Situation
A leading logistics company called to GP Strategies® to help lead its equipment-specific training program for technicians in an effort to decrease downtime.
Custom training development helps decrease downtime and increase availability.
Challenge
In an effort to increase efficiency and minimize downtime, our client was searching for a partner who could provide equipment-specific training for their general technicians, sort technicians, and electronic technicians.
The client, headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, was striving to establish a validated certification and equipmentspecific training program for its technicians, particularly in the areas of hydraulics and basic electricity, as well as for their DC-10 nose dock. Their needs included certification tests and program standard operating procedures (SOPs), course development, and test scheduling.
Solution
GP Strategies employed a content validity study to create certification tests for this project. In partnership with Ramsay Corporation, GP Strategies developed validated certification tests on hydraulics and basic electricity, followed by additional work with the client to address other equipment-specific training needs at their Memphis hub.
GP Strategies reviewed course topics with the client to determine specific areas required for each maintenance technician group to create a master certification program. GP Strategies also assisted with the actual creation of the certification program SOPs and test scheduling. After all courses and course study materials were identified, GP Strategies worked alongside the client to develop 11 additional validated certification tests and 3 master certification tests as part of the certification program. In addition to the courseware and material development, GP Strategies also provided the client with three full-time training coordinators and five full-time developers/instructors.
Equipment-Specific Training
GP Strategies developed equipment-specific and fundamentals training for the DC-10 nose dock area. The fundamentals training provided the technicians with the baseline knowledge and skills required to effectively operate, maintain, and troubleshoot the DC-10 nose dock equipment. Allen-Bradley PLC-5 basics were included as part of the fundamentals training, with emphasis on Rockwell Automation’s RSLogix5 PLC software. The client built PLC-5 trainers specifically for this portion of the training course. Other areas of equipment-specific training and general maintenance training developed for the client are listed below:
- DC-10 Nose dock (include PLC-5)
- ICF International Lifts
- Fairbanks THAW Scales System
- SICK Scanners
- AS Line Primary Sort Controller
- Secondary 20/21 Sorting System
- Small Package Sorting System (SPSS)
- Sandvik Diverters
- Dim3000 Accu-Sort Dimensioners
- Metrologix Back Scanners
- Single and Dual Transfer Vehicles
- Vibration Analysis
- Adjustoveyors
- Drive Box Components (includes Reducers, Couplings, and Electric Motors courses)
- Slider Bed Conveyors (includes, Belts, Beds, Pulleys, Rollers, Idlers, and Bearings courses)
- Critical Plant UPS System Operations (includes Liebert 650 and Exide 3600 UPS systems)
- Powerware 9315 Critical
- Critical Plant Computer Chilled Water System
- Critical Plant Emergency Generators
- Air Operation Center (AOC) Emergency Generator Plant
- 400 Hz Ground Aircraft Power
- Refrigeration Theory
- Chiller Systems (Trane, Carrier)
- AOC Power Distribution (includes high- and medium-voltage systems)
- Pumps and Pump Repair
- HVAC Controls
- Preventive Maintenance
- Certification Testing Program Administration
Results
After the implementation of the GP Strategies training program, flight delays due to nose dock downtime were reduced from an average of 80 minutes per year to 3 minutes per year, resulting in a performance improvement of 2,666%.
