5 Ways to Increase Production in Your Manufacturing Plant
Regardless of how large or small your manufacturing business is, boosting productivity is the key to maintaining a competitive edge. Productivity and efficiency in your business will depend on a combination of efficient equipment and employees. To increase productivity in your manufacturing plant, you need to make adjustments to the systems, invest in employee training, and upgrade the equipment used in generating parts.
Before you decide to adopt any method of increasing production, ensure that you first measure the current production level of your plant. Once you have completed this step, you can then create a baseline and execute the resolutions for measuring change.
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How to Increase Production and Efficiency at Your Manufacturing Facility
- Examine the current workflow
Before you can change anything, you need to understand how everything works. There are three key areas that contain crucial information about your manufacturing business that can help you identify what should be changed.
People: Have you placed skilled people in the right places? Do you work with a skilled project manager to help keep the pathway of your business visible and on track? Are the objectives of your business clear, realistic, and safe?
Processes: Can you remember the last time you mapped the business processes? Which are the pain points and bottlenecks?
Equipment: Are your equipment in proper working condition? Is the current technology optimized for your needs? How can you make changes in production?
It’s essential that you understand how everything works before you can decide to make any changes. There is still value in the old adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Until you identify safety or financial reasons for making any changes in the current production process, think critically about the impact of the expected change.
- Invest in employee education
Employee training is a continuous process. In the manufacturing industry, there are specific types of training that are compulsory. For instance, safety training, including how to use safety equipment and wearing the right gear.
It is important that you train your employees on any new technology and equipment you introduce to your business. Training your employees is also a good way to reduce employee turnover. This is because every employee wants to develop their professional abilities. In fact, CNBC states that training and career development are key factors that most millennials use to rank a company or job as an attractive place to work. For these reasons, don’t limit employee training to equipment and technology only. Your business will run more efficiently if all your employees understand the business policies and how to communicate with each other.
- Modernize business processes
Share the current information on workflow bottlenecks with project managers to come up with a solution on how to improve the manufacturing process. Some of the solutions could mean re-assigning various resources to specific areas of your manufacturing business, becoming ISO certified, or managing budgets. Ensure that you systematically evaluate and interpret any changes.
- Update your equipment
Regardless of how skilled your employees are, they can only be as productive as the equipment on hand can allow. Therefore, if your manufacturing plant has outdated equipment, it will be difficult to improve efficiency in your business. To avoid this, be willing to invest in modern equipment and updating the bowl feeder to ensure that production processes are running efficiently. Advanced tools will also help cut on repair costs and increase employee productivity.
- Develop a schedule for routine maintenance
Even after upgrading to the latest machines, you don’t have to throw away the old ones. Some of them can still be used when treated properly. Additionally, your new equipment will need to be well-maintained for maximum productivity and durability.
You most likely know that maintaining your equipment is cheaper than replacing it. Therefore, don’t wait until your machines break down. Start by planning routine checks for all your equipment. Next, inform your employees on some of the standards that may warrant immediate inspections. For instance, if your employees observe unusual wear patterns or note other strange features several times over a short period.
You can also improve process efficiency through routine maintenance by ensuring all your employees know how to report problems correctly. This means knowing the correct channels to use to notify you of their suspicious observations, how to submit important reports, and other important issues.
Bottom Line
Whether you’re just starting your manufacturing business, or you have been running yours for years, the above suggestions are worth trying to improve productivity while also cutting on costs. Increased productivity will help increase revenue and give you the opportunity to expand your business.
