Other Voices: Using gamification to help train the supply chain workforce

Editor’s note: The following column by Debra Schug, communications manager for Simutech Multimedia, is part of Modern’s Other Voices column, a series featuring ideas, opinions and insights from end-users, analysts, systems integrators and OEMs. Click here to learn about submitting a column for consideration.

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Amazon’s plans to invest $700 million in its workforce shows how fast the industry is changing. The company is promising to spend approximately $7,000 per worker to “upskill” 100,000 of its U.S. employees for more in-demand jobs by 2025. With eyes on the future, Amazon is recognizing its workers are going to have to gain new skills to weather the coming storm of increased advanced automation and new technology in the supply chain.

Although the McKinsey Global Institute found less than 5% of jobs can be automated completely, 60% of jobs have at least 30% of activities that can be done by new technologies. This means we likely won’t see a total robot takeover of jobs, but a possible shifting of responsibilities and tasks that could combine a number of positions.

Developing a clear strategy to reskill workers will be critical. One area that could help in training effectiveness and motivation is by incorporating games into a program.

Serious Games in Use
A growing number of industries are using serious games or gamification to train their workers. Gamification is the concept of using game design elements to motivate participation and engagement with some existing entity, such as a website, app, brand, etc. Many companies are pairing serious gaming techniques with technologies common to the video game industry, such as virtual reality (VR).

In the retail industry, Walmart used VR headsets to prepare their employees for the holiday crowds last year. Not only did the simulated training allow workers to get a sensory experience of the sights and sounds of frenzied customers, it also increased retention rates and got a huge response from their employees, who were reportedly lining up to train.

In the supply chain industry, the Raymond Virtual Reality Simulator was introduced a few years ago to train new and existing lift truck operators working in warehousing and distribution facilities. More recently, a seminar was held at ProMat 2019 about using augmented reality in the form of smart glasses to help warehouse and distribution center workers fill orders. Even some of Amazon’s fulfillment centers have used games to help make their jobs more fun and interesting.

In the construction industry, John Deere has just rolled out new simulators based on six of its machines to teach machine controls, hand-eye coordination, safe operation and operator techniques. The company describes the software as containing “highly detailed, realistic virtual environments designed to cover basic and advanced operator duties through multiple jobsite tasks.”

The Benefits of Gamification and Simulation Training
Gamification activities can include using leaderboards and point systems as well as awarding merit badges and even actual physical prizes to increase competition. Competition among individuals or groups can be a motivation tool and encourage them to not only learn new skills, but also put their new skills to work.

Also, at a time when many supply chain organizations are changing traditional operations and undergoing other change management endeavors, games can be used to introduce new protocols or teach new employees standard operating procedures. Additionally, many organizations already have ambitious continuous improvement programs that include training, but often times lack the proper spark to get workers to engage. However, games are inherently designed to keep users playing, thus making learning more fun.

Using serious games can help employers build their workers’ critical thinking skills, such as figuring out how to troubleshoot what’s wrong with plant floor equipment. In fact, when manufacturers and supply chain companies are trying to prioritize reskilling efforts, identifying workers’ missing skills could prevent production risks like unplanned downtime and decreased equipment reliability. Some of this technical training, such as learning how to solve electrical faults, has been traditionally hard to locate outside of community colleges and vocational schools. However, with computer-based simulation training, many of these learning opportunities are becoming easier to access, often times from the user’s own personal computer.

With simulation technology paired with serious games, the training is much more immersive, which helps boost knowledge retention rates. For instance, learning problem-solving skills is more effective when users interact with a realistic representation of a plant floor rather than in a traditional classroom or lecture setting. The simulation offers hand-on experiences so beginners can learn how to make critical observations and understand how real-world conditions affect operations. Plus, users can practice on virtual equipment and make mistakes without requiring any of the plant’s assets to be down and without risk of causing injuries or equipment damage.

Amazon’s “Upskilling 2025” program is a bold and ambitious move to tackle the skills gap and help prepare the supply chain industry for more changes to come. But the company, of course, isn’t doing this just as a philanthropic gesture, but also as a way to make its existing workforce and operations more competitive. So what’s your company’s training plans?