How TKF brought structure to a workforce growing faster than its training system could handle
Rapid growth, fragmented records, and an audit process that used to rely on a first name scrawled on a form
A first name on a form
TKF is a cable manufacturer that has grown rapidly, adding hundreds of employees over just a few years. That growth exposed a skills tracking operation that was never built to scale. Information was scattered across Excel sheets, Word documents, and shift leaders’ memories.
“We sometimes found an evaluation form with just a first name written on it: Piet,” said Jan Willem ten Barge, Training Coordinator at TKF. “How could we know which Piet this was about?”
During audits, proving that a machine operator was qualified for their position meant gathering evidence from multiple locations across the organisation, a process that consumed far more of supervisors’ and trainers’ time than it should have.
From master-apprentice to structured
TKF’s previous training model was built around experience. The best operator on a machine trained the new ones, and when the mentor felt they were ready, they worked independently. This was functional at a small scale, but increasingly fragile as the employee headcount climbed.
“Our rapid growth called for a more structured approach. How will we structurally train and supervise the large group of new employees? Where will we record skills-related information and what standards should we use?” ten Barge said.
An auditor asks us to prove that the person operating a machine is allowed to be there. We have to show what training they received, who trained them, and what skills and knowledge they possess.
Jan Willem ten Barge
Training Coordinator, TKF
A system that follows the employee
An integration between AG5 and TKF’s HR system Cobra solved a specific and persistent problem: keeping track of people as they move between departments. When an employee is temporarily redeployed, the change is recorded in Cobra and by the next day they appear in their new shift leader’s matrix with their full skill set still attached.
“When we need an expert, we can find them in no time,” ten Barge said.
The pilot rollout began with a single department, with time built in to identify issues before expanding.
“Other departments were eager to adopt AG5 as well because they recognised the benefits it offered. We were able to expedite its implementation in our other departments,” ten Barge said.
Whenever you adopt a new system, you have to wait and see if you will actually receive the support that was promised. The whole process went smoothly and AG5 delivered on its promises.
Jan Willem ten Barge
Training Coordinator, TKF
