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proven success, TWI was seen as a war effort and was largely forgotten in the U.S. when the war ended. In spite of Did it work? TWI has been cited as a major factor in helping America win World War II. By the end of the war, more than 1.6 million workers in more than 16,500 plants had received training. In one study of 600 manufacturers from 1941 to 1945: » Production increased an average of 86 percent » Training time was reduced by 50 percent » Labor hours reduced by 88 percent » Scrap reduced by 55 percent » Grievances reduced by 50 percent What happened to TWI? In spite of proven success, TWI was seen as a war effort and was largely forgotten in the U.S. when the war ended. American industry faced little serious competition aſter the war. With no competition, few saw the need to continue to improve. Also aſter the war, the "old" workforce returned and moved back to their previous jobs, without any idea of the "new culture, while most of the TWI-trained people went back to their previous lives. This caused TWI culture to "fade away" almost instantaneously. However, TWI was introduced in Japan during reconstruction, and " www.insightonmfg.com what we call Lean today. » Job Instruction became the basis for sustaining Standardized Work, and is taught within Toyota virtually unchanged to this day. JI is considered fundamental within Toyota, critical to all other training. became the foundation of the Toyota Production System and » Job Methods laid the foundation for Kaizen, Quick Changeover (SMED), and Standardized Work. » Job Relations became the basis for much of the more practical aspects of Lean Culture. introduced, and if you acknowledge the success Toyota and other "lean" companies have had and recognize that much of it evolved from TWI, or if you've tried lean but wish there was a more American version, you might want to check out TWI. Personally, I've never been a fan of "training programs." Why should I care? Well, if you're cynical, complacent, or otherwise looking for an excuse not to move your company forward, you shouldn't. But, if you're frustrated trying to find and keep good, qualified employees even in this "down" economy, read on. If you accept the success TWI had when it was first I've seen too much training done for the sake of training, and prefer "learning while doing. and President of Headwaters Excellence Partners (www. HEPotential), a company dedicated to unleashing the potential of small business. For more information, contact Bengson at (920) 931-4437 or Doug@HEPotential.com. Doug Bengson is a Continuous Improvement Guide " F May 2012 • INSIGHT on Manufacturing | 23 straightforward, results oriented methods used in TWI to be very effective, and believe the purpose and methods of TWI are just as relevant to unleashing the potential of today's manufacturers as they were "back in the day. " That being said, I find the