Founding Members by the Numbers
100+
Years of Experience
~23
Average Tenure
4+
Manufacturing Sectors
Why I started Training 4.0
About 5 years ago, I began a journey to help standardize work for operators on the shop floor across multiple sites. At first, I thought the problem was simple - we just needed a standard SOP template (yes - I know - I was so naive).
As you could have guessed, I quickly learned that an SOP template had been standardized before - multiple times - but it never seemed to last long.
Why?
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Tools: Our authoring tool (MS Word) wasn't designed for SOPs. It made formatting pictures nearly impossible. It didn't support any kind of review/approval process. There was no central place to house SOPs that applied to multiple plants, so each site had developed their own.
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Processes: Most of the time, the people writing the SOPs weren't the people doing the work or the people training, so no one was really depending on the SOPs for day-to-day operations. There were no quality standards or enforced approval processes for SOPs.
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People: Most of the people writing SOPs or training operators weren't trained in technical writing, adult learning, etc. In fact, their managers didn't have a background in training either.
The more I dug, the more I realized that if we were going to standardize work for operators across the plants, we'd have to provide a holistic solution that addressed a complete system of needs. So I began to look for one.
I read books. I listened to audio books. I took classes. And eventually, I got certified in Training within Industry "Job Instruction". In my 40-hr cert class, I met other people on the same journey.
There’s a proverb that says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
So I scheduled a regular call for us to continue to meet and practice our skills, swap stories about implementation progress, etc.
Over the years, our group has grown. Through our conversations, I’ve realized that our challenges aren't unique. We're in the middle of an industrial revolution—Industry 4.0, and manufacturing companies worldwide are struggling to adapt how they develop and sustain standard work on the plant floor.
Right now, manufacturing training professionals around the world need a community—a place to grow, stay inspired, and navigate the challenges of Industry 4.0 together. That’s why we’ve decided to make this community official. Today, I’m so excited to share it with you: Training 4.0.
--Kt Foster, Founder
Meet Our Team
Our Founding Members bring 100 + years of experience across industries and manufacturing sectors.
Together, we're elevating people as the true power behind Industry 4.0.
