Every Day Can Be Training Day

Whether its equipment, technology, or workforce issues, change is a constant in a modern business.  Change is a natural part of the evolution of business and industry.  Keeping employees aware and on top of the latest trends, procedures and methods is necessary to keeping the workplace safe and highly effective.

Continuous learning is the key.  While there are many ways to prepare employees for the future, delegating the tasks of training, workshops and seminars is one method to consider.

At Westfield Steel, each supervisor or manager is responsible for training the specifics of a department. They train periodically on topics ranging from equipment operation, crane safety, cash collections and truck loading to welding, Excel usage, quality, and first aid.

Each supervisor rates employees according to how proficient they are at a certain skill and tracks them in a matrix like the one shown below.

If you are considering training at your place of business, consider the following:    

• Make the training relevant to the success of your business.

• Make sure that the trainer can effectively teach the skill and convey the information.

• Hold training sessions while employees are on the clock. Getting paid to learn is a great incentive.

• Training makes employees more productive and more experienced, thus more flexible to handle a greater degree of responsibility.

• Through training, the skill sets of the employees improve and they are more valuable. The employees have the potential to earn a higher salary or wage.

• Added training can also broaden the capabilities of your company, which could lead to a new business segment or customer.

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Fritz Prine is the Chief Financial Officer at Westfield Steel. The company blog, The Melting Point, touches on various topics affecting the steel industry and those whose career is in steel.

Headquartered in Westfield, Ind., Westfield Steel Inc. is a full-line steel service center committed to providing its customers with a competitive choice for all their steel needs.  An independent, family-owned business, Westfield Steel was started in 1977 and has grown to accommodate its customers’ needs. For more information, visit www.westfieldsteel.com or call (800) 622-4984.

Safety First

Perhaps one of the most important issues in any workplace is that of employee safety. No matter where you work, you want to feel safe and feel as though everyone is doing their part to keep the system working like a well-oiled machine.

Implementing sensible rules and a strong incentives program are good ways to keep the machine working – without any breakdowns. It’s also important to stress safety training and come up with easy ways for employees to remember what they have learned.

Workplace accidents have two main consequences: employee health and financial costs. Employees need to be safe, feel safe and work safe to avoid injury. Without healthy employees, we cannot meet our customers’ needs. In regards to cost, there may be a direct financial impact with your workman’s compensation and casualty insurance costs. The safer you are, the lower your insurance premiums.

Safety Incentives

Safety incentives offer employees and/or their departments motivation for staying accident-free for a certain amount of time. Consider dividing the program by “employees” and “departments” and rewarding employees individually over various increments of time. Rewarding employees separately allows particularly careful workers to earn accolades, even if there is an accident in their department. Consider rewarding multiple departments at various increments (3 months, 6 months, 1 year) for first, second and third place. Rewarding whole departments encourages cooperation and a desire for each individual to work for the benefit of all – and the safety of all.

Be sure to post rules and logistics where all employees can see and understand the way the incentive program works.

Safety F.I.R.S.T

In an effort to make safety procedures easier to memorize and follow, Westfield Steel created a slogan for the campaign: Safety F.I.R.S.T. The acronym serves as a way for employees to remember corporate beliefs and acts as a reminder that everyone needs to look out for one another.

F – Focus – Be aware of how safely you work at all times

I – Initiative – You should take the first steps to improve safety. Supervisors are not the only ones who can spot unsafe work practices or issues.

R – Responsibility – Be accountable for your work practices at all times.

S – Spread the word – Communicate safety concerns or new ideas with fellow employees and supervisors.

T – Training – Everyone will learn the proper safety procedures for an overall safe work environment.

The keys to any effective safety program are to stay consistent with the program, involve all employees in the responsibility and benefits, and to communicate often. There are no shortcuts to a safe and efficient industrial workplace.

Staying Afloat

If you’re anxiously waiting for any sign of economic recovery, chances are you’ve heard the news.  The Federal government said the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew 2.8 percent for the third quarter. That means the painful four-quarter-long chain of decline has officially ended.

It is good news, but don’t break out the champagne and celebrate just yet. There is a mixed message in the steel market.  Most service centers continue to de-stock to get the inventory cost in line with mill costs.  U.S. mill capacity increased to a reported 62%, which is higher than a few months ago.  Imports are up 28% in October.  The MSCI reports that steel shipments are up for the fifth month nationwide.  Are manufactures re-stocking or is there real demand?  The residential construction market is near the bottom.  The commercial and industrial construction has not yet hit bottom.  Mixed signals.  Real demand for steel remains low and there are no positive indications out there that it will pick up anytime soon.  

Most consumers are not buying until they really need something – and that goes for our customers as well. We spent last winter getting lean and mean.  We spent last spring getting smart and mean. Now, we have to focus on staying lean, being efficient, and reversing the “mean”.  

What does all of this mean for the steel industry?

Because the recovery will be slow, managers will need to get creative when it comes to keeping their businesses afloat.

Consider these options if you haven’t already:

• Marketing

At Westfield Steel, we have continued our marketing efforts despite the poor economic climate. Why? Because just as it is important to spend money on advertising when the economy is good, it is equally important to spend when the economy is down. You are making an investment to reach the next customer.

• Carrying Outside Sales Reps

Many companies have cut of their outside sales team, dropping one employee after the other to shed the cost. Sometimes hard decisions are necessary, but carrying your sales reps is a good way to invest in the future of your company. Whatever may be happening with the economy, the sales reps are still heading out into the harsh world, still meeting with potential customers and still obtaining new names. Many of these customers are not buying today, but when they do, we will be ready.

• New ideas

This is where your creativity comes into play. What is the strength of your business? What extra services can you offer to generate additional revenue? At Westfield Steel, we created Westfield Steel Express, an authorized-for-hire common carrier that provides a lower cost alternative compared to traditional players in this market.

In addition to our own steel, we haul fabricated steel parts, lumber, equipment, building materials, steel coils, agriculture seeds, and salt. The main goal of Westfield Steel Express was to fix the inefficiency of Westfield’s trucks returning empty every day from deliveries throughout the region. Converting these empty miles into revenue-generating miles is the primary goal of Westfield Steel Express. The service fixed a problem and is generating revenue at the same time.

No business is recession proof. Every recession hits the steel industry – the key is to act fast and be proactive.

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Fritz Prine is CFO at Westfield Steel. The company blog, The Melting Point, will touch on various topics affecting the steel industry and those whose career is in steel.

Headquartered in Westfield, Ind., Westfield Steel Inc. is a full-line steel service center committed to providing its customers with a competitive choice for all their steel needs.  An independent, family-owned business, Westfield Steel was started in 1977 and has grown to accommodate its customers’ needs. For more information, visit www.westfieldsteel.com or call  (800) 622-4984.