Free template
CNC machining skills matrix template.
In a machining cell, running a job and setting one up are two different skills. Most shops have plenty of people who can load parts and watch the cycle, and one or two who can set up the difficult machine. The job change is where the cell stops when that person is off.
This template splits every machine into setup and operation, adds first-article inspection and program edits at the control, and opens on a filled-in example with one real gap.
CNC machining skills matrix, Excel
The matrix below, a qualification log with expiry dates and a cross-training plan. Free, no email needed. Opens in Excel, or in Google Sheets through File, Import.
The example it opens on
CNC machining cell, 6 people. Levels 0 to 4, where only 3 and 4 count as coverage. Training status is the number at level 3 or higher minus the number the station needs.
| Skill | Op A | Op B | Op C | Op D | Op E | Op F | Needed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lathe operation | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | +2 |
| Lathe setup | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 2 | ✓ |
| Mill operation (3-axis) | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | +2 |
| Mill setup (3-axis) | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | - | - | 2 | ✓ |
| 5-axis setup | - | 3 | - | 1 | - | - | 2 | −1 |
| First-article inspection | 3 | 3 | 2 | - | 1 | - | 2 | ✓ |
| Tool presetting not critical | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | ✓ |
| Program edits at the control not critical | 2 | 4 | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | ✓ |
The 5-axis setup row reads −1. Op B is the only person who can set up that machine alone, so every job change on it waits for B, and B's vacation is a week of the 5-axis running whatever was set up last. Operation is well covered everywhere; the risk sits entirely in setups, which an operation-only matrix would never show.
What is different in cnc machining
Count setup and operation as separate rows
A level 3 on running the mill says nothing about setting it up. Give every critical machine both rows, and set the coverage rule on the setup row, because that is the one that stops the cell.
Put first-article inspection on the matrix
The person who releases the first part after a setup carries the quality risk of the whole batch. Treat it as a critical skill with its own coverage rule, not as part of operating.
Keep program edits small and named
Edits at the control are a skill some shops allow only to a few people. A non-critical row with a requirement of one keeps it visible without turning it into a coverage target.
Qualifications and expiry
Machining has few legal qualifications. Use the Qualification log for internal sign-offs instead: setup release per machine, first-article authority, and any customer-specific approvals, each with an expiry you choose.
The template's Qualification log calculates each expiry date and flags anything due within 30 days or overdue.
The cross-training plan
Every gap becomes a dated entry with a trainee and a trainer. In the example:
| Skill | Trainee | Level | Trainer | Practice | Assessed by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5-axis setup | Op D | 1 → 3 | Op B | Every second 5-axis job change done by D with B alongside | 2027-01-29 |
| 5-axis setup | Op A | 0 → 2 | Op B | Shadow two setups a month | 2027-03-26 |
The method behind it
The levels, the evidence for each one and the coverage rules are explained in the skills matrix guide, with a worked example from an assembly cell. When the matrix has to cover several teams, shifts or sites, see how skills matrix software in TeamGuru counts the gaps the same way for all of them and shows, per skill, who is expired or expiring soon. Comparing tools? Start with the buyer's guide.
Templates for other areas:
Frequently asked questions
Should setup and operation be separate skills on a CNC skills matrix?
Yes. They take different knowledge and fail in different ways: an operator who runs a machine well may not be able to touch off tools, set work offsets or prove out a program. Give each critical machine a setup row and an operation row, and set the coverage rule on setup.
How do I handle different machines of the same type?
Group machines that share controls and work holding into one row, and split a machine into its own row when its setup is genuinely different, usually the 5-axis, the oldest lathe or a machine with a special fixture.
Who should sign off a setup level?
The cell lead or a level 4 setter, after watching the person take a job from print to a released first part. A setup level is about the released part, not about getting the machine to run.