Overview

Vitro, a leading glass manufacturer, faced mounting challenges in managing its frontline workforce. Their existing practices were proving unsustainable with rising forced overtime hours, a lack of visibility into worker skills, and last-minute shift coverage. To address these issues, Vitro adopted a skills-based workforce management approach that delivered measurable results within a few months.

The Challenge

  1. No Skills Visibility
    Their manual processes made it difficult to track worker skills and match workers real-time to critical unfilled shifts.
  2. Excessive Forced Overtime
    Rising forced overtime rates were driving worker burnout and increasing costs.
  3. Labor Gaps
    Vitro struggled to fill shifts quickly, leading to uncertainty or production delays.
  4. Low Engagement in Voluntary OT
    Workers had limited visibility into open shifts and career growth opportunities.

The Solution

Implementing Wilya's Skills-Based Workforce Platform

To address these challenges, Vitro implemented Wilya's skills-based workforce platform, focusing on optimizing voluntary overtime signups and boosting worker engagement through an intuitive, technology-driven solution.

  1. Digitized Skills Matrix
    Centralized skills tracking for 245 workers across 5 departments.
  2. Automated OT Scheduling
    Introduced skills-based OT assignment, reducing manual effort and eliminating human error.
  3. Flex Work for FT Employees
    Enabled full-time workers to enjoy the freedom of picking when they work, how much they work and what they work on.
  4. Cross-Training
    Encouraged workers to share interest in learning new skills, which enables cross training and cross-deployment.

Results

Vitro's adoption of Wilya's platform delivered both quantitative and qualitative improvements across its workforce operations.

  • Improved Shift Coverage
    68% of OT needs filled through voluntary instead of forced participation
  • Reduced Burnout
    12,000+ voluntary OT hours logged in 7 months
  • Increased Cross-Skilling
    10%+ workers cross-trained within 6 months of onboarding.
  • Time Savings
    HR & Frontline Supervisors reduced OT scheduling effort, freeing up time for other high value activities
  • Increased Worker Engagement
    Workers gained greater control over career paths via skill-based shift assignments.
"Wilya's platform has been a game changer for us. We've reduced forced OT, improved shift coverage, and empowered our workers with greater career visibility. The impact has been transformative for our operations." Mary Schlusser, HR Manager

Vitro's Progress at a Glance

  • 12,000+ hours completed in Voluntary Overtime in 7 months
  • 68% of OT needs filled through Voluntary Participation
  • 42 workers cross-trained within 30 days
  • Increased engagement and reduced burnout

The Road Ahead

  • Implement a Flex Worker Program: Include external candidates for expanded coverage
  • Introduce Partial Shift Acceptance: Provide more scheduling flexibility to full time workers.
  • Launch Call-Off Bots: Automate absence management.
  • Add Multi-Language Support: Expand accessibility for diverse workers.

Vitro's journey from workforce challenges to operational excellence showcases the transformative power of a skills-based approach. By focusing on flexibility, engagement, and real-time scheduling, Vitro has set a benchmark for modern manufacturing operations—demonstrating that when the right skills meet the right opportunities, the entire organization thrives.