Reducing Downtime Starts with Your Workforce

Why cross-trained technicians are key to keeping production running

In manufacturing, even a short disruption can have a ripple effect across operations. When equipment goes down, every minute matters — not just for productivity, but for meeting deadlines, maintaining quality, and controlling costs.

While downtime is often viewed as a maintenance issue, many manufacturers are finding it’s just as much a workforce challenge.

The real cost of downtime

Unplanned downtime can bring production to a halt, leaving teams idle and orders delayed. Even brief interruptions can lead to missed deadlines, material waste, and increased operational costs.

As manufacturing environments become more advanced with integrated systems, automation, and complex equipment, the ability to quickly diagnose and resolve issues has become more critical than ever.

Why workforce skill depth matters

In many facilities, downtime is prolonged not because problems are difficult to fix, but because the right expertise isn’t immediately available.

Traditionally, roles have been highly specialized. One technician may handle mechanical systems, another electrical, and another automation. But when issues span multiple systems—as they often do today—this siloed approach can slow response times.

Increasingly, manufacturers are prioritizing cross-trained technicians who can troubleshoot across disciplines, identify root causes faster, and get systems back online more efficiently. St. Charles-based manufacturer Advance Lifts recognizes that importance. 

“It’s vital that you cross-train with people, you have to,” said Advance Lifts VP of Production Kenny Sathiyayani. “You have to in a company our size. We can’t have specialists. We [need people] who are multiskilled and who can troubleshoot across various fields.”

Sathiyayani recalled one employee who joined the company as a welder before being trained to operate CNC equipment. By investing in her development, Advance Lifts gained a more versatile team member while giving the employee an opportunity to expand her skills and confidence.

Building a more resilient workforce

To reduce downtime, leading manufacturers are investing in workforce strategies that emphasize flexibility and skill development:

• Cross-training employees across mechanical, electrical, and automated systems
• Upskilling maintenance teams to handle more complex equipment
• Creating pathways for employees to expand their technical capabilities 
• Partnering with education providers to align training with real-world systems

These approaches not only improve response time, but they also strengthen long-term operational resilience.

From training to the shop floor

Hands-on experience plays a critical role in preparing technicians to respond effectively in real-world environments. 

"The magical part of this whole job is to be able to do what I was doing out in the field and then bring that into the program," said Elgin Community College (ECC) Industrial Manufacturing Technology Instructor Anthony Bellavia, who spent five years working in manufacturing before returning to teach. 

That real-world perspective is increasingly important as manufacturing environments become more interconnected. A single issue may involve mechanical components, electrical systems, sensors, automation, and programmable logic controllers (PLCs). Training in environments that mirror these real-world conditions helps technicians develop the troubleshooting and critical-thinking skills employers value most. 

In the Chicagoland region, employers are working with institutions like Elgin Community College (ECC) to develop training that reflects these realities, ensuring technicians are prepared to step into complex environments with confidence.

Investing in the future of operations

To help meet this evolving workforce need, ECC will open its new Manufacturing and Technology Center (MTC) this fall—a 150,000-square-foot facility designed in collaboration with industry partners to reflect modern manufacturing environments. The facility is designed to give students experience working across multiple manufacturing systems – the same integrated environments they’ll encounter on today’s shop floors. 

With expanded lab space and industry-standard equipment, the facility will support training in areas such as industrial maintenance, automation and robotics, HVAC systems, and welding. The center will also provide opportunities for hands-on learning and work-based training that better prepare students to troubleshoot and adapt in dynamic production settings.

ECC will host a grand opening event on September 24, welcoming industry partners and the community to explore the facility and connect around shared workforce goals.

Keep production moving

As manufacturing continues to evolve, reducing downtime will depend not only on equipment and technology, but on the people responsible for keeping operations running.

“Mechanics are almost programmers now,” Sathiyayani said. “You need that balance.”

By investing in cross-trained talent and hands-on training, manufacturers can improve efficiency, reduce disruptions, and build a workforce prepared to meet the demands of modern production.