Production line work is not just about turning up - it involves team skills, working to a deadline, and the ability to analyse and assess computer information, writes John Downes

You and your school friends have similarities with people who work on a manufacturing production line.

Every day, you go to school and work towards a common goal. The end result - or product - is clear: for you to end up with a fully rounded, comprehensive education.It is not quite the same to compare a highly ordered, controlled production process to a boisterous classroom full of teenagers. Nevertheless, people working on a production line frequently work in a similar way to you and your classmates.

Through their day-to-day work, and by working as a team, they also aim to ensure a product is created. This can then be moved onto others in the supply chain.

But what are the particular skills you need to work in the manufacturing and production sector? Mr Ken Fleming of the SIPTU trade union,which represents employees in manufacturing and production, says it depends on the type of business.

For example, he says, he is "constantly amazed" at the attention to detail that people working in the pharmaceutical and biochemical industries show.

They have to work under strict controls, and need to be observant to ensure that their actions are not compromising the production process.

He says that unless strict procedures are followed, hygiene can be compromised - with significant implications for the production process. This means that a keen sense of personal integrity is needed.

"They are expected to pay huge attention to hygiene and cleanliness standards," he explains.

"If they contaminate a product by accident, this can have huge implications, so they work in an environment where it is okay to own up to your mistakes. Management understands the nature of the work."

Mr Fleming adds that people working in distribution - warehouse staff, forklift drivers and clerical workers - all need the ability to work to tight deadlines and margins. Other skills include the ability to analyse and assess computer information to take in stock and ensure goods are moved out quickly.

"There's a variety of skills required. It is deadline-driven, as in a competitive sector. Some stock can be out of date by the end of the week if it is not distributed on time.

"The ability to work to deadlines is essential," he says

Dr Richard Keegan, of the best practice unit in Enterprise Ireland, says another key skill for anyone working in manufacturing and production is the ability to be objective.

Dr Keegan's unit was set up to help make Irish companies more competitive through the application of practical methods and approaches.

"You need to be able to clearly identify the key challenges and strengths of people and processes," he explains.

"It is not unusual that a manager has to make decisions without the full facts. Therefore, it is important to use tools and techniques that will bring objectivity."

Interestingly, Dr Keegan says developments in the sector in recent years mean that managers are divorced from the production process.In the 1950s and 1960s, they would have spent a significant proportion of their time on the production floor, but this may no longer be the case.

This can give rise to the risk that they will make decisions which are based on opinions rather than facts.

Dr Keegan recommends four ways for companies to improve their production techniques, and each one requires the application of specific skills.

First, he says it is useful to engage in physical and process mapping. This involves sketching out the movement of a product through its different stages in the manufacturing process. In this way, it is possible to map out how long it takes for an order to be met - and to iron out any problems that may arise.

Second, the use of check sheets, which monitor the frequency with which activities occur - such as how often a machine breaks down or which products are sold easily - can also improve the production process.

Run charts are also important in the production process, he says. These help companies to monitor what is happening over time and enables them to identify trends.

"It allows people to do the day job, but to see it from a wider perspective," he explains. "It is very important from a psychological standpoint. You see progression, and have the potential to set targets."

Finally, he says good managers will use a technique known as PRAA (Prioritising Areas For Action).

"Marketing people will see marketing problems, accountants will see financial problems, but very few businesses consist solely of marketing and accounting," he explains. "So you need to step back. This is part of a logical, thought-out approach, so decisions are not just formed on opinions It helps you see the bigger picture."

Benchmarking your business against international standards is also important to identify what you are doing right and where you need to improve, he adds.

But while each of these techniques would seem to be good examples of another useful skill - common sense - Keegan says this is not in fact the case.

"People say you do these things by common sense. But they are not being used widely enough to be common sense," he believes.

Next week: Law. Email your thoughts and suggestions to business2000@irish-times.ie