Manufacturing is a complex process that needs to run smoothly with many parts in place simultaneously to get the desired results and quality. Mistakes of any kind can seriously hinder your ability to meet quality and production standards and ensure you are obtaining optimal output and efficiency.
But what leads to a breakdown in this chain, and what can you be doing to hinder the process? There are some significant mistakes and oversights that occur in manufacturing. With so many variables, it can be challenging to ensure you are avoiding making mistakes that can have a massive impact on your production.
Assuming Things will Run Perfectly
Assuming that things will run perfectly all the time will put you on the back foot from day one. You might have the best plan in place and have set up things to run precisely how you need them to, but that doesn’t mean things will work 24/7. Perfection doesn’t exist, and you need to monitor everything at all times to help you identify issues and pre-empt anything going wrong so you make the required changes or adjustments to keep on track and avoid production downtime.
Having Too Strict a Schedule
Things change, and nothing stays the same all time, and this is true in manufacturing too. Not being able to consider changes in supply and demand and being too rigid in your processes and schedule will instantly cause problems. While it’s good to have a schedule, you need to think back to the above point that not everything runs perfectly to a schedule all of the time, and you will need to change how you operate to ensure maximum productivity.
Being In The Dark
Not knowing what is going on on the shop floor, so to speak, means you will be entirely in the dark about what is happening, what is working, and what your standards are. You need to ensure you know exactly what is going on at all times and have systems and software in place to increase the visibility of all areas. Knowing the product is getting out of the food on time isn’t enough. You need to know how it is making it to the door too.
Failing To Move with The Times
Unlike the above points, which all relate to your organisational and management skills, this point relates to being unable to embrace and adapt to new ways of working and technologies.
Just because something has always been done one way doesn’t mean it always needs to be done this way. Newer technology and software can have many advantages to your output and help you to improve quality standards and processes and reduce inefficiencies. And failing to embrace these changes can put you on the back foot. So too, you cannot look at how you operate and interact with personnel and how you run the company. Being open to newer methods of working and improving the employee culture will give you better control over what is happening in your company and the need you are managing and working to only the highest standards in the industry.
Conclusion
Being strict regarding your manufacturing processes can hinder what you do. To avoid making massive mistakes and doing your company a disservice, you need to address your own approach to running your business and what process you are putting in place to meet the standards set by the industry and yourself without making mistakes along the way.
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