One of the biggest issues facing many inspection departments is having enough personnel to operate coordinate measuring machines. Many shops often keep only one operator trained to use a certain piece of equipment. When they go on holiday or call in sick, the work on that particular metrology instrument comes to a halt. That can lead to delays and bottlenecks, holding up the whole production line. Some shops compensate for personnel shortages by outsourcing work overflow, however, others are finding that cross training employees with E-Courses is a more economical option.

Coordinate measuring machine software courses are available in both classroom settings and online. There a number of advantages to online courses, especially for essential software skills like PC-DMIS.

Save on travel expenses – Besides paying for the course itself, you will have have to pay to put employees up in a hotel near the airport or the training sessions. When you tally up travel and accommodation, the extra expenses start to become clear. But you’re only halfway there – you’re also losing out on productivity as they have to spend time away from the shop.

Employees train at their own pace –As opposed to the traditional classroom, employees can take online courses at their own speed. This can improve retention, instead of overloading learners with information all at once. Employers can schedule training to fit their own needs as well. For example, scheduling half-day blocks for training means the inspection department can continue to work.

Retention – When an employee gets back from an out-of-town course, do they remember it all? E-courses allow operators to search through reference libraries to find the answers quickly and easily when a question arises. Rather than expecting them to retain 100% of the information, they can refer to the course material any time they need it, as they need it. This is particularly useful if your inspection needs are minimal and the software is only used occasionally. Regular users retain more, but even they can sometimes benefit from a jog to their memories.

Refresher courses –Canadian Measurement-Metrology Inc.’s E-courses are divided into ten minute subsections that each end in a quiz. Learners can test their understanding of the material before proceeding. Combined with an index, operators can quickly recall courses. Secondary operators can refresh their memories before substituting a worker on vacation and step in to manage work overloads. If you need to train new coordinate measuring machine operators, visit CMMXYZ.com to see what kinds of software are taught online.

Online courses are an insurance policy against unexpected absences. When several employees are able to step in to operate a coordinate measuring machine or portable arm, inspections are less likely to get backed up due to sick days or vacations. E-learning courses from CMM are an investment in your quality assurance capabilities. Shops today are increasingly expected to have some level of in-house metrology. Fortunately, you don’t have to lose weeks of productivity from a worker to train them in PC-DMIS. Stay ahead of the curve with a fully trained inspections department.