A skill matrix template for medical device makers (free download)

Most device workshops already own a skill matrix of sorts. It is a laminated chart behind the supervisor's chair, filled in once during a customer visit, with ticks that mean different things to different people. A tick beside a polisher's name might mean he has tried mirror finishing, or that he can do it unchecked on every pattern. Nobody can tell.

This post gives a template you can paste straight into a spreadsheet, a five-level code that removes the guesswork, and a routine for keeping it alive. It suits forceps lanes, titanium screw cells, syringe moulding halls and monitor assembly lines alike. The thin layer of skilled hands typical of this trade is discussed in HR for device, implant and instrument makers.

Header row: Name | Shift | Grade | then one column per operation.
Under each operation, three sub-columns: Code | Date signed | Signed by.
Codes: 0 = not trained. T = in training. S = works under check. A = authorised solo. M = may teach and sign off others.
Example operation columns, instrument bench: forging trim | blade grinding | hollow grinding | box-lock fitting | ratchet setting | mirror polish | satin finish | final bench inspection.
Example columns, implant cell: sliding-head lathe setting | thread rolling | deburring | passivation | laser marking | CMM programme run | ultrasonic cleaning log.
Example columns, moulding hall: press start-up | mould change press 3 | hot-runner temperature check | cavity inspection | pouch sealing | seal peel test | line clearance.
Example columns, equipment line: harness crimping | PCB rework | sub-assembly fit | hi-pot test | calibration | burn-in log | final test sign-off.
Footer row per column: tally of A plus M codes, shift by shift.
Flag rule: colour a column red wherever a shift holds one A or M, or none.
Side note column: understudy named for each red column, with target date.

A tick hides the difference between trying and owning. The five codes split that. T says the person is learning. S says output is fine yet every piece still passes under another's eye. A means they finish alone and their name on the traveller is enough. M marks those few trusted to coach juniors and witness their sign-offs. That last code is the one owners overlook, yet M decides how quickly understudies appear.

Dates matter as much as codes. Take a setter coded A on the catheter-hub tool two years back, idle on it since. Rust is likely. Some units add a simple expiry: if an A has not been exercised in six months, it drops to S until the master watches one run.

• Name operations the way the floor does. 'Box-lock fitting, artery forceps' is useful. 'Assembly' is not.
• Split by pattern or machine where skill differs. Changing the mould on press 3 may be harder than press 1, so it earns a separate column.
• Include record and check tasks. Line clearance, label reconciliation and test sign-off belong here too. A gap in paperwork skills hurts as much as one at a lathe.
• Keep it to one screen per section. Twelve to fifteen columns per area is plenty. Split the sheet by area if it grows.

1. 1

   Supervisor, same shift as the witnessed run

   Code, date and witness are entered before the supervisor clocks off. Entries made weeks later from memory are why most matrices cannot be trusted.

2. 2

   Shift in-charge, weekly

   Five minutes on Monday scanning for red columns and checking that rosters put an A or M on each critical operation.

3. 3

   HR, monthly

   Holds the archive, stores superseded versions, and ties grades and skill pay to codes.

4. 4

   Owner, monthly

   Looks only at red columns and understudy dates, and asks why any date has slipped.

Look across a row and you see one person's range. Look down a column and you see exposure. The column view matters more. A column with three A codes on day shift and none at night means the night lot waits for morning, or worse, runs without a qualified hand. Compare shifts side by side every Monday. Also watch the M codes: if one veteran holds every M in the polishing section, his leave stops all new sign-offs, not just production.

The matrix works best when each grade on your pay scale lists the A codes it requires. Job descriptions then follow the matrix rather than a generic template; role sheets for implant setters and inspectors shows this in practice. Training plans follow the red columns. In moulding plants, where setters are scarce, the training route for medical plastics setters uses the same codes.

Copy the grid, choose one area, and complete it beside your senior supervisor over a single afternoon. Some red column will almost certainly startle you. The earlier post on a few skilled people carrying quality explains what to do about it. For help rolling grids, grades and training plans across every bay, sketch your unit through the GullyHR requirements wizard.