9 practices how to increase productivity in manufacturing

How do we increase productivity in manufacturing? This is a question that arises frequently, and it could be the difference between success and failure.

At its core, productivity is all about making more with less effort – or as an employee puts it: “getting more done with less effort”. Understanding how to achieve this can be essential for any professional; however, many overlook the importance of keeping up morale among workers.

In this piece I will provide an overview of nine practices that can help you increase productivity in your manufacturing operations.

1. Know your team

It’s essential to cultivate an atmosphere of trust within your manufacturing team, so it is crucial to know your employees! Examine their backgrounds; study how they got started in manufacturing and gauge how they were trained.

Ensure that you’re acquainted with all personnel on hand – regardless of level or position. When dealing with any situation or decision, it is essential to have an understanding of one’s colleagues’ thoughts and ideas as well as influence; therefore, it is essential for managers to take the time to get familiarized with the people under whom they are working with. Bring them to an on-site or remote team building activities to see how they communicate and work together.

By taking the time to better understand your team members’ backgrounds, it can be easier for them to open up and share information about themselves when asked.

One way to increase productivity and get more done in less time is by ensuring staff members are properly incentivized.

If you reward your team with monetary incentives or perks, it could be tempting to rely solely on them when evaluating performance. In doing so though, you could potentially overlook the contributions of other colleagues and take for granted their efforts. To avoid this pitfall and maintain a healthy work environment where everyone’s needs are accommodated equally; don’t forget about your hard-working team in order to improve employee retention!

2. Engage your employees in internal and external communications

When it comes to internal communications within an organization, you don’t have to resort exclusively to emails. One effective method is a teleconference call that involves everyone in the enterprise – both on and off site.

Utilize calls where appropriate, from both inside and outside your facility. The objective is for everyone present to gain new insights and understanding about the operations.

Ensure that all of your staff members are aware of what’s going on with the company and its latest developments through social media, news websites or even an app on their phones! You could even order takeaway pizza or other food, and have a team lunch each month. Regular updates provide employees with valuable information without making them feel like they’re being kept out of the loop.

3. Share and simplify processes to increase employee efficiency

Having a company-wide plan to share knowledge and expertise across divisions can help ease the burden placed upon employees. Ensuring that everyone is on board with all tasks, processes and responsibilities helps them operate more effectively within their team as well as allowing for an efficient workflow.

Unified strategies can also help streamline operations by providing employees with a clear understanding of what actions must be taken before proceeding with a task. Business process standardization not only reduces errors but also expedites productivity in manufacturing!

4. Participate in surveys and benchmark with your competitors

The purpose of frequent surveys and benchmarking is to gain a more objective understanding of how well your organization functions. By taking stock of one’s workforce as well as its operations, managers can identify areas which require improvement while also identifying opportunities for growth.

By undertaking regular evaluations, manufacturers can identify where they stand compared to their rivals. This reveals strengths and weaknesses; it likewise gives you an opportunity to bolster upon what works well before discarding anything that does not meet expectations.

5. Create a workplace that inspires teamwork and communication

To generate elevated levels of productivity, it’s essential that all employees are on the same page and have a positive outlook towards their work. This can be accomplished through creating an environment that fosters teamwork while also encouraging open communication between colleagues.

Creating a workplace that is conducive to teamwork requires more than just throwing everyone in one room and hoping for the best. It requires careful planning and attention to detail, both of which are indispensable for ensuring that team members feel comfortable working with one another. Allocating ample resources such as meeting rooms, offices and conference rooms – both physically close by as well as accessible via telephone – should be considered when determining optimal layout for your manufacturing facility.

6. Use data to improve operations, marketing, and CS

Nobody likes to feel like they’re being micro-managed, and yet without any form of analytics in place, it’s impossible for managers to observe their workforce’s efficiency levels and what actions can be taken in order to improve them.

Not only does this help provide an exceptionally clear picture of how well each department is operating – it also paves the way for new ventures as well as enhancing existing operations. Ultimately, such data can prove invaluable for creating a more successful enterprise!

At the end of the day, all that matters are results. If you have access to data about your operations, you must make an effort to utilize it effectively during operation management.

Make marketing a priority – and provide regular updates on your latest initiatives. Use engaging posts on social media, email newsletters and other tools to keep customers up-to-date on what’s new at your firm.

Tapping into the power of social media management can be an invaluable asset for manufacturers looking to market their products. Utilize channels like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to reach potential clients as well as share relevant details about your company with them.

Utilizing email newsletters is also an essential way to stay in touch with potential customers who signed up with valid email addresses. Crafted with care including subject line tests, these publications can be an effective tool for sharing product updates, industry trends and anything else that’ll be of interest to them!

Customer support and sales operations are indispensable components of any manufacturing operation, yet they often fall short of the required standards. It can be quite tricky to make sure that customers feel welcomed, valued and satisfied with their interactions with your company; however, there are ways to optimize productivity within this area!

Ensure that customer service virtual assistants are properly trained in order for them to assist customers effectively—a simple step that yields considerable results. Investing in a competent support staff isn’t an expense; rather an investment essential to boosting efficiency.

Utilizing various tools and technologies can help expedite service processes which may prove beneficial for companies like yours – such as using chatbots for vocal assistance or implementing voice recognition software for human interaction. Ultimately this will lead to more efficient customer contact experiences across all channels, as long as you follow relevant regulations (e.g., chatbot data privacy).

7. Implement automation to improve efficiency and margins

Investing in automation can be a cost-effective way to increase efficiency and create more production at lower costs. Automation represents an alluring option for regions with labor shortage, as well as those seeking ways to increase productivity and profit margins. From robotics to software applications – the possibilities are virtually endless!

Automation offers several advantages over manual processes, such as:

With advanced software tools like SAP’s HANA database, enterprises can harness its power to achieve much higher levels of optimization, while OPC UA can help provide real-time insight into performance data. Retrieving basic information such as machine utilization and energy consumption could not only provide you with valuable insights into operations but also more than justify investing in automation!

8. Work with suppliers to improve manufacturing processes at their facility

Supply chain management is an integral component of the manufacturing process, and it can be a daunting task for small businesses to manage. For example, if your company doesn’t have its own in-house supply chain team then you must enlist the aid of a reliable service provider – either internally or externally sourced depending on industry standards.

Supply chain managers possess crucial knowledge about various aspects of production such as how materials are procured and utilized; how labor is allocated across facilities and even which processes should be facilitated at each location. Through collaboration with suppliers, they can uncover new ways to increase efficiencies while maximizing profit!

To increase productivity in their manufacturing plants, many companies are partnering with suppliers to innovate and utilize their processes more effectively. By working closely alongside them during these efforts, companies can improve profitability and ultimately achieve better results overall in manufacturing.

9. Invest in capital equipment to reduce costs

If you’re not employing the most up-to-date, state-ofwheretoid equipment possible, then you could be leaving money on the table. Investing in machinery and tools can help reduce costs and increase profitability – why wouldn’t you?!

There are various ways that capital equipment such as machines and computerized devices can help factory owners cut down costs while increasing productivity levels. With more advanced technology at hand, it becomes easier to obtain results while saving time and money simultaneously!

Conclusion

Boosting productivity in manufacturing requires a multifaceted approach, which is why our app can help! With features such as GPS tracking, mobile device management and enhanced collaboration capabilities, we’ve made it easier than ever to increase efficiency. Want to learn more about inbound marketing for manufacturers? Check out this guide!