By Tom Inglesby

Most people would agree that a nail is not high-tech. Nor is a board, a sack of concrete or a pile of cinder blocks.

Properly put together, however, we see a complex structure arising. The elements of a structure are, individually, not too awesome; using a good design, the relationship of those elements changes drastically until the results are, indeed, awesome.

It is similar in the factory and plant. Although the individual components of industry change exponentially on a regular basis, most of those who depend on them for their livelihood learn quickly to adapt to the changes. We really get into deep trouble when we seek ways to combine those elements into a system. To paraphrase a wiseguy, "Systems are more complex than the average bear." Over the years, while following the world of manufacturing, we have seen strong men - and a few women - cry at the thought of implementing a new system at what should have been a rudimentary level of complexity.

A great deal of technology goes into the design, manufacture and delivery of even the simplest products. To match the output decreed by consumer demand, we have turned to automation and advanced control systems driven by computers and semiconductors. While the structure of concrete and wood becomes more complex as it becomes larger, manufacturing technology reverses that order - the smaller it is, the more complex it is. At some point, it seems, the technology is so small it requires additional products interfaced with it to function. And we have a system.

Some industries use the term "system" to indicate any two or more elements connected in a symbiotic relationship. The computer industry one-ups that by using the term to represent everything from a computer program ("manufacturing execution system") to a network of many computers and software packages ("open systems") that are intended to work together. Then they turn it around and repackage the multiple "systems" into a single huge system. Building blocks become buildings become cities become nations, all within the computer.

Along the way, some users drop off the bandwagon. We all have known people who have built up so much resistance to the constant changes in technology that they have thrown up their hands in disgust. Or just thrown up. The burnout rate is increasing, they say, at the same time that the demand for more technology is rising. How can we meet the upswing in demands without creating a fatality rate just as steep?

One answer is the same as it has been for hundreds of years: education. That means more than learning how to operate a machine or run a computer program. It means learning why to operate the machine in a particular way or what happens behind the screen in the program. As our systems become more complex, so does the educational requirement. Few companies below the Fortune 500 can afford the training staff necessary to keep technology users abreast of the changes that are coming and going daily.

Despite tons of books ("Systems for Dummies?") available, nothing takes the place of hands-on learning. If you can't afford to teach the latest to your workers, where can they get the information? Look outside your office or factory window and, most likely, within a few miles of your place is a community college, vocational or technical education facility. These are the community resources overlooked by too many manufacturing professionals.

These schools are not just warehouses for people with limited funds for college, they are some of the quickest reacting, most dynamic learning sites anywhere. Remember, they have but two years on average to turn out a technology-oriented person ready to start working at the level of your company's systems. But they need something from you in return for training those future workers. They need input on what you will need, two years out, so their graduates can be ready, not two years behind. In reality, what they need is you. Remember your favorite instructor in school? Wouldn't you like to have a few dozen people remember you that way?

Offering your expertise as an instructor, perhaps with the nice title of "adjunct professor," is a positive way to prepare the next generation of workers to be able to do things the right way, your way, the way you have learned it must be done. And in return, send your workers there to learn the latest technology, saving your company tons of money and years of time. It is the best system going, the symbiotic relationship of manufacturing and academics. A few hours in a classroom again might surprise you. They really do build some complex structures out of a nail, a board and a bag of concrete, or a computer and some software.

Seen on the Screen For information on two-year technical schools and colleges and what they can offer, check the web page for the American Technical Education Association (ATEA) at http://members.aol.com/ateainfo/ or e-mail the executive director Betty Krump at [email protected]