Workforce Cross Training

Many organizations have current or planned programs for cross training employees, yet few concrete guidelines exist for designing these programs effectively. Workforce Cross Training provides an overview of the best practices for workforce cross training, including information on individual and team behavior and performance from a variety of disciplines such as operations management, industrial engineering, and behavioral psychology. This book integrates the history of academic work on cross training with future needs and opportunities. It also presents discussion on the applications of these programs in manufacturing and service industries.

In today''s ultra-competitive global business environment, it is becoming increasingly important for companies to reduce spending while simultaneously improving their efficiency and productivity. To achieve this goal, many organizations are opting to implement cross training programs in order to maximize the potential of their existing workforce, thus avoiding the need to outsource. Filling a gap in the literature, Workforce Cross Training presents a pioneering overview of the currently available research on this topic and provides invaluable insight into the design of successful cross training programs.

Featuring contributions from a team of experts, this text integrates information from a wide variety of disciplines including human factors, industrial engineering, operations management, and behavioral psychology. The authors examine the use of cross training programs in various work environments including serial production systems, call centers, and manufacturing industries. Discussion includes best practices of cross training methods and the future opportunities offered by cross training programs.

A single resource featuring an in-depth summary of the policies, methods, and results of cross training, this book delivers a much needed source of guidance for creating effective workforce cross training programs.