Managing a manufacturing plant requires great planning, attention to detail, and arduous work. You are most likely to be working more hours each day to ensure the efficiency of the plant. There’s also the fact that you need to ensure your employee’s safety while on site.
Plant managers have many goals in mind. They need to make sure they minimize costs and maximize profits while increasing the plant’s productivity. Since making mistakes will only make your job a lot less fun and more stressful, it pays to avoid the following slip-ups.
Mindlessly Managing a Plant Shutdown
Most people would think that a plant shut down is a bad thing. This is since operations stop during a plat shut down. In reality, even the best plants in the world require a shutdown to ensure proper maintenance of the plant.
But then, failure to plan the shutdown will only result in undesirable results. For one, the shutdown may require an extension which is not part of the original plan. This will then damage that production process and stop the business from making revenue.
This is why proper planning is required for every plant shutdown. Each situation is unique. So, be sure to plan this well and use this time to improve the plant’s efficiency.
For one, you can schedule hydroblasting services during plant shutdowns. This way, you no longer need to go for another shutdown to do industrial cleaning on your applications. Also, be sure to hire reputable companies to do this for you to avoid further complications in the future.
Skipping Employee Training
You may already have skilled employees working on your plant. But that does not mean they no longer require additional training. It pays to invest in regular employee training to refresh their knowledge of the dos and don’ts if something happens during a normal day at the plant.
Employee training is not just for the new employees. It is also for everyone who will be handling brand new equipment. Even the best employees working in your plant will require adequate training in operating and maintaining machinery.
Failure to train your employees can lead to safety issues. They may also end up wasting materials. You also don’t want to end up replacing your equipment early just because they fail to run and maintain the machines efficiently.
Using Equipment Beyond Their End-of-life Cycle
No equipment can last forever. While some have a longer life span than others, it will still depend on the amount of time you use them and their applications. Even with regular maintenance, the equipment can only work efficiently within its intended life cycle.
This is why it becomes a must that you invest in the right equipment each time. For best results, buy the latest equipment with the latest and state-of-the-art features. This can help ensure the quality of output the equipment can provide.
Updating your technology as well as your processes can reduce errors and boost efficiency. This is especially true if you have been using the processes and equipment for many years now. You get to enjoy better energy efficiency and improve your plant’s production speed and quality.
Experimenting Changes Without a Hypothesis
There are times when you will find it interesting to alter specific parameters to improve your plants efficiency. But then, failure to consider your parameters and your plant’s current needs and workflow can only result in feeble results. If you want nothing but the best to come out of every change you make, be sure to develop a hypothesis first.
You will need to establish your baseline numbers, consider your plant’s needs, and examine your workflow. Get feedback from your employees and brainstorm on the best ways you can achieve desired results. Before you move on with your experiments, craft a hypothesis, and compare results.
Foregoing Equipment Maintenance
You may already know how crucial equipment maintenance is for your plant’s success. This is to ensure all machines are working as efficiently as possible while preventing problems that may arise. But are you quite sure that your workers are doing maintenance checks the right way?
Equipment breakdown will not only cause your plant’s production to stop. This can also put other workers in danger and make you less compliant with standard safety regulations. Ensure you keep an eye on everyone who does equipment maintenance and do schedule equipment repairs or replacement asap.
Plant management is no easy feat. There are simply lots of things to do in your everyday production. There can also be so many problems that can occur at the very last minute. As the one in charge, it pays to learn from the rookie mistakes many other plant managers were unfortunate enough to make to ensure your plant’s safety and efficiency.