You know the more your factory can produce in the same time frame, the more revenue you can bring in each day. However, trying to figure out how to increase your output can be a challenge. There are various methods to improve your manufacturing efficiency. Let’s take a look at four of the easiest methods to implement at your facility below.
Organize to a Tee
Efficiency is all about speeding up the process. Take some time to evaluate how your processes flows. Are the tools that employees use within grabbing distance or do they have to walk back and forth? Are your manufacturing steps in the appropriate order or is there a way to reorganize the steps to be more efficient? Can you do two steps of the process at the same time to save yourself overall production time of that product? By answering these questions and ones similar to them, you can identify areas where your manufacturing workflow can be better organized.
Automate Tasks
Automation is the key to producing more in less time. While you may hesitate to automate some tasks for the reason of quality control, there are ways to improve that process and even automate that process as well. Take some time to look over your entire manufacturing process from start to finish. Look at areas that aren’t automated and try to determine a way to automate the task. For example, if you get industrial mixing equipment, you can replace traditional employee mixing. Machines can mix much faster and you can set a pace of consistency that is hard to achieve with human labor.
Evaluate Your Suppliers
You should be evaluating your suppliers often. Look for qualities like the quality of materials they provide, their shipping timeframe, late deliveries, product defects, and so forth. If you start to notice patterns that can be remedied by switching suppliers, then do so. For example, if you’re consistently getting defective products that are slowing down your manufacturing output, switch to a new supplier.
Look Over Your Designs
It’s not unusual to get caught up in the mindset that once you have a product design that has been manufactured that the design is set in stone. This simply isn’t the case. Thinking outside of the box will allow you to realize that you can revisit the design at any point in time. Take a look at your product designs and make it your team’s mission to design the same product with fewer materials. The fewer materials you have to input, the faster your production time.
When it comes to manufacturing more product in the same amount of time, your head can be spinning with trying to come up with a solution. The truth is that it’s going to be a combination of slight changes that are going to alter the manufacturing efficiency of your plant. Start by implementing the four methods above. Then, you can work to stack on additional time-saving features.
Anica is a professional content and copywriter who graduated from the University of San Francisco. She loves dogs, the ocean, and anything outdoor-related. You can connect with Anica on Twitter @AnicaOaks.
