Alex Ball | Original Post
LifeLine Foods partnered with WorkForge. Together, they developed a comprehensive and customized training solution tailored to the company's unique needs.
Achieving operational excellence in food manufacturing is a constant challenge. LifeLine Foods, a farmer-owned corn milling company based in Missouri, took a bold step to address this challenge and witnessed remarkable results, including doubling their production output per shift. Here's how they did it.
The Challenges: Training Inconsistencies and High Turnover
LifeLine Foods operates one of the largest corn milling facilities in the world, employing over 185 people and operating 24/7/365. However, they faced significant hurdles in their training processes:
- Manual Training Methods: The company relied on PowerPoints and paper quizzes, leading to inconsistent content delivery and inefficient tracking.
- Skill Gaps: Employees often struggled to understand operational procedures, which impacted safety and productivity.
- Employee Turnover: A lack of accessible and engaging training contributed to high turnover, particularly in the packaging department.
These challenges were hampering LifeLine Foods' ability to scale operations effectively.
The Solution: Customized Training with WorkForge
LifeLine Foods partnered with WorkForge to overhaul their training program. Together, they developed a comprehensive and customized solution tailored to the company's unique needs. Key features of the program included:
- Custom Training Modules: WorkForge designed 24 custom modules, including onboarding, safety, and department-specific training for machinery and processes.
- Engaging and Interactive Learning Formats: Modules featured real LifeLine employees demonstrating procedures, interactive assessments, and written components for better engagement and retention.
- Focus on High-Turnover Areas: Special attention was given to the packaging department, which historically had high turnover, then trainings were distributed across other areas of the company.
The Results: Doubling Production and Beyond
The impact of the new training program was transformative. LifeLine Foods achieved several bottom-line benefits:
- Doubled Productivity: The company saw a dramatic improvement in production output, increasing from 2,000 to 4,000 bags per shift. This was attributed to employees' enhanced understanding of their roles and processes.
- Reduced Turnover: Improved training and engagement led to a sharp decline in employee turnover, particularly in high-turnover areas.
- Enhanced Safety and Consistency: Standardized training minimized operational disruptions and promoted a safer work environment.
