Time, resources, and people are the triad that supports any business’s production operations. If you take away any of these elements, you significantly impact a business’s ability to sustain production efficiency. Is your business struggling with improving production speed? Have you identified ways to increase your company’s production output without sacrificing quality? Discover several strategies you can implement within your business to help increase production efficiency.
1 Outline Your Existing Workflow
To identify areas for improvement, you need first to outline your existing workflow. Consider the following key areas:
- Talent: Do you have employees with the necessary skills to serve your company in the right places? Do you have production managers to oversee each phase of the production process? Are your objectives and outcomes clearly defined?
- Processes: What does your production process look like from start to finish? Where are the obstacles in the process? Do you have a workflow map that illustrates how each task is connected to another?
- Material resources: Is your production equipment in good working order? Does your company’s current technological support systems align with production capabilities?
Once you understand your current production workflow, you can decide how or whether steps in the workflow should be adjusted to improve production speed.
Image via Flickr by WolfVision_vSolution
2 Upgrade Production Processes and Technology
Once you’ve analyzed your current workflow, you may find that your production processes and supporting technology aren’t keeping pace with production demands.
Automation can greatly support increased production efficiency and decrease human error. For example, production scheduling software for your business’s enterprise resource planning system can keep your production personnel on track even when last-minute changes occur. With a robust production scheduling interface, you can schedule and reschedule jobs based on your business’s current demands.
Naturally, business owners are always concerned about investing in new production technology. The ROI must yield more than the initial investment. Weighing the benefits and the risks can help you make strategic decisions.
3 Commit to Employee Education and Training
Employee education and training shouldn’t be a one-time-only occasion. Certain industries may require training for new equipment or procedures regularly. Investing in employee education demonstrates that you care about your employees. When equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to perform their jobs, employees are more likely to stay with your company.
To maximize the time you invest in employee education and training, be sure to record training dates and topics covered. Look outside your company for organizations that can provide opportunities for your employees to advance their education and skills further.
4 Organize Your Workspace and Maintain Inventory
A disorganized production workspace can contribute to bottlenecks and errors in your production processes. Study your current organizational layout. Are essential materials and tools readily accessible to your employees? Have you optimized your inventory so that you have neither too little nor too much product? If necessary, enlist the help of a lean manufacturing consultant for your business.
When you map your current production workflow, upgrade processes and technology, support employee education and training, and maintain an organized workspace and inventory management system, you can give your business the boost needed to increase its production efficiency.
