Time is money. Manufacturing is one of the few key industries within which productivity can be accurately measured where it directly relates to output, giving truth to that old adage.

Time is money, or so they say, so maximizing your use of it is crucial. Here are my 3 top ways to improve productivity in manufacturing and run a successful, profitable manufacturing facility.

Organize your workspace

Take a step back, ideally when no one’s around – does your workspace make sense? Are the tools everyone requires to do their job as close to hand as they could be? Is the space cluttered and disorganized, or neat and tidy?

An organized workspace is one which runs smoothly and makes the best use of the time employees spend within it. Consider even the time spent searching for something, locating a piece of paperwork or tool, communicating with colleagues and so on; it all adds up, so improve productivity by ensuring your space is set up in the way which makes the most sense. Help employees save time and increase productivity in manufacturing, by making what they need – be it things, people or even space itself – easily accessible. Get organized, and get things moving.

Review your processes

“If you always do what you always did, you’ll always get what you always got”. We’re only human, and when we get into the habit of doing things a certain way, it’s easier to just stick with it than to rock the boat and ask whether there could be a better way. Complacency is a real thing, affecting businesses the world over – don’t let it happen to yours.

With a view to improving productivity in manufacturing, you should be regularly reviewing every process you operate. From the way you deliver training and information to your staff (did you see NLG President Andrew Lavoie’s last piece about toolbox talks?) to the technology you have in place and the systems used across the floor, is there anything you could be doing better? Processes which could be automated, streamlined or even cut out completely?

Make this a regular exercise, and reap the rewards when those inevitable tweaks which do pop up are implemented effectively!

Invest in your people

Review your roster – temps, permanent employees, contractors, the lot. Do you have all the skills you need to run your facility at its best? If not, define what would help – then do the rest of the team a favour and fill those skills gaps. Hiring great people will naturally increase productivity in manufacturing, but it doesn’t end there.

Now you have the talent on board – do they have everything that they need to operate at their optimum? Securing the staff is merely the beginning; as a leader focused on improvement, you should be investing in those individuals once on board to improve the way they work. Think: training, whether it be internal or external. Ongoing coaching from yourself, or another experienced member of staff. Professional development which will help them learn new skills or take their existing ones to the next level. After all, as one Benjamin Franklin once said, “An investment in education always pays the highest returns.”

Whilst we at NLG may call ourselves a staffing and recruitment agency, it’s this line of work which gives us the ability to see the insides of many manufacturing businesses – what works, what doesn’t and common areas for improvement. It’s not surprising to anyone that most of these tips revolve around the people who work for you. And, safe to say, it’s people we know best.

To talk more about increasing productivity in manufacturing and the many ways to do so, or to learn more about how having the right people on board can simply make all the difference, contact Next Level Group’s team of expert recruiters today.

Any views or opinions expressed within this blog do not necessarily reflect the official policy of  NLG. Any points made are for general information only, and none should be relied upon as a basis for making any business, legal or other decisions. Neither NLG nor the author can be held responsible for any reliance placed by you on any information or material within this article.