We love direct feedback from our customers, especially when that feedback involves innovative ways of using our platform.
A few weeks ago, several Red e App team members were on-site to help launch one of our newest manufacturing customers in Holland, Michigan — Magna Engineered Glass.
They make windows, windshields, and other glass products for the automotive industry, and even hold the patent rights to manufacturing the horizontal sliding windows on large trucks like the F-150. See more of what Magna produces.
Yesterday, I received a call from one of our contacts at the manufacturing plant, Kevin Hoag (pictured below in the herringbone driver’s cap). He wanted to relay a story about how Red e App is starting to transform the culture of Magna Engineered Glass and the way their leadership communicates with their production workforce.
Kevin and his team wanted an innovative and real-time way to get immediate feedback from their employees. The antiquated “Suggestion Box” stuffed with paper often goes ignored and using this method, suggestions could take weeks to make it back to managers and leaders who can actually make a change.
Thus, they came up with an EPIC solution — Employee Participation In Communication.
To facilitate EPIC, the Magna HR team began sending out a dedicated EPIC message once a week to ask a simple question to all employees, inviting them to share thoughts and ideas, as well as provide feedback to shape the culture of Magna.
Their first EPIC message asked, “What specific information and communication would you like to see in Red e App?”
Among the many responses, two clear requests rose to the top: Job postings and overtime communication.
Why are job postings so important for a manufacturing worker?
Without Red e App, employees have to check the bulletin board for job postings (thus always be on-site to see updates), fill out a slip of paper to indicate interest, submit the form to HR, and wait for a response.
That entire workflow can now be done within Red e App which means faster feedback loops — benefiting both HR and the employee wanting to apply for a new internal position.
Why is overtime communication so important?
The vast majority of desktop workers work a regular 9-5 schedule. Most front-line manufacturing workers are in environments with three shifts and operations that are 24/7/365. Knowing if you have to work overtime, or that there are overtime opportunities available (if you want to make more money) should be as quick and convenient as possible.
It may be easy for a desktop worker to plan for the weekend, but that’s not the reality for non-desk workers waiting to see if they have to come in and work on Saturday or Sunday.
Scroll back up and look at the picture again. Do you see all of the papers posted on the bulletin board?
Those notices can now be delivered in real-time and made available for Magna’s employees on mobile. Overtime is going to get an “about time” improvement.
For Magna, Red e App is the medium by which they can continue to stay competitive in the marketplace and transform their operational communications to a channel their employees are now most accustomed to — a smartphone.
Happy, engaged, and informed employees lead to stronger team culture and a financially sounder future for any organization. And we at Red e App think that is an EPIC combination.
