The Technical Writing and Engineering Company provides training materials that describe and illustrate, in the most basic way, how an item is to be manufactured, assembled, inspected, altered, etc. Our training materials are widely used by major automotive companies and their suppliers. Our Job Aid Placards are laminated in heavy duty Mylar™ that is resistant to factory environments, and are prominently displayed at each work station within manufacturing cells.

You may wonder how we solve client problems. The answer is actually simple and straightforward. However, getting there can be quite involved. First, we interview the client to find out, first hand, what the problems are, what they want to do immediately, and where they intend to go with the product. The important thing here is to carefully listen to what the client wants and needs. Here is where a strong technical background with broad industrial experience is essential. This is because the next step in this process is much more than listening — it is understanding the client’s wants and needs — from the client’s perspective. This often requires a multi-discipline approach — a thorough understanding of mathematics, chemistry, physics, mechanics, electronics, manufacturing techniques, assembly procedures, etc. Finally, one must have the tools of the trade and know how to effectively and efficiently use them — often on location. All of this must occur before one can even consider quoting a job.

Once we understand the task at hand, we freely discuss  with our client a variety of ways to attack the problem. This direct or innovative process is often based upon our education, training, experience, and client interaction. Sometimes, the problem results from a new requirement that was imposed by a customer, a local government, industry specifications, or new legislation.

When we have agreed upon a plan of attach, a detailed quotation is prepared. This quotation specifies much more than price and delivery — it is a sample of our workmanship — it states exactly how we are going to do the job, who will be working on it, our qualifications and experience in that specific area, how the prepared data will be archived, who owns it, and what the review and quality responsibilities are for each party to the agreement.

Following this doctrine has led to numerous success stories; typical examples follow:

• Delco Products is a typical manufacturing scenario in which the client was switching to a cellular manufacturing system. This system comprised numerous stations or cells where a variety of manual and automated assembly and testing processes were simultaneously occurring. A simplified training program had to be implemented that could cope with the potential of high employee turnover, absenteeism, and limited education. To solve this problem, the Technical Writing and Engineering Company came up with laminated training placards (Job Aids) that could be permanently attached each station. The placards were written in simplified North American English and clearly illustrated. Workers were then trained for production, one station at a time. Training from placards included machine setup, operation, production, quality inspection, and scheduled maintenance. This method of training ensured uniform machine operation and product output. During training, operators were certified, one cell at a time, and were encouraged to continue training for certification on other cells. In this way, a certified operator could fill in during breaks, overtime, or shift changes without affecting product quality, line speed, or machinery maintenance.