Ensuring Stability with Cross-Training in Manufacturing

At United Centerless Grinding & Thread Rolling, we always aim to maximize our resilience and long-term stability. These values have proven crucial in recent years as manufacturing has faced unprecedented challenges, from the disruptions of the Covid era to ongoing concerns over industry labor shortages. One of the ways we’ve built that resilience is through cross-training in manufacturing, ensuring our team can support one another to keep operations running smoothly, no matter what obstacles arise.

Consider one team member’s journey: he came on board in our shipping department, and he quickly showed a great attitude and a natural talent for numbers and procedures. With a staff member in our precision thread rolling department preparing for short term leave, we cross-trained him to assist in that area, as well. 

Now, he’s not only handling thread rolling, but his success will allow us to cross-train our original thread roller in areas like profile grinding. These two team members now have expertise and experience in a range of capabilities. 

This kind of fast-evolving career isn’t unusual at UCGTR; in fact, it’s always our intention from the start. Cross-training in manufacturing helps us to adapt to any challenge and ensure the high quality our customers expect. 

Our Unique Approach to Building Resiliency 

Our approach is different from many manufacturers, who typically separate their team into distinct roles. But that sort of rigid structure will lead to problems in the case of disruptions. 

In a small shop, an unforeseen absence sometimes means the owner is the only person left with the knowledge to run a certain machine, pulling them away from other tasks and leading to a variety of other issues and gaps in normal workflows. In that traditional model, you’re only as strong as the weakest link in your chain.

We develop our team's capabilities specifically to avoid this. As soon as we hire someone for a role, we're already thinking about their potential growth across departments.

For instance, maybe we hire an individual for the centerless grinding department, and we eventually introduce them to wire EDM machining. Sometimes this means spending a week focusing on a different department, other times the exposure is more gradual. The key is that we're always building their abilities, not just restricting them to filling immediate needs.

How Cross-Training in Manufacturing Creates Long-Term Reliability

Above all, our cross-training is part of our customer-focused culture, aiming to reduce downtime. A team that’s stretched to its limit is vulnerable to not only unexpected absences for medical reasons, but even extended time off around holidays like Labor Day. But at UCGTR, even when one team member is out, we’re able to maintain the same high quality our customers expect.

It’s not just about the short term, either. Planning for retirements and workforce continuity is critical to long-term success in our industry. At UCGTR, we make sure we’re always prepared for the day when experienced team members step away, with other employees cross-trained to carry forward their work.

Our training also creates job security and motivation for our workforce, and a highly engaged workforce produces the best parts. Falling customer demand in one area of our business simply means we can shift a team member elsewhere. We’re even able to promote internally far more often because of our team’s diverse knowledge.

The impact on our culture has been significant. In an earlier era of manufacturing, a common job shop mentality was that sharing your tribal knowledge could undermine your job security. But we've created an environment where sharing skills and experience increases everyone’s value.

Partner With Our Resilient Shop

Training takes time, and there’s always a learning curve when someone takes on new responsibilities. But we’ve found that investing in our people’s growth is not only good for them, it creates a team that is more invested in delivering the consistent, high-quality parts our customers expect. From precision form grinding to Swiss machining services, our team is always ready to deliver your parts on time, no matter what may arise.

Request a quote today from our Connecticut centerless grinding shop!