Manufacturing facilities are among the busiest places regardless of where they’re located or what industry they cater to. Workers move in a calculated manner, and one wrong action might affect their output for the day.
Also, these facilities usually expect a high productivity rate from their staff members. If you’re an employer struggling to achieve this, read on to discover how you can boost your establishment’s efficiency.
How to Achieve A Higher Productivity Rate
There are many ways to increase productivity within a manufacturing facility. Some may require more effort than others, but they’re all worth giving a shot.
1. Use Advanced Tools and Equipment
A hardworking employee will find it hard to stay efficient if they don’t have the right tools and equipment to help them accomplish their job.
For example, if a product needs to be assembled by multiple production workers, it’s highly recommended to have a conveyor system. This is a mechanical handling device that automatically transports loads and materials from one point to another within a space.
Another promising technological advancement to improve productivity in manufacturing is a modular automation system (MAS). Many companies like Robotunits offer this option to help manufacturing companies achieve better results.
Modular automation systems reduce labor costs as they’re mainly autonomous and efficient, and they minimize human error.
If you own or manage a manufacturing company, it’s crucial to provide adequate tools and systems for those working in the production area. These won’t only help them complete their tasks efficiently but also ensure their safety.
2. Regularly Update the Process Workflow
Production process workflows are a collection of activities or tasks to be performed in a specific order or parallel with one another to accomplish the right product outcome.
As tools and equipment change, the output that workers used to produce years ago might be different from what can be made at present. So it’s crucial to have an accurate time study on each production process as that will the baseline when creating a production plan. To do this, updates must be done on a regular basis.
3. Create an Effective Production Plan
Production planning is an essential task in any manufacturing facility. It involves allocating raw materials, production workers, and workstations to meet manufacturing orders on time.
Without effective production planning, you won’t be able to forecast the needed number of workers and materials to complete an order before the deadline.
For example, your company received orders for your best-selling product. By looking at the number of items requested and the set completion date, you can already determine if the size of your workforce and the resources you have are enough for you to fulfill the order.
With effective production planning, you’ll be able to add or reassign employees, manage time, and delegate tasks to produce the requested order as scheduled.
4. Ensure that Your Employees are Happy
Many studies show that happy employees are more productive at work. Below are some of the reasons having satisfied employees is one of the ways you can enhance your facility’s productivity.
They’re more motivated to come to work.
Happy employees are the ones who are motivated to go to work even when they don’t feel well. Having all your production line workers in attendance is essential mainly because production processes are usually connected to one another. You can’t leave a workstation unmanned. A reduction in the number of present workers means a lower productivity rate.
Happiness leads to higher engagement.
Happy employees show their support for the company, and they always look forward to its success. This makes them more focused on their work, encourages them to pay closer attention to what they’re doing, and motivate them to meet their target output.
Happy employees are loyal.
If you ensure that your workers are satisfied, they’ll stay with the company for as long as they can. Retaining employees means you don’t need to hire and train another person for the vacant position, which can be costly. New workers also tend to produce a lower output at the beginning as they try to familiarize themselves with the process. This is why keeping your current employees happy should be a priority if you want to scale your manufacturing company.
5. Regularly Train Employees
No matter how advanced your tools and equipment are, if your production workers don’t know how to use them properly, they won’t be able to serve their purpose.
Also, no matter how regularly you update the process workflow, you won’t achieve the correct output you need from your workers if they don’t understand its importance and why they should follow it to a T.
Productivity should be a combination of human effort and the tools and systems available to them. Regularly training your employees to gain the knowledge and skills they need will help you achieve your company’s productivity goals.
Final Thoughts
Employees, as well as tools and equipment, are the primary keys to achieving a higher productivity rate in a manufacturing facility. If your goal is to improve your company’s output, you must look into and adopt recent technological advancements that are applicable to your operations.
It would also be best to keep in mind that the process workflow affects production planning. It’s a must to have an accurate time study of each process in the production area so you can plan for it effectively.
Lastly, happy employees make a big difference. Always show your appreciation for what they do and ensure that they work in a stress-free environment.
