Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1525368
64 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2024 monly, companies and their employees fall into the habit of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." e problem is you get so busy just completing your daily tasks and fighting daily fires you do not have any time or energy le to sit back and take a hard look at how you can improve your manufacturing processes. Process audits find these areas for improvement for you. Let's take a moment to discuss manufactur- ing process employee training and proficiency. Both are especially important. Employee train- ing never ends. Even a seasoned employee can benefit from a refresher course every now and then. ere are several industry options to choose from for your manufacturing process training needs, of which IPC training is one. Employee proficiency is quite different from employee training. An employee can show they have completed several industry training classes and have several certificates hanging on the wall but may not be proficient in their daily tasks. Process audits can address this gap. Whether during an internal Process Verifica- tion or Surveillance process audit or during a third-party process audit, have the auditor interview the employee about their job in detail. e auditor is trying to determine whether that employee really knows and applies what they have learned from the employee train- ing in which your company has invested. It is important that the auditor, whether internal or third-party, can make the employee feel com- fortable while being interviewed. e goal is to improve your manufacturing processes by identifying and addressing gaps, not to judge or criticize the employee being interviewed. If a gap is discovered between the employee training and the proficiency of that employee, then provide the assistance necessary to cor- rect it. Please remember that training is not a solution but an empowerment tool to help improve the employee's skills so they can per- form the job to the best of their ability. is helps the employee and the company be suc- cessful. Moving forward, if you are not already engaged in this regular practice, I hope this arti- cle has illustrated the clear benefits of the man- ufacturing process audit. Auditing is not fun. It is demanding work to perform them properly but the rewards are high. A solid process audit plan will help reduce internal manufacturing defects, lower scrap quantities, improve the quality of your finished goods, and strengthen your customer relationships. If you can dem- onstrate to your customers that you maintain a solid process audit plan, especially referencing applicable industry standards, you may be able to reduce or even eliminate customer audits. Finally, the value of improving your rela- tionship with your customer through increas- ing their confidence in your factory cannot be overstated. e process audit should be viewed as a critical tool in every facility's tool belt, enabling the achievement of optimum process performance and best possible yields. is is possible when you take the time to investigate your internal manufacturing processes with a solid process audit. PCB007 Randy Cherry is director of Validation Services at IPC. " Even a seasoned employee can benefit from a refresher course every now and then. "