Use of technology in Food processing

Considering the advancements in technology and the relatively high level of equipment used within food production. I am always surprised to how little Technology is used to its fullest.

An example came up today where we need to train people on a new method for making a product.
Typically we went down the usual route of having 1 person show 5 people who then showed the rest of the team. I’m pretty confident that this method has been used in just about every factory I have worked in.

Initially we are doing short runs of the product until buisness grows but quite quickly I will need to hire 30 untrained people to carry out this operation. At which point we will have to stop the above 6 people from working and ask them to train the new people.

So I decided that we would Video the first person doing the task and ask them to talk through the process as they are doing it. The key to the videoing is to focus the camera on the operation in this case the hands not a wide angle shot of everything.

I realised that by doing this we have the following benefits.

1. the training can be done in a quiet location so everyone can hear.
2. the trainees attention is focused on the video not distracted by the rest of the activities in the plant.
3. It doesn’t require staff to train
4. It allows you to focus the trainees attention on a specific task rather than hoping they are looking.
5. You can come back to it time and time again with no changes.

With the simplicity of video camera’s these days or even the ability to take small videos from a mobile phone. Technology has provided the tools to make what was once a very difficult, process with expensive equipment. A very simple process anyone can do.

So next time you look at a task is it possible that technology can help.

Finally, I’m a firm beleiver of hands on training, but I hope you agree a noisy production line is a very difficult place to train new people.

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