Implementation case study
Building internal training capability across three production plants, with learning time reduced by 25–30%.
This case describes the implementation and company profile at the time of the original article; historical figures are retained.
TWI at Tarczyński — an implementation case study. Training Within Industry is a programme that complements Lean Management . Our company has followed the Lean path for many years. Lean helps us remove waste from processes, build quality into products and processes, and meet customer expectations. It offers methods and tools to achieve these aims. Practical experience has taught us, however, that Lean implementation fails without the involvement of everyone in the organisation. Our products depend on modern machines and effective methods, but above all on the passion of the people who work here every day. High-quality Lean implementation therefore requires committed employees as well as tools. The article recalls John D. Rockefeller’s view that the ability to work with people is a business skill worth investing in. Engaging and motivating people depends on developing their understanding of the work (Figure 1).
Figure 1. People as the key element of Lean implementation. Original figure in Polish.
Source: Piątkowski M, Training recommendations for Lean implementation.
An effective complement to Lean implementation in our organisation was the Training Within Industry (TWI) programme , which develops experienced employees’ management skills in transferring knowledge (TWI Job Instruction), improving working methods through Kaizen (TWI Job Methods), and building relationships and solving people-related problems (TWI Job Relations). TWI fills an important gap in Lean implementation by developing the experienced employees, leaders and managers who determine the effectiveness (Polish) of introducing and sustaining Lean principles. It addressed a significant problem in our organisation: extensive process and method knowledge remained in employees’ heads and was not passed on effectively during training.
TWI helped shape Toyota’s management culture of continuous improvement and continuous learning. Standardised work was a foundation of the Toyota Production System (TPS) (Polish), and TWI provides methods for building it. The source recalls Taiichi Ohno’s emphasis on introducing standardised work as an early action when managing a machine shop. In our company, TWI began a further transformation from a Lean enterprise towards a learning organisation.
Our company: Tarczyński S.A.
The TARCZYŃSKI Group processes pork and poultry and sells and distributes meat and sausage products under the TARCZYŃSKI brand. At the time described, it operated three production plants. Its main plant in Ujeździec Mały was among Europe’s most modern meat-processing facilities. The other plants were in Sława and Bielsko-Biała.
Figure 2. The Tarczyński S.A. Group headquarters in Ujeździec Mały.
Figure 6. The production plant in Bielsko-Biała. Numbering follows the original source.
TWI implementation at Tarczyński
The first implementation wave
The first wave aimed to develop TWI knowledge and skills among selected employees from the three production plants. It was supported by a consultant from LeanTrix sp. z o.o. with nine years of TWI implementation experience. The process followed the PDCA cycle (Plan–Do–Check–Act), providing a structured approach to acquiring knowledge and practical skills (Table 1).
Table 1. The first wave of TWI implementation at Tarczyński S.A. using PDCA. Original table in Polish.
Table 1 — English translation
| Step | PDCA | Activity | Objectives |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PLAN | Training for senior management |
|
| 2 | DO | Practical TWI workshop |
|
| 3 | CHECK | Certify TWI instructors | Certify instructors able to prepare correct standardised work instructions, analyse and improve working methods through Kaizen, and train employees using TWI Job Instruction. |
| 4 | ACT | Certify TWI trainers | Certify internal TWI consultants able to train and audit other employees throughout the organisation. |
The first implementation wave developed:
- 8 certified TWI instructors with practical skills in preparing work standards and delivering on-the-job instruction,
- 6 certified TWI trainers (Polish) able to train other employees within the organisation without external support.
TWI trainer candidates were selected from all three production plants. After certification, they received trainer materials enabling them to deliver practical TWI workshops independently. This created the capability to roll the programme out progressively across all areas of the three plants.
Sustaining TWI implementation at Tarczyński
In practice, Training Within Industry, particularly TWI Job Instruction, involves creating clear work standards — standardised work instructions — and using them for on-the-job training. These instructions go beyond describing what to do. They emphasise key points explaining how to do it and, most importantly, the reasons explaining why. A central part of TWI is developing experienced employees’ ability to transfer the knowledge recorded in these standards methodically.
A major organisational challenge was creating TWI documentation (Polish) and keeping it up to date. MS Office applications are commonly used, but can create difficulties with photos, cell formatting and version management. A useful tool we introduced was the etwi system, which includes a dedicated module for creating standardised work instructions (Figure 7). The system also contains dozens of instructional videos to help TWI instructors prepare for on-the-job training and TWI trainers prepare for workshops.
Figure 7. A standardised work instruction generated in the etwi system. Original document in Polish.
Another challenge in sustaining TWI was allocating time for instructors to create standards and teach on the production floor, and for trainers to deliver practical workshops. We treated the project as an investment: resources were required initially to achieve measurable reductions in production problems later. The organisation came to understand that quality defects, breakdowns and accidents directly associated with human error can indicate weaknesses in the management system. Root causes of human error include:
- missing or ineffective operator training,
- failure to follow a standard because the standard itself was poorly developed,
- a lack of follow-up and auditing after training.
TWI addresses these root causes by involving production leaders in effective on-the-job instruction and improved working methods. Time devoted to practical TWI activity helps reduce human errors and improve the company’s key performance indicators (KPIs) (Polish) .
Summary and benefits of TWI at Tarczyński
Implementing and continually using TWI brought multiple benefits to the Tarczyński S.A. Group. The initial main measure was the time required for an employee to perform operations independently without additional assistance or supervision. TWI instructors and trainers reduced learning time by 25–30%. Clear, structured onboarding for line workers and machine operators also reduced quality errors.
TWI significantly changed the organisation’s approach to learning and training. Middle managers recognised the importance of a job instruction method tested across industries over many decades. Employees trained using TWI JI became more willing to share knowledge. The programme also improved employees’ and operators’ understanding of their work, influencing productivity and machine breakdowns associated with incorrect operation or insufficient knowledge.
Dawid Tarczyński has been with Tarczyński S.A. Group for over 15 years, where he currently serves as Executive Vice President. Throughout his career, he has progressed through all levels of process improvement leadership – from Senior Continuous Improvement Manager, to Continuous Improvement Director, and now as a member of the company’s top management team.
As a leader responsible for organizational transformation and strategic development, Dawid has successfully implemented change management processes, optimization projects, and operational excellence programs based on the principles of Lean Manufacturing. He actively supports the development of a continuous improvement culture across the Tarczyński Group, building management systems that integrate people, processes, and technology in pursuit of the highest operational efficiency.
Krzysztof Kaczmarek is an experienced Project Director and Production Manager with a strong track record in the food production industry. He is skilled in management, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, and Lean tools. A graduate of the ICAN Institute (Harvard Business Review) executive program, Krzysztof combines strategic leadership with hands-on operational expertise.
He holds a degree from the Wrocław University of Economics, Faculty of Management and Production Engineering, and is a certified TWI Trainer. With over four years of experience in implementing process optimization solutions across the manufacturing and pharmaceutical industries, Krzysztof specializes in designing and deploying Continuous Improvement systems and management frameworks based on Lean Manufacturing tools such as 5S, SMED, and TQM.
I am a promoter of Lean Management and the Training Within Industry program. I am a practitioner. I co-create many startups. Since 2015, I have been the CEO of Leantrix - a leading Lean consulting company in Poland, which, starting from 2024, organizes one of the largest conferences dedicated to lean management in Poland - the Lean TWI Summit. Since 2019, I have been the CEO of Do Lean IT OU, a company registered in Estonia that creates the software etwi.io, used by dozens of manufacturing and service companies in Europe and the USA.
