When you look at your manufacturing plant do you know how productive it is and do you know how efficient it is? If your efficiency and productivity numbers are low, then you could be spending more than you need to on the tasks at hand, which will of course mean that your profit margins are lower. Focusing on improving productivity and efficiency will help you maintain a sustainable business moving forwards. So, what areas should you be focusing on right now to protect your business in the future?
Focus on Regular Maintenance
If you do not have a maintenance schedule in place, then why not? Regularly maintaining your plant, tools and equipment will ensure that you can often spot problems before they occur. When you factor regular maintenance into your routine, you ensure that it becomes part of your working life and not just something that you do on an as-and-when basis.
Utilize the Correct Parts and Components
Is your plant using the correct part and components?Are you utilizing the best conveyor belts and production line processes? If you are using incorrect parts and components, or you are using substandard products, then this will have a knock-on effect to your production levels. Go through your production line and have a look at when you last replaced items. If you cannot remember when they were last replaced or changed, then most likely they are overdue and ready for a change.
Regularly Review Your Processes
How well are your overall processes performing and is their room for improvement? If you do not focus on reviewing what you are doing, then how will you know. If your processes are slow, out of date or behind those of your competitors, then your productivity and efficiency will be affected.
Keep an Eye on Trends
Doing the same thing day in day out may be good for reliability, but it may not be what you need to do to keep up with the latest trends in manufacturing. Processes and ways of working are changing all the time that is true, and while you cannot keep up with all the changes that are happening, you must ensure that you keep abreast of as many issues and developments as possible. When you keep an eye on trends, then you get to see firsthand when and where you can make improvements.
Create a Core Offering and Stick to It
When you are trying to undertake improvements and alterations you need to have a plan of action and within this plan you need to create a core offering and stick with it. When you make improvements, there will be customers and clients that will be unhappy, but you must focus on the bigger picture, and you must remember that what you are doing will help your business in the long run.
It would be foolish to try and keep everyone happy all the time, so do not try and be everything to everyone – instead focus on building a core offering, sticking to it, managing it and reviewing it regularly. For example, your core offering may be a full service from start to finish or it may be a part process. Whatever you choose, stick with it and run with it.
