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ferred to other functions such as packaging and washing. Not all
operators were proficient at assembling all types of sunglasses.
Whenever an operator began assembling a new style of sunglasses,
the operator was given additional training until that person was
comfortable and was able to produce sunglasses of sufficient
quality. If an operator switched from assembling plastics to
assembling metals, the operator was given an additional 13 weeks
of training.
Training for inspectors at B&L Ireland lasted 13 weeks,
regardless whether the individual being trained had been an
operator prior to that time. An additional 13 weeks of training
was required if the inspector switched from the inspection of
metals to the inspection of plastics.
Training for other functions, such as packaging and washing,
lasted four weeks. When B&L Ireland began applying leather to
metal frames in 1986, the training for the leather application
process lasted eight weeks. B&L Ireland conducted retraining
programs for operators who were having difficulty meeting quan-
tity and quality standards. Those programs typically lasted four
weeks.
Most quality problems at B&L Ireland with respect to the
basic SKUs tended to disappear over time as B&L Ireland's manage-
ment and operators became more experienced in assembling those
types of sunglasses. However, as new styles of sunglasses were
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