As a facility manager, you know that mistakes happen. When they do, set blame aside and look at what when wrong. To prevent future issues with safety risks and delayed productivity, learn from these mistakes and make changes so they don’t happen again. Here are five simple manufacturing mistakes and their simple solutions.
Unattainable Goals
Goals are important, but sometimes they’re impossible to meet. Taking on jobs that require more manpower than available, promising quality products while using an unskilled labor force, and taking on an assignment that you do not have the resources to build are all examples of trying to manage under unattainable conditions. Pushing your workforce to meet those unrealistic demands leaves more opportunity for mistakes.
To combat this, work on detail project management. Management software can track bottlenecks on the line, gear oversight towards achieving 100% machine use, and present a full view of processes from material acquisition to client delivery. Planning also becomes easier for future projects as you create consistent workloads with attainable goals.
Time Management
Most industries must be mindful of risking speed over precision. On the shop floor, this translates to maximizing accuracy while minimizing downtime. Because the clock is always ticking and timers go off throughout the day, you may underestimate what your team needs to finish a job. Before concerns for efficiency and pacing consume you, consider maintaining watchful oversight.
Modern technology allows you to adapt you’re factory’s processes, people, and machinery to real-time constraints. According to IBM’s automation industry statistics, 80% of the maintenance time is spent on broken equipment. Meanwhile, over 40% of unplanned downtime is spent dealing with aging equipment.
Manufacturing management tools can help you manage tasks and set goals to avoid unscheduled maintenance and downtime. As a result, accountability will come to the forefront of everyone’s conversations. When employees know that every moment synthesizes into norms, they will take a tack for ethics to practice using the best methods in the industry.
Irrational Planning
Constructing operational strategies takes collaboration at all levels of employment. Without feedback, you may accidentally make excessive workloads and impede productivity. Create a committee of employees with varying skills and experience to create goals. Meet with them early in the planning stages of projects. This way you can translate your customer’s expectations into work orders more accurately.
Machines Overheating
Machine malfunctions can cost you a lot in both time and money. One common cause of machine malfunction is overheating. Specifically, in the case of hydraulic equipment, extreme temperatures can change the integrity of oils, polymers, hoses, and seals. Overheating is also difficult to detect because each system has particular characteristics.
To avoid issues, know your system’s input power and rate of efficiency. The key to detecting overheating is to know the amount of heat in the system as compared to the amount of heat the system is putting out. Correct the problem by decreasing the amount of heat used or increase the amount of heat released. Also ensure that your system has regular maintenance and cleaning schedules. You could also control your factory floor’s temperature by adding an industrial cooler. MTA Australasia is one company known to provide cooling solutions for industrial manufacturing.
There are many challenges in the manufacturing industry. However, industrial manufacturing remains integral to the world economy. To uphold that position of respect, manufacturers need to maintain a continued awareness of reoccurring problems and seek solutions.
Addy Reeds is a freelance writer from Eugene, Oregon. She discovered her passion for journalism while attending the University of Oregon. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @addyreeds1; https://www.facebook.com/addy.reeds