A look over the shoulder "Know-how transfer"
By experts for experts
By experts for experts. Achieving more together.
Rheinmetall not only develops innovative technologies and products, but also advises and supports its customers during the introduction of and training in new systems. In 2019, Rheinmetall implemented a total of over 25 training projects for various armed forces. This transfer of know-how has proven its worth and the Rheinmetall Training department has already built up a long and successful history as a result. We present a number of projects on this page.How does the transfer of know-how work at Rheinmetall?
Marcus Hanke is a project manager for systems training at Rheinmetall. He is, in a manner of speaking, the professional trainer for experts, and responsible for setting and conveying Rheinmetall’s standards for different products or projects. He works with a team of around 40 colleagues at the Training department.
"Our efficient course system provides us with an excellent basis for shaking knowledge efficiently and ensuring uniform Rheinmetall standards."
Markus Hanke
Project Manager System Training
Mr Hanke, how did you become an expert in know-how transfer and how would you describe your job?
I joined Rheinmetall Landsysteme as a project manager in 2019 after leaving the German Armed Forces. In the last six years of my service there, I was able to gain a lot of experience in training and development at various military training establishments, including the Munster Training Centre, as a chief instructor and trainer. Perhaps that is another reason my department head, Mr Groth, felt I was predestined for the role.
My job is now to organise, plan and implement training strategies for our wide range of projects. These are increasingly localisation and/or know-how-transfer projects, as with the Boxer MIV project in the UK or our new joint venture for the infantry combat vehicle Lynx in Hungary, for example.
In particular, they also involve planning and designing or adapting the course system to the respective requirements. There are totally different things to bear in mind with an existing plant, as in the case of RBSL, our subsidiary in Telford in the UK, compared with a fresh start like in Hungary.
Highly effective course system is the basis for consistent Rheinmetall standards
To ensure that know-how transfer is as efficient as possible and consistent in accordance with Rheinmetall standards, we at the Training department have developed a highly effective course system. Those participating in the training, i.e. future welders, assembly workers, service technicians, production supervisors and material managers, for example, are taught everything they need to know to set up a production facility that complies with Rheinmetall standards in workflow-based training courses.
For us as a company, the clear advantage of this approach is, of course, that our products will be of a consistently high quality. By providing our Hungarian, Australian, German and British employees in Quality Management, for example, with exactly the same training, sometimes even together, we are making a decisive contribution to ensuring consistency in terms of quality, processes, documentation and many other areas. For the employees themselves, this often brings an incredible boost to their knowledge. At RBSL in Telford, the employees benefit greatly from our experience in takt-time production of the Boxer, for example. But they also gain a huge amount of additional knowledge in the areas of CAN-Bus technology and welding and bonding certification.
My job is now to organise, plan and implement training strategies for our wide range of projects. These are increasingly localisation and/or know-how-transfer projects, as with the Boxer MIV project in the UK or our new joint venture for the infantry combat vehicle Lynx in Hungary, for example.
In particular, they also involve planning and designing or adapting the course system to the respective requirements. There are totally different things to bear in mind with an existing plant, as in the case of RBSL, our subsidiary in Telford in the UK, compared with a fresh start like in Hungary.
Highly effective course system is the basis for consistent Rheinmetall standards
To ensure that know-how transfer is as efficient as possible and consistent in accordance with Rheinmetall standards, we at the Training department have developed a highly effective course system. Those participating in the training, i.e. future welders, assembly workers, service technicians, production supervisors and material managers, for example, are taught everything they need to know to set up a production facility that complies with Rheinmetall standards in workflow-based training courses.
For us as a company, the clear advantage of this approach is, of course, that our products will be of a consistently high quality. By providing our Hungarian, Australian, German and British employees in Quality Management, for example, with exactly the same training, sometimes even together, we are making a decisive contribution to ensuring consistency in terms of quality, processes, documentation and many other areas. For the employees themselves, this often brings an incredible boost to their knowledge. At RBSL in Telford, the employees benefit greatly from our experience in takt-time production of the Boxer, for example. But they also gain a huge amount of additional knowledge in the areas of CAN-Bus technology and welding and bonding certification.
In your department, how do you go about creating new training strategies for the transfer of knowledge? Products and areas of application differ greatly. How do you succeed in creating consistent standards regardless?
What is your experience of working with internal and external training participants? What feedback do you receive?
What challenges do you encounter as part of your work? How do you deal with them?
What skills do you need to work on the team at the Rheinmetall Training department?
The transfer of know-how in practice
How do we create standards? How do we impart these to others? The following projects undertaken by our Training department provide a fascinating look behind the scenes. Click on the tiles to find out more:
