What do you do if your Manufacturing Operations are not running efficiently?

From my experience, I have also approached these situations from a TIMWOOD perspective. T - Transportation I - Inventory M - Motion W - Waiting O - Overprocessing O - Overproduction D - Defects Next, I'll identify what specific things we are doing that are waste-generating activities, and begin understanding if it is waste that can be eliminated, or reduce. Keep in mind that not all waste can be eliminated for various reasons. Finally, prioritize which projects you want to pursue at first. From my perspective, your biggest opportunity is typically to keep your labor busy at all times with value-added work. That is the first puzzle piece. Typically after that I would attack quality-based issues such as scrap, and rework generation.

What we did was implement lean sigma principles. Simple things like mapping process flow and eliminating bottlenecks in the flow can significantly improve things. Also, clearly define your PM practices to plan for tool down time. Bottom line is to implement 5S+Safety method

Implementing lean principles is a great strategy for enhancing manufacturing operations. Here's a brief overview of the practices you mentioned: - 5S. - Kaizen. - Kanban. - Poka-yoke. - SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Dies). These lean tools can significantly improve the efficiency and quality of your manufacturing operations by reducing waste and promoting a culture of continuous improvement. If you need more detailed guidance on implementing these practices or have other questions, feel free to ask!

Lean systems are designed to help you become a successful business. I have always been found of using the TIMWOOD acronym to find high-level sources of waste. It's also a good tool to support educating your team. After TIMWOOD, the next thing I would implement is an Ishikawa (fishbone) Diagram. A fishbone diagram is designed to help you find detailed reasons into waste, loss, failure, or general problems. It does this by analyzing domains systematically. Finally, I would use a Rolling Action Item List, or RAIL to drive action completion by holding your team members accountable. Lean Manufacturing tools work because they force you to think systematically, and to analyze your business problems carefully, and precisely.

Digitizing your plant is one of the most data efficient things you can do. Here's an example: If you capture data in paper formats, it is very difficult to analyze this data. If you are able to store this information into an Excel spreadsheet, then creating Pivots, are exceptionally easy. This makes continuous improvement easier as you only need to refresh the pivot tables to get updated, actionable data. While some things can be automated, many things cannot be, or least cannot be automated cost-effectively. Start first with automating basic processes like order entry, RMA processing, and daily reports that provide you with decision-making capabilities. Next, automate things that capture data to provide you with more visibility.

The development and empowerment of employees are key to enhancing manufacturing operations. Here are some strategies to achieve this: - Provide regular training. - Create a feedback-rich environment. - Recognize and reward contributions. - Involve employees in decision-making. - Offer career development paths. - Promote a collaborative culture. By focusing on these areas, you can create a workforce that is skilled, motivated, and aligned with your company's goals, driving your manufacturing operations to new heights of success. If you need further assistance with specific strategies or tools to train and empower your employees, I'm here to help! Just let me know what you need.