Peters says that the frontline worker knows more about his or her job than anyone else. An engineer or scientist may know more about the technology behind the job, but he or she does not do the job eight hours a day. A manager may know more about how the job fits into the organization's mission, but the manager doesn't do it eight hours a day either. The person who has his or her hands on the materials and equipment learns intimate details about the task. The frontline worker often develops informal techniques that can improve quality or productivity.
Knacks come only from hands-on experience with the job.
However, workers should not deviate from approved practices, because changing the method can damage the product. Instead, workers who think they can improve on the procedures should seek approval through the proper channels. This often means involving the process engineer, technicians, and other workers. The engineer or technician may help by designing a controlled experiment to test the new technique. The experiment can show whether the change improves quality or productivity, or causes harm.