A management training programme has helped GlaxoSmithKline’s Maidenhead site
save more than £500,000 in packing and filling costs since it was introduced
six months ago.
The factory, which makes oral healthcare products, introduced the training
programme to create ‘enhanced’ team leaders capable of making decisions that
would improve production line efficiency at a local level.
Asif Khan, the factory’s people development manager, said the course had
given new team leaders the people management skills to improve the output of
their small teams by giving staff more responsibility for efficiency, creating
the cost saving.
Khan, who is optimistic the scheme will reduce costs by up to £1m in its
first year, said the training had proved so successful that it was now being
introduced at some of the firm’s other sites.
"We brought a varied group of people through the course without any
failures or problems which was particularly impressive when many had no
experience of capability training," he said.
Ian Williams, programme co-ordinator for training provider AMT, believes the
continuous assessment element of the training had made it accessible to a wide
range of candidates of different abilities.
In all, 50 staff received the NEBS team leader award on people and line
management skills after successfully completing 19 modules, an assignment and a
presentation.
By Ross Wigham
