The Evolving Role of HR - Feature Sample

THE EVOLVING

Role of HR

WIRE EXPO Update

The return of Wire Expo to Connecticut is getting closer, and the program for the June 11-12 event at the Mohegan Sun Casino & Resort will have something for everyone.

While the program is largely set, this section includes some updates to booth listings and covers the highlights, which includes the first-ever “winding of the clock” ceremony. If you find history and legacy appealing, this brief event that will lead off the program on Tuesday has plenty of both. The grandfather clock has not been moved for the clockwinding ceremony since it was given to the Association by British wire manufacturers in 1948.

The full program offers notable keynote speakers, presentations and panel discussions. The show floor, which was sold out, will include more than 20 first-time Wire Expo exhibitors, while the reception remains the ultimate way to meet up with friends and colleagues. If you haven’t penciled this in yet, it’s a good time to do so as registration is now open at discounted rates through May 31 at www.wireexpo24.com

Almost everything listed in the April preview of Wire Expo is still accurate, but there have been some changes, including updates for speakers and topics as well as other elements that will be held.

• The title of the Keynote presentation on Tuesday at 9:05 am by H.O. Woltz, chairman, president and CEO of Insteel is “Success based on committing to continuous improvement and a passion for manufacturing.”

• The topic of the Operations Panel Discussion on Tuesday at 10:45 am will be, “Opportunities and challenge in this constantly evolving manufacturing environment.” Speakers include Keith Albers, COO, Fort Wayne Metals, and Bill Reichert, CEO and president, Champlain Cable Corporation.

• The title of the presentation Tuesday at 2 pm by Gladys Billups, director, EHS, Southwire, Company, is “Energized safety performance.”

• On Wednesday at 10:30 am, Tomas Mejia Castrillon, senior sales executive, UL Solutions, will present, “Meeting wire and cable challenges through digitalizing cable design and manufacturing processes.”

• On Wednesday at 11:30 am in the UNCAS Ballroom, Eric Bieberich, president, Fort Wayne Wire Die Inc., will present, “Wire drawing die material and profile specification considerations.”

Elsewhere, courtesy of James Monroe Wire & Cable, Corporation, Casino 101 will be held Tuesday, from 4:40 pm to 6:15 pm, by the registration area/entrance to exhibits. There, attendees can learn the basics of craps. There will be beer, wine, soda, water and snacks, as well as a Cornhole set-up.

The same location will host a Happy Hour the day before (from 4:45 pm to 5:45 pm) for attendees of the Fundamentals of Wire Manufacturing.

Event Schedule at a Glance

Preshow: Monday

June 10, 2024

Day 1: Tuesday June 11, 2024

Day 2: Wednesday June 12, 2024

8:00 am–5:00 pm Registration Open

8:30 am–4:45 pm Fundamentals of Wire Manufacturing

11:00 am–noon Executive Committee Meeting*

Noon–1:30 pm Exhibition Planning Committeee*

1:00 pm–2:30 pm Member Relations Committee Meeting*

1:00 pm–4:45 pm Fundamentals of Wire Manufacturing (Ferrous Track continues)

1:00 pm–4:45 pm Fundamentals of Wire Manufacturing (Nonferrous/Electrical Track continues)

3:00 pm–5:00 pm Board of Directors Meeting*

8:00 am–5:00 pm Registration Open

8:30 am

Continental Breakfast & Opening Remarks

WAI President Daniel Blais

9:00 am–9:05 am Clockwinding Ceremony

9:05 am–9:30 am Keynote Address by Champions Award winner H.O. Woltz III

9:30 am–3:30 pm Conference Sessions

10:00 am–5:00 pm Exhibits Open

11:30 am Mordica Lecture WT Bigbee

4:30 pm–6:15 pm Happy Hour

8:00 am–3:00 pm Registration Open 8:30 am

Continental Breakfast

9:00 am–9:30 am

WAI Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony

9:30 am–10 am Keynote Address by Paul Furtado, Prysmian

10:00 am–noon Conference Sessions

10:00 am–3:00 pm Exhibits Open

10:30 am–noon Product Solutions

Noon

Attendance Giveaway at WAI Booth #825

6:30 pm–8:30 pm Welcome Reception Sun Patio

4:45 pm–5:45 pm Fundamentals Happy Hour

5:00 pm–6:00 pm Memorial Awards Committee*

* Invitation only

Schedule subject to change. Go to the event website — www.wireexpo24.com — for the latest details.

The evolving role of HR

This feature on Human Resources (HR) is a bit different as it is aligned with two other features to come that all overlap: Operators: their changing role, in July, and Update: Industry 4.0 & AI, in August. It is a complex mix that collectively covers how plants operate. Here, the focus is on how companies with well-established HR departments approach their tasks, along with some other editorial elements—including commentary from AI— but the focus on personnel will continue in those future issues.

What exactly is HR and how has its role changed?

WJI: What is or is not part of the scope of HR at your company? Is it absolutely everything that has to do with staffing, from hiring to training? How has the range of considerations changed over the years?

From the first moment a potential candidate sees our logo in the community, all the way through to retirement, the entire employee experience is within the scope of our People department. Over the past several years, parts of the People industry have changed due to advancements in technology. We’re regularly discovering efficiency gains, finding opportunities to improve communication with employees, and using reporting analytics to be more intentional in our work. Our industry requires us to lean on People professionals who bring strong technology skills. The labor market has also changed our approach to People. We regularly learn what candidates and employees value in terms of rewards and benefits. One thing we know for sure is that employers must evolve their approach to recruiting as newer generations enter the workforce. With flexibility being one of the most highly sought after benefits currently, we’re rethinking how we can balance that benefit with our business demands. Holly Christianson, director of people, Fort Wayne Metals.

HR at Prysmian is unique –we’re involved across the board, from hiring to training as well as all other areas of our business. Our HR employees are true partners, working closely with our business teams across our footprint, and that lends itself to a feeling of connectedness across our organization. We have regular conversations with leadership about strategy and day-to-day operations with leadership that genuinely shape how we approach the human resources function. What’s distinctive about Prysmian’s HR structure is that there is an emphasis on being not only an HR professional but also a business professional - we value understanding how our efforts impact the business side of Prysmian and vice versa. John Andrews, vice president of human resources and organization, Prysmian North America.

At Southwire, we are responsible for two P&Ls. One is Profit & Losses, and the other one—even more important—is People & Lives. This includes everyone that Southwire connects with: team members, suppliers, Andrews

customers and all the communities where we operate, among others. From a leadership perspective, at People & Culture, we have a responsibility to embrace our core tenets of sustainability: Going Green, Living Well, Giving Back, Doing Right and Building Worth. From a functional perspective, we are responsible for creating the best team member experience by continuously improving our core processes from hiring to retiring (Recruiting, On Boarding, Training and Development, Total Rewards, Communications, Community Engagement and People Technologies). Our objective is to become the place where everyone is trusted and empowered to create the best experience for themselves and everyone that they engage with. In terms of considerations that have changed over the

years, we have really transformed from being a company that was focused on providing jobs to an organization that is committed to transform the team member, customer and community experience. Fernando Esquivel, executive vice president and chief people & culture officer, Southwire.

HR at Leoni is responsible for the entire employee lifecycle, as well as creating governance and rolling out the guidelines globally. Best practice sharing is also becoming increasingly important here. Leoni is a company that mainly produces abroad. It is also becoming more and more difficult to recruit employees abroad, as demands have also changed. Due to fluctuating plant capacity utili-

AI: will it be a disruptor or a benefactor for HR departments?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is far from a new topic, but it is one that is getting increasing attention for all types of industry. One of the industry leaders in AI is Oden Technologies (OT). Below, OT CEO Willem Sundblad summarizes the HR challenges many manufacturers face, and presents his company’s solution, which is purpose built for front-line staff.

The wire and cable industry will continue to require front-line machine operators for the foreseeable future, even with AI tooling. However, manufacturers are facing increasing challenges with hiring, training, and retaining these positions. In fact, 50% of new staff are leaving their posts within the first three months. New staff are not as productive as experienced staff, and this results in lower line speed, increased scrap, quality issues, and even safety concerns. Usually, these staff require over two years to reach productivity. This is both an HR and Operations problem that greatly affects overall productivity and core KPIs within the company. AI presents a real opportunity to improve the productivity and work life of operators by giving them the information they need to be productive upfront, and in an easy- to- action way. AI is able to do this by sorting through the billions of variables and constraints within the manufacturing process in an extremely fast and organized way. This would normally take years of experience for an operator to be able to do in real-time, but AI can learn these patterns with only three to six months of data.

A look at data generated by Process AI from Oden Technologies. See p. 74 for details about this technology from Oden Technologies.

In terms of operator experience, this means that operators aren’t left guessing or searching for how to optimize the line, and how to meet their goals and targets. They’re given the tools to become high performers for the business, and for themselves, from day one on a line. This uplevels operators substantially, with some increasing line speed by more than 40% in the first week of using these solutions, driving operator engagement and high company KPIs.

So what does this look like in action? Process AI, Oden’s premier AI-enabled solution, turns inexperienced machine operators into high performers. With process settings recommendations that adjust to real-time line constraints and organizational goals served directly to operators, Process AI ensures front-line workers have the exact information they need—when they need it—to achieve peak production. Predicted quality and impact outcomes incentivize operators to use the solution and view their impact to the business in real-time, leading to usage figures of over 80%. Process AI has helped Oden customers across many manufacturing processes increase speed, reduce costs, and improve quality, with ROI in some cases over $1M/year. Learn more about Process AI and other solutions at oden.io

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