Tool mechanics are doing it for themselves In Gira's plastics production facility, which mainly produces components for switch and socket outlet systems, several thousand injection moulding tools, designed and manufactured by the company's own Tool Manufacturing department, are in use. This is because individual tools are serviced or repaired there as part of the weekly routine. And the tools' electrical components also need to be checked once a year, and once again each time the tools are serviced or repaired. Up until now, this work wasn't done by the toolmakers themselves, all of whom are skilled tool mechanics. Instead, an electrician had to be specifically assigned to this maintenance work on an hourly basis.

Optimising the use of resources Optimising the use of resources The electrician used to install, check, and repair (if necessary) the various electronic parts belonging to injection moulding tools, such as heating coils, sampling switches and internal pressure sensors, at the electronics testing station set up for this purpose in Tool Manufacturing. "And was not available for any large-scale or complicated maintenance and repair work elsewhere in the company during this time," explained Udo Weißmann, Technical Head of Integrated Maintenance at Gira's plastics production facility. He and his colleagues in Tool Manufacturing considered this to be a waste of resources, as maintenance and testing are comparatively simple tasks. However, the legal provisions state that training as a toolmaker is not sufficient for carrying out this work if electronic components are affected.

Advanced training as an "EDT" Advanced training as an "EDT" In the spirit of Gira's improvement efforts introduced throughout the company in 2012, which were modelled on Toyota's Kata method for systematically improving work processes and the use of resources, the parties involved decided to train four tool mechanics as Electricians for Defined Tasks.

The completion of the advanced theoretical and practical training was not the end of the process however. The four trainees, Shiprim Bekovic, Nico Röser, Sascha Tuncal and Andreas Zourkos, had to undergo a one-year trial period, during which they could only handle the electronic tool components under supervision. From the start of 2016, they have been able to carry out small repairs and tests on their own. "We can now accommodate the applicable legal requirements, while also taking the burden off Maintenance and speeding up our processes," Mr Weissman commented.

For more about the method of Gira improvements refer to the first Gira sustainability report or volume 2/2017 of the German-language Journal for Change Management and Corporate Development (Zeitschrift für Organisationsentwicklung).