You know your shop needs to run at full capacity to remain profitable and competitive. But do you know if it actually does? As a manufacturer, throughput in production can mean the difference between meeting quotas and losing customers to your competition. Falling behind on throughput can lead to slow or delayed orders which in turn can lead to customers turning to your competition.
Read on to discover 6 foolproof ways to increase your manufacturing throughput, and make your shop more efficient.
1. Review Your Existing Workflow
The first place to start when trying to increase your throughput is to review your existing workflow. You can’t make any improvements until you actually know how your shop floor functions. There are 3 main areas that you need to evaluate:
a) Labor – Do you have enough skilled labor in the right positions? Does your staff clearly know their objectives and work plans? Do you have an effective Project Manager in place that is able to keep on top of things?
b) Equipment – Is all your equipment in good repair? Is the technology that you rely on actually suited to your current needs?
c) Processes – Do you have clearly mapped processes? Where are your pain points and bottlenecks?
Having a clear understanding of where you are at and where your issues lie will help you to make improvements. You don’t want to make changes just for the sake of change — you want to make changes that will be impactful and help you to improve your business, so knowing where you currently stand is key. Having an ERP or other software system that can monitor your shop floor, will help you to assess how your shop is functioning, and help you to identify possible problem areas and bottlenecks.