done.

Here are a few reasons why you should invest in a tracking tool:

Enhanced training and development programs: Improve employee engagement by making sure courses and training opportunities are relevant to the jobs they perform. Management software makes it easier to assign employee courses that are appropriate and timely, and then track each individual’s training progress.

A more productive workforce: Employees who have access to training resources can further develop their skills to better perform assigned job duties and maximize output. This will empower workers to strive for continuous improvement and grow in their roles.

Improved retention: Offering continuous development and training programs can help your employees feel appreciated and taken care of. In return, they are more likely to stay and do a good job. Considering that turnover rates cost manufacturing firms an overwhelming amount, it’s critical to invest in programs that will improve retention rates.

What to look for in tracking software

Knowing how to effectively track employee skills can be challenging, but the right software can ease the burden. It makes it easier to identify who is lacking which skills and how to best close the gap.

Unfortunately, standalone skills management software solutions that attempt to automate skills tracking fall short of meeting the needs of today’s manufacturers because they do not connect the “skills that workers know” with the “work being done”. These standalone skills management solutions may have been ideal for the stable, unchanging workforce of the past, but they are not suited for today’s era of high workforce variability.

Skills management solutions that combine skills tracking capabilities with connected worker technology and on-the-job digital guidance can deliver significant additional value. Data from actual work performance can inform workforce development investments allowing you to target your training, reskilling, and upskilling efforts where they have the largest impact.

When looking for the best skill management and tracking software, its critical to make sure it can:

  • Keep a centralized database of competencies
  • Pinpoint worker skill gaps
  • Let management look for employees with specific expertise
  • Track the skills of individual employees in a centralized database
  • Intelligently assign work based on true worker skills and competencies
  • Personalize on-the-job guidance based on worker skills and experience
  • Create reports or dashboards to study competencies and skill gaps across departments

AI-powered software enables managers to filter through employee databases by skill to assemble teams best suited for a project.

 

skills tracking software

 

Skill management solutions should also integrate with core human resources software to offer seamless sharing of employee data. Some tools may even work in tandem with corporate learning management systems to provide access to educational content that could help workers develop new abilities.

Lastly, HR can use skill management software to make it easier to follow compliance regulations that require evidence of employee capabilities or certifications. For example, a health manufacturing facility may need workers to upload certain certifications to show proof of compliance.

FAQs about skills tracking and management tools

How do you keep track of employee skills?

You can track employee skills using software that manages worker competencies. These programs should allow you to build customized job profiles, create reports to study competencies, and fill skill gaps.

What is skills software?

Skills software is a tool that helps manage and keep track of worker expertise and experience. It’s used by businesses to optimize job performance and boost worker productivity.

Should I invest in skills tracking software?

Manufacturing facilities can benefit from investing in software that provides an easy-to-use centralized database of worker profiles, training resources, and much more.

Why Augmentir

Augmentir can help manage the skills of your workforce with its AI-powered connected worker solution. Our skills management tools create visibility at all times to optimize training programs, track individual and team progress, and initiate more targeted training. Check out our live demo.

 

Learn how Smart Skills Management software is helping manufacturers bridge the gap between training, skills, and work to build a more resilient and agile workforce.

Download our latest eBook – The Future of Work: Connecting Skills Management with Standard Work.

 

Learn how to track employee skills in manufacturing and discover modern approaches to effective skills tracking.

In today’s manufacturing environment, it is daunting and time consuming to keep track of employee skill levels across the many different job tasks. With the constantly accelerating rate of turnover in the workforce, Excel or paper-based skills tracking processes of the past have become obsolete.

Leading manufacturers are now turning to smart digital technology to streamline skills tracking and connect it with frontline operations, giving them a competitive edge and boosting workplace safety productivity. Skills tracking software can be a great help to identify workers’ current skills and find any gaps. In a nutshell, such a tool helps automate, organize and simplify the process of evaluating employees’ skills and better understanding your workforce.

track employee skills in manufacturing

Learn more about how skills tracking is changing and the importance of integrating skills management into the flow of work by exploring the following topics:

Five approaches to effective skills tracking

According to a recent survey by McKinsey & Company, companies reported that tracking and validating skills and competencies was their top talent challenge.

Effective skills tracking can improve safety, productivity, and worker performance by helping match the right people with the right tasks. For any organization, there are multiple methods and tools that can be used to track the skills of your workforce:

1. Direct assessment

This approach focuses on one employee directly assessing another. This may be done as a form of peer review between employees or by a manager.

2. Self-assessment

This approach consists of employees conducting self-assessments of their skills and qualifications through surveys every few months.

3. Anonymous peer assessment

This approach involves coworkers anonymously assessing each other’s performance on projects or other tasks.

4. Skill assessment using HR or learning systems

This type of assessment can be done using an HR system (or a Learning Management System) to assess and update employee profiles based on training completed. For example, workers can report any courses finished, track their training data or report new certificates.

5. AI-based skills tracking software

Any of the above 4 methods are commonly used, however, the increasing workforce variability, absenteeism, and turnover is forcing new requirements. Increasingly, manufacturers are turning to AI-based software solutions to help digitally track and manage skills, and connect them with work execution.

HR/Learning systems or standalone skills tracking software solutions that attempt to automate skills tracking fall short of meeting the needs of today’s manufacturers because they do not connect the “skills that workers know” with the “work being done”. These standalone solutions may have been ideal for the stable, unchanging workforce of the past, but they are not suited for today’s era of high workforce variability.

skills and work

An integrated, closed-loop skills management system is the solution for this era of high workforce turnover and absenteeism. Skills management solutions that combine skills tracking capabilities with AI-based connected worker technology and on-the-job digital guidance can deliver significant additional value. Data from actual work performance can inform workforce development investments allowing you to target you training, reskilling, and upskilling efforts where they have the largest impact.

Benefits of tracking skills in manufacturing

Tracking skills in manufacturing can help identify the skills your employees already hold and those they still need to learn to properly do their jobs. Furthermore, using AI-based connected worker solutions, organizations can digitize and easily manage skills tracking and training programs and connect them with frontline operations.

Some benefits of tracking your employees’ skills using this approach include:

1. Boosts productivity on the shop floor

An organization’s commitment to cultivating its team’s skills can influence their attitudes toward the job. A worker is likelier to perform better when valued and appreciated. Skills tracking also ensures that workers are qualified to perform their job.

2. Ensure safety

Solutions that close the loop between training/skills and the work being done allow organizations to validate at the time of work assignment who has the skill level to safely perform a specific task. This helps to mitigate risk and ensure safety.

3. Intelligently assigning work

Ensure the right person is assigned to the right job. Manage work assignments based on skill level, endorsements, and actual job performance.

4. Closes the skills gap

Tracking skills is a great way to identify gaps between the skills employees already have and the skills they need. With this information, the company can arrange for additional training or other ways to invest in their employees. Keep in mind that as your manufacturing organization evolves and grows, so should your employee skillset.

5. Boosts internal communications

Employers who actively develop their employees’ skill levels are likelier to retain them. Tracking skills can also motivate and spur connections with team members.

6. Identify upskilling or reskilling opportunities

Use data from actual work performance, combined with an employee’s current skills and endorsements to inform your reskilling and upskilling decisions.

7. Enhances competitive edge

Although the purpose of effective skills tracking is to aid in worker growth and development, a byproduct is a stronger, more competitive organization as a whole. Knowing where improvements need to be made can close any learning gaps and boost the overall success of a company. Optimizing your workforce can help improve productivity in every department, giving your company a competitive edge in today’s market.

Features to look for in skills tracking software

Having the right features in skill tracking software can help a company be more productive and efficient. This type of software should help manufacturing facilities no only identify, assess, track and cultivate employee skills, but also improve operational safety and performance.

It’s important to look for the following features when deciding which software is right for you:

Training management
This feature helps businesses see how their teams are progressing and evaluate whether training opportunities are making an impact. It helps store employee training records for real-time access and evaluation, and measure training effectiveness based on actual job performance.

Certifications management
This feature helps employers manage employee certifications. If a worker’s certification is expiring, the software’s tracking functions should easily notify the parties involved.

Skills tracking integrated into the flow of work
Skill levels and current endorsements ensure that workers can perform tasks safely and correctly and, therefore need to be considered at the moment of work assignment and again at the moment of work execution.

Live dashboard
Skills tracking software with customizable dashboards offer a real-time view of employee skills, qualifications, and any skill gaps that may exist. Managers will have a better idea of where to allocate resources to train employees and who is a better fit for a role.

intelligently assign jobs

 

Learn how Smart Skills Management software is helping manufacturers bridge the gap between training, skills, and work to build a more resilient and agile workforce.

Download our latest eBook – The Future of Work: Connecting Skills Management with Standard Work.