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Five Ways to Minimise Manufacturing Downtime

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Five Ways to Minimise Manufacturing Downtime

Time is money as the old adage goes, and in our current economy, this is a statement that has never been more accurate.

No matter what product you are designing, manufacturing or marketing, downtime within a business is a dangerous project to be part of.

If machines or people are idle, then products are not being made, and profit is not being met.

In an industry that has suffered more blows than most in the last few years, it is now more important than ever to have the right technologies and the right people working for you; something Headland Machinery have available in bucket loads.

This article references the original post by Tom Bonine, President of US based National Metal Fabricators and his top five tips on how to minimise manufacturing downtime in a workplace.

1.    Update or service the machinery

Minimising manufacturing downtime means preventing machinery malfunctions through regular servicing.

Outdated technology or machines that constantly jam or break down are the most common causes of machinery downtime, significantly slowing the manufacturing process.

Machines available from Headland are extremely robust and reliable. For that extra peace of mind where you need it most, a Service Agreement is what you’re looking for.

A Headland Service Agreement is a foolproof option for business owners to ensure their machinery is regularly maintained, and also stay-up-to-date with the latest technology.

2.    Explain downtime to employees 

As with any business, the best and most respected managers are the ones who have an open and clear avenue for communication.

Overseas research has shown that communication between managers and employees is vital for boosting efficiency, as employees feel appreciated and part of a team they want to see succeed.

Educating employees may also help them understand each part of the manufacturing process more closely, in turn, where/what their individual role is.

3.    Regular evaluations

Once the right equipment and processes are in place, making sure your workers know their strengths and weaknesses will also help your business run at its best.

Regular employee evaluations are standard, but key to this is how they are administered.  Evaluations need to be honest and straightforward to achieve efficiency from both management and employee points of view.

4.    Monitor the efficiency of manufacturing processes 

In modern business models, it is more common to see departments affected by other departments and rules, and more often than not, many of these issues are out of the employees hands.

To keep these problems at a minimum, Bonine recommends managers regularly audit their business processes to maximise workplace efficiency.

5.    Establish specific incentives and goals

While penalising employees for underperformance comes naturally as first instinct, Bonine suggests emphasis should be  placed more on the goals of success instead. “Praising departments when they reach certain goals and keeping employees updated on productivity numbers help minimise downtime,” he says.

For more information on the latest technologies available from Headland, or the customised Service Agreement that will work best with your machinery, contact us on 1300 592 061.

This article is an edited summary of  ‘Five ways to minimize manufacturing downtime’ by Tom Bonine, January 9 2013.

A summary post has also been published by Andrew Duffy, Manufacturers Monthly, January 10 2013.

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