Wasted time is wasted money, especially in the manufacturing industry. It is important to produce products as fast to fulfill your customer’s demands. This will not only satisfy your customers but also bring more revenue to your company.
That’s why you should ensure that your plant works as efficiently as possible. Take a look at the problems you encounter when manufacturing and try to pinpoint the cause. However, the issues aren’t always easy to identify and may have multiple possible reasons.
To help reduce your manufacturing issues and increase productivity, here are some things you should do.
Train Your Employees
While you have minimum knowledge requirements in hiring your employees, your hires don’t always know how your plant equipment works. This can lead to equipment mishandling and can cause delays in processes. The worst-case scenario is the tools get damaged.
After getting new hires, show them the ropes and train them in their respective tasks. Create a learning plan that establishes the activities their work needs and contains the resources that they need to learn. Have a long-time employee oversee them to make sure that they are guided.
Training isn’t restricted to new hires, however. If you notice that your equipment is breaking down often due to mishandling, consider retraining the employees assigned there. Have them review their tasks and processes and get an expert to evaluate their performance to find out what they know.
Get a Reliable Material Supplier
If your products outsource materials like custom-made parts and gears, make sure you have a dependable supplier. They should be able to accomplish your orders without being late, provide products that fit your specifications, and have little to no product defects.
When looking at suppliers, one thing you should look at is their equipment. This gives you an idea of their capabilities and efficiency. For your manufacturing plant in Wisconsin, consider suppliers that use CNC milling, cutting, or other necessary systems.
Another thing you can take into account is their customer reviews. Check any customer statements they have on their site and look at other websites that compile reviews. Positive ones are usually a good indicator of performance.
Upgrade Your Equipment
Consider upgrading your manufacturing equipment to reduce downtime. Old machines are more likely to give out due to their age. Maintaining them will also tend to cost more compared to getting better tools due to the higher frequency of breaking down.
Newer machines have better systems and are more precise due to their integration with computers. You can program a device to do a process while adhering to your set tolerances and dimensions. Doing this gives you higher quality products and fewer defects in the long run.
Improve Your Plant Layout
Plant design and layout have a significant effect on manufacturing efficiency. A good layout prioritizes value-adding activities, which are activities that are involved in product manufacturing. It also minimizes non-value-adding activities such as product transportation or process delays.
Look at your current area and identify any problem sections. They can be spots that experience too much foot traffic, consistently get delays, or have bottleneck operations. Use this as a guide in figuring out what stations should be near each other and gradually implement changes.
While it is important to do these to improve your long-term efficiency, keep in mind that changes should be made slowly to allow your employees to adjust. This will lessen any possible disagreements that they will have and give them time to take in the changes.
