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.
