Van Merksteijn accelerates onboarding with ELICIT
“With ELICIT, even our most experienced operators reach a solution faster.”
Hüseyin Kiremit
Trainer and coach
“We notice in every aspect that things are improving. There is much less downtime.”
Bülent Șimșek
Project Leader
Van Merksteijn International consists of two business units: Van Merksteijn Fences and Van Merksteijn Steel (structural steel).
The greatest challenges
Van Merksteijn Fencing Systems encountered several problems in production. Onboarding new employees took a significant amount of time. Furthermore, the training program for new employees was not available digitally. Another major pain point for Van Merksteijn was the lack of a uniform working method. Additionally, employees possess a wealth of experiential knowledge, but it was not documented anywhere. This knowledge was at risk of being lost when they retired. Finally, operators were dependent on other, more experienced colleagues during malfunctions and other issues. This cost time, and therefore money.
Simply ‘checking ELICIT’
ELICIT started at Van Merksteijn with a pilot project. Knowledge analyst Emiel Weijn developed a knowledge model for the Schlatter welding line. Hüseyin Kiremit, trainer and coach, and Bülent Şimşek, project leader, were impressed by the speed with which the ELICIT knowledge analyst understood the process. “Sometimes we spent weeks training new colleagues. The fact that they understood our process so quickly was remarkable.”
Following the successful implementation of the first knowledge model, ELICIT created models for five other production processes, including wire drawing and the galvanizing line. Almost the entire production process of Van Merksteijn Fences has now been mapped out, with the knowledge models also being interconnected. This allows employees to easily see if a deviation might have been caused by an error in the preceding process step. Now, it is a matter of ‘simply checking ELICIT’ to find the solution. “We deal with hundreds of types of malfunctions. Some occur only rarely. With ELICIT, even our most experienced employees reach the solution faster,” says Kiremit.
Interviews form the basis of the knowledge models, but colleagues also engaged in discussions with each other regarding the desired, uniform working method. “Even the most experienced colleagues now say: ELICIT is very useful. I can now easily refresh my knowledge,” says Şimşek. With ELICIT’s software, the company trains new and current employees more quickly. Kiremit is very pleased with this as a coach and trainer. “With the testing functionality, I can even test employees on individual components.”
A portion of the employees does not speak Dutch, only their native language. Because this is the case with several ELICIT clients, ELICIT developed a translation function. As a result, a knowledge model is available in Dutch as well as in Turkish, German, and Polish. If the knowledge model is modified, this is immediately visible in all languages. This allows everyone, regardless of background or language level, to work at the same level of knowledge. By early 2024, approximately 150 employees were working with ELICIT software, and that number continues to grow. “We sometimes say to each other: ELICIT is like Google, you can always find the answer,” says Şimşek.
Van Merksteijn is very positive about the collaboration with ELICIT. “They guided and trained us very well. If we had questions, they provided an answer quickly.” Project leader Şimşek previously worked in production but was released by Van Merksteijn for the implementation of ELICIT. After training from ELICIT, he is now a content and model manager and maintains the seven knowledge models within Fences himself. Most of the knowledge and processes there have been mapped out. Şimşek will next start working on new knowledge models for Van Merksteijn Steel.
Results: more knowledge, less downtime
Through the use of the knowledge model, personnel are more aware of the impact of their work on subsequent process steps and recognize deviations from previous processes sooner. As a result, they perform independent quality checks more frequently, which in turn leads to lower failure costs. The Technical Department and the shift foremen are less burdened with questions because employees arrive at solutions independently. Furthermore, Van Merksteijn spends noticeably less time on training and coaching. Şimşek: “With ELICIT, we have a knowledge base that is open 24/7. No one has to wait for someone else when there is a malfunction. We notice in every aspect that production is improving. There is much less downtime. Ultimately, that is what it is all about.”
