The progress rating that this chart represents should be modified, currently it is suppose to show where a person’s current skill sets are but in reality it is 100% restricted by tenure. I will give you a few examples, let’s start from the bottom of the chart. “Writes programs for complete jobs”, I write complete programs daily out of necessity but I have a rating of zero in this category and I am not expected to write programs until I reach tier twelve (two years from now). “Makes good parts (speed)”, I have had one part order (4 pcs) come back out of tolerance (over size OD) in the last quarter, unless that one part order is the only part order that I completed within that quarter, this rating should at least be 80% but I wont see a rating of that percentage until tier eleven (1.75 years from now). “Knows the setups” I am currently the only machinist who knows the setups on the VTL, if I am not setting it up then please tell me who is, I would like to meet them. I have several years of experience on vertical mills also so I doubt that you could throw anything at me that I couldn’t figure out. “Improves on time standards” this is just part of my every day job, I have been modifying and recreating programs and setups that have shown a huge improvement in per piece time standards. However there are some time standards that need to be revisited since the current time standards are inaccurate and are not possible to meet with our current tooling. Maybe we should take a look at other tooling to aid with this. “Can setup and run all parts by yourself” I find this rating particularly insulting, if you have read this far you already have an idea why, a current rating of zero… Really? “Makes good parts (Accuracy)” I have already gone over this part, again it is insulting to get a rating of zero. The rest of the chart is repetitive on these categories with with a few exceptions but the low ratings all insulting.
If I follow this chart I have absolutely no incentive to continue doing the things that I have a zero rating for until I reach a tier that indicates any rating above zero (one year from now). J***n’s comment “Feeds and speeds in the programs may not be entirely accurate since the hard-coat application process is slightly different.” tells me that he has no knowledge of the available resources pertaining to hard coat machining. There are no mentions of hard coat machining in the “set up books” and until I started to make programs to include hard coat machining the only program available for hard coat machining was a generic facing code, which is ridiculous. The comment “Work on your quality in terms of deburring parts” stems from one production order that had a 1/16 radius cut into the hard coat, up against the minor OD. I ended up making an addition to the program which makes that radius to include the use of a groove tool to just ever so slightly touch the hard coat and remove the burr. The comment “Work at adjusting the feeds and speeds for tooling.”, yes, that is what machinists do.
Every person that I have talked to about this chart had similar negative comments. One person suggested that I walk into the quarterly review and view the person giving the review as a kinder gardener and the review chart written in crayon.
I would like to thank the people involved in the incredible effort to increase moral by bringing out cold drinks and fruit, you are awesome.