Conference 7.286::digital

547.0. "HPWS Team Member" by RAIN::DELPHIA (Super Tech to the rescue!!!) Tue May 31 1988 19:10

    I work in a "High Performance Work System" in Enfield DEC MFG.It
    is a concept were as a group of individuals called a "team"
    build modules,in this case for storage system products.The team
    is,by design,supposed to be self-governing and make their own 
    decisions in their day to day operation.I have worked here for
    four years as a team member.The pay system is very unique,it
    pays people for skill and knowledge and is divided up into
    five levels,Floor level,the first level that a person"certifies"
    in,A level,were-as a person becomes certified in administative,
    technical,social,MIS and Materials areas.The next three levels
    B,C and D level are supposed to be focused in on one of the
    areas of A level but to a  higher degree as you procede up the 
    alphabet.Each one of these levels represents also a pay point.
    To date only certifications for floor and "A" level have been
    completed by team members.The team members were hired external
    and internaly from people that were classified as assemblers,
    technicians and materials people.They spend 70-90% of their time
    building modules and making shipments.The work that has priority
    in this plant is materials,we are a MRPII class "A" rated manufacturing
    facility.The work that team members primarily do is building modules,
    repairs and shiping modules.A person that only builds modules can
    easily find time to certify in "A" level,this pays x(I'm not allowed
    to tell what "x" is or the moderator will delete this note)+$2.40/hour,
    this is more than most engineers make when first coming to DEC.
    A person that takes on responsiblities of keeping equipment running,
    repairs and/or gets involved in the various statagy planning and
    task force committies has less time.I have an in depth knowledge
    of test equipment and am respected by the engineering department
    for my technical knowledge,I have an excellent work record and
    was chosen by the engineering dept.,as a team member,to be the
    primary focus person for all test issues.I earn floor level, only x
    per hour. I know of perhaps a dozen people that come from assembler
    background earning x +$2.40 per hour building modules.Eating that
    has been tough and I feel my skills have been invalidated.I do not
    want to drop all my responsiblities because that would not be good
    for DEC.On the other hand,I am going with out for having good ethics
    on my job.I guess I should have been an assembler.

    Perhaps some sort of compromise is possible.  I've never worked
    in the environment you are in, but I imagine it should be possible
    to cut back on some of your responsibilities in order to make time
    to study for "A" level.  If it is clear to those you deal with that
    you are studying they shouldn't hassle you.
        John Sauter

    The Enfield team manufacturing concept is unique at DEC. I have seen
    some other abuses of the concept, but this is new. Somebody has figured
    out a way to short cut the certification process by signing up for
    all the training sessions provided. In the mean time, they aren't
    being productive members of the team. If there is no check or balance
    on the system, abuses will happen. This particular problem could not
    occur in the begining. The training was, primarily, OJT and given by
    another team member that already knew the task. Now that formal
    training classes are given, some folks have figured out that they
    can get quick raises by attending the classes and changing levels.
    This can only continue if the team allows it to. It is something
    that should be brought up during 'team reviews'. Possibly, the training
    coordinator should be tasked with ensuring that people only take one
    course during a quarter or maybe the team should rate each person on
    their productivity. Some sort of balance must be struck between a
    person's ability to improve themselves and the team's ability to
    meet production goals.
    
    Bob Mc