4 practical ways to help you improve productivity!
"time is money"
Every manufacturer should strive to produce their products as efficiently as possible, and if a manufacturer's process is filled with equipment maintenance and resolving quality claims and too much downtime, production will be reduced and the company's profit potential will be reduced. This article will discuss four ways to improve manufacturing plant productivity.
1. Analyze current workflow
The first step in improving manufacturing productivity is for company leadership to evaluate the current workflow in their production environment.
Are your manufacturing processes optimized throughout your facility? Are there any changes that can be made to ensure a smoother, more efficient workflow? What is the problem with manufacturing? Are there any bottlenecks or excessive downtime? Applying lean manufacturing concepts can significantly improve productivity.
The core principle of lean manufacturing is to maximize productivity while minimizing waste. Benefits include reduced lead times, lower operating costs and improved part quality. To begin applying lean manufacturing, first identify areas with excessive waste and areas that can be optimized. Then, start implementing new processes, machines, or employees to disrupt those processes and make them more efficient. Do this for the entire facility and continue for an extended period of time. Also seek input and support from your employees, any changes to the process are bound to fail without the support of those who must implement such changes. Notice! Taking an objective look at a company's manufacturing processes and addressing problem areas can significantly improve productivity.
2. Train and retain employees
One of the best ways to increase productivity is to place a strong emphasis on employee training and retention. A well-trained workforce will have the knowledge and tools needed to efficiently produce high-quality parts. A great work environment results in a happy workforce who are deeply committed to doing their jobs well.
Employees want to know that they are valued by their employer and that their work has purpose. Do your employees have the appropriate education and training for their positions? By investing in their continued professional and personal growth through training and mentoring, you can help create the conditions that create a loyal and stable production workforce.
Develop training programs for new employees and continuing education programs for experienced employees to ensure collective understanding of the manufacturing processes used in the facility. In today's business environment, online learning has become a viable way to train the manufacturing workforce, giving employees the flexibility to complete training on their own schedule. It also empowers employees to respond to new challenges that arise in the workplace. Manufacturing facilities are more productive when a company's entire workforce is educated on equipment usage, procedures, and policies.
3. Develop a preventive maintenance plan
Is your production machinery and equipment running well? Unnecessary downtime is a major cause of lost productivity, and this can be easily addressed with routine preventive maintenance. Not surprisingly, machine downtime for maintenance is cheaper than downtime due to worn or damaged parts. Companies that implement proactive maintenance programs are able to operate at higher average productivity than those that take a reactive approach to maintenance.
By having a preventive maintenance program in place, companies can ensure long machine life and can address machine issues before they develop into larger problems, thereby increasing productivity and reducing overall costs.
4. Update technology and equipment
Whether the equipment currently in use is old or whether capacity must be increased to meet customer demand, manufacturers can significantly increase productivity by updating the manufacturing technology and equipment they use. Manufacturers don't necessarily need to look for the most advanced and fancy equipment. Instead, they should look for machines and equipment that can help them achieve their goals, whether by automating processes or implementing new technology and software.
One technology that has greatly benefited manufacturers is the use of enterprise resource planning systems (ERP). ERP systems provide manufacturers with complete visibility into all processes from receipt of an order to shipment of finished parts. ERP helps companies target waste, identify bottlenecks, determine resource utilization and develop easy-to-read documentation and data tracking processes. By accessing all potential data within a manufacturing plant, ERP puts productivity improvements at your fingertips.
In today's competitive global marketplace, improving manufacturing productivity is an absolute necessity, but it can be a real challenge, and hopefully the above tips can serve as a starting point for thinking about how your operations can improve further.