by Kelsey H | Apr 20, 2021 | Process Improvement
There’s a famous saying from the philosopher Heraclitus which says, “Change is the only constant in life.” That still rings true today, even in the manufacturing industry. As technology improves or new challenges appear, manufacturing processes are forced to adapt quickly. When these changes are introduced, though, the outdated and unnecessary processes are often forgotten about and remain in place instead of being eliminated.
In a world where every second of time is valuable, having any superfluous procedures included in production is a misuse of your plant’s time. Reducing even one step of the entire process can exponentially increase your overall efficiency. How can you identify if you have any unnecessary processes? Watch closely for the following signs that will signal when it’s time to eliminate or modify an aspect of your manufacturing procedure.
Wasteful Activities
If you work at a manufacturing plant, you know there’s been an increased focus in our industry on lean manufacturing. Lean manufacturing principles are focused on generating as little waste as possible without losing any productivity. When trying to make processes leaner, many manufacturers will initiate a value stream analysis, which displays the flow of production along with the time and materials needed at each step. This visualization can be helpful for identifying delays or inefficiencies in production that are disproportionally generating waste. Research from the Lean Enterprise Research Centre has indicated that up to 60% of all production activities are “waste,” meaning they add no value to the end customer. If the benefits of these processes don’t outweigh the costs, it will be worth it to devise other ways to accomplish those steps or add more value.
Supply Chain Delays
For some manufacturers, it makes sense to keep a healthy inventory of raw materials on hand in case of supply chain disruptions or emergencies. However, others may find that keeping such a high volume is actually slowing down the flow of their overall supply chain, or even creating quality issues in their day-to-day operations. If you find your team is having to order more raw materials each week, it may be more efficient to make larger bulk orders once a month to eliminate repetitive actions. You might also decide to reduce your inventory to remove extra steps needed to manage such an extensive supply and free up time to be spent on more productive activities.
Defects and Breakdowns
One of the biggest signs it’s time to make a change is ongoing maintenance challenges or product defects. If you’re continually having quality issues with a particular machine or technique, you’re likely regularly spending long periods of time on additional maintenance. In these cases, it may be time to invest in new equipment that will require less time and resources spent on upkeep. Improving the quality and consistency of your products with better equipment can produce a huge ripple effect across your organization. Fewer defects will leave customers feeling more satisfied, you’ll spend less time and money on repairs, and you can better maintain all of your other equipment.
Using Unnecessary Time
While analyzing your plant, it can also be advantageous to look for potential ways to combine two or more steps in the production process. If you’re able to accomplish two steps at once, the payoff from time savings can be huge. For example, instead of blocking out additional time for machine maintenance, find time to clean or repair one machine while others are being used. If these tasks can be finished between runs throughout the day, your plant can eliminate the need for after-hours maintenance work. Removing even one link of this process means you can limit the extra payroll hours or even increase the number of production runs to generate a higher overall yield.
It can be daunting to make a significant change or eliminate a production step altogether. You may be worried that the modifications could throw off your entire production schedule, or that you’ll never find extra time to fit in maintenance throughout the day. However, if your plant uses advanced planning & scheduling software, your team will be able to easily identify changes without reconstructing the entire system.
Our software, VirtECS, uses customizable virtual plant modeling to outline a plant’s physical constraints. The model can be adjusted at any time to reflect updates or test potential improvements. The end goal of VirtECS is to produce an optimized plant schedule that will keep production running as efficiently as possible. For more information on how VirtECS can improve your plant’s efficiency, click here to download our software overview.
by Kelsey H | Apr 5, 2021 | Industry News, Process Improvement
There’s lots of talk about artificial intelligence in the business world. Manufacturers have started to wonder if AI makes sense for their company and what it may mean for their workforce. We’d argue that there’s a new AI that’s more important for the manufacturing industry: augmented intelligence.
While artificial intelligence involves processes that use technology to complete tasks automatically, augmented intelligence is focused on providing human decision makers with more advanced knowledge to make informed decisions. By compiling and sorting through data from daily operations, augmented intelligence can help your employees form a clearer picture of what is happening during production and the causes behind it. From there, your organization can begin making the most productive adjustments. Let’s get into the specific benefits of introducing augmented intelligence into your plant.
Early Detection of Problems
In the normal operations of a manufacturing plant, each process is generating so much data at any given moment that it can be hard for employees to thoroughly review every aspect of production. As such, it’s common for small mistakes or inefficiencies to slip through the cracks. Augmented intelligence can sort through all of this data rapidly and present your employees with the critical data they need in real time, allowing them to identify deviations or other issues quickly.
One notable example of the effectiveness of augmented intelligence comes from a clinical study on cancer cells, discussed in a recent IBM report. The study found an artificial intelligence-based system had a 7.5% error rate in identifying lymph node cancer cells, while human scientists had an error rate of 3.5%. However, when the scientists combined system data with their own findings, the error rate fell to just 0.5%. With added knowledge from augmented intelligence, your workforce can successfully make adjustments and relieve some of the strain on your overall manufacturing system.
Closely Monitor Processes
Another beneficial factor of augmented intelligence is the ability to provide round-the-clock monitoring of all production activities. This technology can gather a remarkable amount of data, while also organizing the information to make it easier for your team to analyze. Employees can then make more timely and accurate calculations to recommend potential improvements in product quality, plant optimization and other areas. Augmented intelligence will not make any real decisions for your plant. Instead, it presents all the necessary data and relies on your team to make the best decision accordingly.
Over time, this data can also help your organization learn when various machines or systems will need maintenance to prevent breakdowns or inefficiencies. Getting ahead of potential delays will save both time and money in the long run, and keeping machines running smoothly can also reduce your plant’s overall operating costs. According to predictions from Gartner, augmentation will generate nearly $3 trillion in value in 2021, making it more valuable than any other form of AI. By 2025, it may be twice as valuable as other virtual agents.
Learn How to Adapt and Scale
Manufacturers that utilize augmented intelligence are able to combine data from processes throughout the entire plant. With a more connected system, your team is able to more easily and quickly work around bottlenecks. Previously, these challenges may have complicated new product introductions, variations or personalization. By implementing these changes, your plant can run more efficiently and also allow you to offer a stronger overall customer experience. As demand for product increases, augmented intelligence can also provide the information needed to successfully scale up production to meet growing consumer needs.
Our advanced manufacturing planning and scheduling software, VirtECS, has been utilizing augmented intelligence since our company was founded back in 1993. VirtECS relies on augmented intelligence to continuously learn about a plant’s unique planning and scheduling challenges and discover optimized solutions. As such, our VirtECS technology is able to advance on a regular basis. If you’re interested in learning more about how augmented intelligence and advanced software can improve your manufacturing operations, click here to view our VirtECS Overview.
by Kelsey H | Mar 25, 2021 | Process Improvement
Many manufacturers thought they were prepared for any challenge that came their way…and then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. In 2020, just 13% of manufacturers said their supply chain was able to adapt with no issues during the pandemic, according to Statista. Some plants were forced to halt production while waiting for delayed materials, and others failed to keep up with increasing demand. The businesses that were able to quickly pivot to different schedules, products, or raw material suppliers earned a huge competitive advantage last year.
There are countless aspects of manufacturing plants are already inflexible – there are regulations that must be followed, limitations on how equipment can be used, and critical employees needed on site to perform their jobs. With so many constraints that cannot adapt, it’s important to make the most of the areas that do allow for flexibility. Below, we’ll go through our best tips for manufacturers to add value through adaptability.
Monitor the Market
In order for your plant to adapt to changes, you must have a thorough understanding of what’s going on in the industry and the wider world around you. Before March of last year, the toilet paper industry had likely never imagined a healthcare issue would affect their supply chain so severely. Having a pulse on new innovations or developing situations will give you more time to think through any needed adjustments and adapt to the changes before they catch you off guard. To keep up with the news, start by dedicating a small portion of your day to monitoring the market, checking in with suppliers, and analyzing customer data for emerging trends. This effort does not have to be time-consuming, but it will help your business function more proactively and keep a leg up on the competition.
Consult Employees
Your employees are your number one resource for discovering the triumphs and pain points of everyday life at the plant. Asking for your team’s feedback will give you a clearer picture of which processes need improvements and where you should start looking for more adaptable solutions. You might start by asking employees in your department about their experiences, especially their biggest challenges through the pandemic, to gain their perspective in a more conversational setting. If you want to dig deeper, consider setting up a formal review system to give employees across your organization the opportunity to share their thoughts and recommendations. Then, prioritize adapting to their most-cited pain points going forward.
Implement Helpful Tools
In an environment of uncertainty, give your employees the tools they need to make their work more efficient and precise. If your team frequently spends their time performing laborious or tedious tasks, arm them with technological tools that will help them identify problems more quickly. Using software for smaller, time-consuming tasks will ensure all outcomes are accurate and allow employees to spend more time finding solutions to obstacles down the road. Even though you’re automating more processes, your team will retain overall control and be able to make manual adjustments as necessary.
Prepare for Schedule Changes
The ultimate success in manufacturing adaptability comes from the ability to shift production to reflect changing conditions in real time. If you are able to switch product lines or swap out raw materials without a significant delay, your plant will be well-positioned to weather most crises. However, attempting to make major adjustments manually often results in bottlenecks or eventual increased downtime, which means your processes aren’t adapting efficiently. Plus, if you don’t have data to back up your decisions, it can be difficult to justify taking a risk into the unknown.
Advanced planning and scheduling software can allow your plant to make production adjustments quickly and easily. This software creates a detailed model of your plant and automatically performs calculations to help you find efficient production schedules, even when you’re facing unstable conditions. If you find yourself dealing with resource shortages, dips in demand or other disruptions, these tools can readjust your schedule accordingly in minutes.
We’ve spent more than 25 years developing VirtECS, our own advanced planning and scheduling software solution. VirtECS can provide the tools your plant needs to customize its production schedule adaptive, real-time, or ahead-of-time fashion. With a schedule produced by VirtECS, you can move forward with confidence that it can be executed in your unique plant, and that it can be updated or modified as needed to deal with any uncertainties. If you’re interested in finding out how to implement VirtECS into your manufacturing facility, click here to download our whitepaper.
by Kelsey H | Jan 19, 2021 | Process Improvement
Because of the inherently complex and segmented nature of manufacturing operations, it can be difficult to establish productive communication habits among departments and employees. Unfortunately, these ineffective communication methods are causing major disruptions to manufacturing operations. According to Forrester, 75% of manufacturing delays occur because employees are unable to communicate with coworkers or supervisors on the production floor.
To save time and become a more efficient plant overall, manufacturers must look to stimulate and encourage communication among their employees. We’ve compiled our best tips on improving manufacturing communication to hopefully provide some inspiration for your own organization.
Lead by Example
Manufacturing leaders have a responsibility to show they prioritize feedback if they want the entire organization to be more communicative. If those at the top aren’t proactively communicating with the rest of the organization, they can’t expect employees to be the ones to reach out first. Supervisors who reach out to their employees for updates will empower those they work with to ask questions in return. Those questions should then be answered quickly, and the cycle of effective and simple communication continues.
As people throughout the company notice the increased level of feedback from those near the top, it creates a culture of communication. Employees begin to recognize an expectation of transparency and two-way communication, and therefore tend to follow suit in interacting more frequently with their fellow team members.
Publicly Recognize High-Performing Employees
Employees deal with feeling burned out frequently, and stress levels have been higher than ever as we continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from a new FlexJobs and Mental Health America survey shows that 75% of US workers have experienced burnout this year. To keep employee morale and retention high, consider implementing a system for employee recognition within your organization.
On a regular basis, make a point to publicly highlight employees who have gone above and beyond on a project, been consistent through challenges, or been especially communicative. This may take the form of a social media post, personal email or mention in the company newsletter. When employees feel recognized and valued by their employer, they’re more likely to continue communicating and working diligently to maintain their high achievement levels. Research has shown that a happy workforce helps increase sales by 37%, boost productivity by 31%, and improve accuracy by 19%.
Make Communication Tools Easy to Access
In many companies, there are no communication tools that allow team members to easily message back and forth. These employees rely only on email, which tends to be disjointed and inefficient for people working at the plant. Employees on the production floor are often unable to access their email at all. However, when communication systems are designed to flow easily alongside other internal information, employees are able to converse and consult each other more frequently. These communication systems keep messages going back and forth alongside the information employees need to access, which is intuitive and convenient.
For best usage, these tools must be compatible for your employees’ devices, so they can quickly send messages wherever they are in the plant. Communication tools should also be able to handle the large number of users your organization may need. To encourage widespread adoption, it’s also helpful if the tools require little training. Otherwise, this new system may have too many barriers, and it will become just another means of cumbersome communication.
Let Employees Interact with Company Information
To work most effectively and stay informed, employees should have access to your plant’s production schedule. If the schedule is accessible from your internal communication system, employees can easily toggle between their conversation with colleagues and the information they need to reference. With this system, you could enable employees to see what the rest of the plant is working on, giving them greater insight into how their work affects the entire company. They may even be able to give constructive comments or find improvements that others have missed. The end result is a highly knowledgeable, productive and satisfied workforce.
VirtECS Symphony is a user-friendly solution to manufacturers’ communication challenges. This tool works as a web-based counterpart to VirtECS, our scheduling software for advanced manufacturing. Through VirtECS Symphony, everyone in the plant is able to access the production schedule from their own digital devices and discuss questions or concerns with their fellow employees. It can handle hundreds of users and is continually updated to match development within the VirtECS planning and scheduling technology. For more information on VirtECS Symphony, please download our guide.
by Kelsey H | Jan 7, 2021 | Process Improvement
People are the reason the wheels of the business keep turning. This is true of any company, especially those in the manufacturing industry. The employees working on the floor of manufacturing facilities are essential to the actual production of products, which is what our business is all about.
However, companies that operate without an effective strategy for hiring or distributing their workforce often create a slow-moving business wheel. According to IndustryWeek, this can result in lost time, increased burnout, and ultimately a reduced level of overall production. To make the most cost-effective decisions regarding your workforce, strategic manufacturers must find unique ways to use scheduling data.
The Importance of a Resource Allocation Tool
For your plant to make best use of resources and time, you must find the optimal distribution of your employees across all positions and shifts. One of the most efficient ways to discover the best dispersion of employees is to use a resource allocation tool. This kind of software allows you to input your various detailed facility needs and constraints. The best tools are flexible, letting you set the minimum number of people needed for each task during each shift. Some even allow you to input the required skill level.
A resource allocation tool can generate a variety of hypothetical options, allowing you to decide on the ideal distribution of employees in your plant schedule. This flexibility can also help determine if adding an extra employee to a certain shift will produce a positive return, or if that person could be better allocated elsewhere. Armed with this data, you can be assured that your plant is working with the most effectively distributed workforce possible.
Analyze Your Hiring Needs
Based on the data you received from resource allocation, you will be able to decide whether or not you need to hire additional employees in order to reach your desired output. If paying an additional employee for 40 hours of work will create enough product to recoup the cost, it may be worth it to add that extra position. However, you may also find that the output will not be higher than the employee’s total compensation, and it’s best to explore additions elsewhere.
Some plants may approach resource allocation differently. Manufacturers who aren’t able to hire as many new positions as they would like are faced with deciding which hires would be the most impactful. Sample labor models can help these companies measure the effect of each individual new position and compare the results to make the most cost-effective decisions. If these companies are able to continue hiring in the future, they can revisit this tool and find the next most effective new position.
Invest in Training
Another way to increase your plant’s productivity is to help your existing team produce a higher output. These improvements will often require additional training to help employees learn where they can advance their skills and minimize mistakes. If your team’s duties involve software and other advanced technology, consider developing training materials that will expand on the various features and functionalities. Spending a bit of time documenting a deeper knowledge of these tools can help speed up the learning curve.
In order to create time for this training, you may consider using a scheduling tool to plan time around your production schedule. Consider scheduling these blocks of training time like you do planned maintenance to cause minimal disruption to the overall system.
An advanced manufacturing planning & scheduling tool, such as VirtECS, will have the beneficial resource allocation feature built into the software. VirtECS has the unique ability to create a model of your entire manufacturing plant, including employees, equipment and all of their constraints. We hear from our clients all the time how valuable it is to have a resource allocation tool that is so flexible and specific. For more information on using VirtECS at your facility, please fill out the form at the bottom of our News & Insight page.
