In the manufacturing industry, productivity is everything. If your manufacturing processes are productive, it means you’re pumping out orders as quickly as possible with hardly any slip-ups. The longer it takes for something to be made, the more problems you could have down the line. Customers expect deliveries by specific periods, and they expect the exact number of orders they’ve placed. If you’re too slow to keep up with this, then you can lose clients.
So, what could cause a dip in manufacturing productivity? Most of the time, it’s one of these issues:
Human Error/Lack of Automation
Human beings are guilty of making errors all the time. We don’t do it on purpose, but it’s easy to make one careless mistake now and then. The trouble with manufacturing is that one tiny error can have a catastrophic effect on the entire process. If someone accidentally programs a machine incorrectly, then it can mess up hundreds of orders. Everything has to be halted until things are set straight. This can be solved by implementing AI and automation in the manufacturing process. Let machines do most of the hard work as they are programmed to do the same task over and over at the same speed. You reduce human error and speed up productivity.
An Overreliance on Machines
Without meaning to be contradictory, putting all of the burdens on machines can also lead to a lack of productivity. Mainly, this is when there’s a technical error with a machine. If this happens, then you can end up with an even bigger disruption than when a human makes a mistake. As such, you shouldn’t have complete reliance on machines! Don’t get rid of all your human workers – keep some to monitor the machines and ensure that everything continues to run smoothly. You need both machines and men to work hand in hand for peak productivity and reduced downtime! The automated machines carry out all the tasks, but the humans are there to oversee things.
Power Problems
Naturally, manufacturing plants have lots of massive machines that demand a lot of power all the time. So, when there’s a power outage or an issue, it shuts down operations. To avoid this, you need two things. Firstly, most manufacturing companies should have a load bank that acts to control the power source and ensure equipment runs efficiently and doesn’t short circuit. Be sure to also stay updated with any load bank repair or maintenance tasks to keep this system running properly. Secondly, you should have backup generators and power sources in case your primary one fails. This means you can limit downtime by switching across to the new source as quickly as possible.
The bottom line is that efficient manufacturing leads to more business and more money. If you’re too slow and not productive enough for your clients, then they’ll find new manufacturers. Time is money, and they also have customers that depend on a swift delivery of services. If you’re too slow, then you hold them back! Keep an eye out for any of the three issues mentioned above if you want to remain as productive as possible.
