Manufacturing
work stoppages and downtime can mean the difference between making a profit,
and incurring a loss. However, some causes of downtime have absolutely nothing
to do with how work is being done on the shop floor. In fact, it’s common for
these problems to originate long before the production package and work orders
are released to manufacturing. Here are five easily ignored causes of
manufacturing downtime that result in low production volumes.
1. Shop Floor Layout: I’ve worked with a number of manufacturers where their shop floor layout was the largest single contributor to their downtime. They did everything else right: They monitored their productivity rates, they focused on reducing cycle times, and they made sure that their workforce was mobile and well-trained. Yet, they failed to answer the most important question: How should we lay out our production?
Unfortunately, these companies rationalized the downtime by assuming that "20 to 30 seconds here and there doesn’t amount to much." Yes, 20 to 30 seconds doesn’t sound all that horrible. That is, of course, until you realize that it happens 15 times an hour, 5 hours a shift, three shifts a day, every day of the week. Those 20 to 30 seconds quickly becomes minutes, hours and days of lost production time.
I’ve seen production employees walking 10 to 20 yards or more just to move semi-finished goods to the next chain in the process. This is simply unacceptable. Lean manufacturing need not be a complicated process. Proper shop floor layout is critical.
The above is taken from the post: Understanding Business Process Mapping & Workflow Diagrams
2. Bill of Materials Management: It’s not uncommon for a product’s bill of materials to take on a life of its own. This is often the case for those companies that manufacture custom-made finished goods. They keep reinventing the wheel, instead of sticking to their most common sub-component parts and raw materials.
I once worked for a company that created a new model number for every single order they received. Each production package specified similar sub-component parts – BUT they would all have new model numbers attached. That meant that work orders would be released for the same part under different model numbers and different quantities. The guys on CNC would machine five units under one work order in the morning, and then machine another five units of the same part under a different model number and work order in the afternoon. It was truly astonishing. This repeated itself daily.
Clear up your bill of materials. Use a bill of materials sub-assembly analysis to find your most common raw materials, consumables and sub-component parts. The one below is an example of how it can help you eliminate redundant parts.
A substructure and sub-assembly bill of materials analysis helps you identify your most common parts, raw materials and consumables. It will reduce inventory skews, simplify your production packages and help you lower your manufacturing cycle times.
3. Unclear Work Instructions: When it comes to manufacturing, the only opinions that matter concerning work instructions and assembly outlines are those of your production employees. They alone do the work. Yet, despite this obvious point, I am still amazed to see engineers, draftsmen and product managers argue useless points about why they believe their instructions are clear - when the production employees don’t.
The solution is simple: Get all your production employees together with the production manager. Identify their biggest issues pertaining to work orders and instructions. Review it with the rest of the team and make the appropriate changes.
4. Poor Work Cell Layout: One of the biggest mistakes I see manufacturers make is when they try and maximize a production employee’s space within a given work cell. Proper cell layout and design isn’t just about minimizing transit times from one work cell to the next. It’s ultimately about providing the employee with a functional, easily navigable work space.
If you’re looking for the perfect example of a lean work cell, then look no further than your own kitchen. Yes, you read that correctly. Your kitchen is designed around a lean concept. In fact, it is the best possible example of a lean work cell. Once you go in, you shouldn’t have to leave until you’ve finished your task. Everything is within reach and easily accessible. Again, lean manufacturing need not be a painful process.
One of the more common cell layouts is the U-Cell Design. It defines a simple entry and exit path for work, while giving operators free access to multiple work stations. You can learn more by going to: Manufacturing Work Cell Optimization: Design, Layout and Analysis
5. Sharing Resources: I am always telling my customers that their production employees must operate like surgeons. They must have everything they need to do the task at hand. They are no different than a doctor operating on a patient. Time is their enemy. As such, you can’t ask them to share tools, machinery and equipment. You are not saving money. I have never, ever seen a situation where this works. In fact, it’s impossible for it to work.
You can learn more about the above video by going to: Manufacturing Essentials: Production Employees Must Operate Like Surgeons
Every manufacturer should review how their shop floor is laid out. Proper bill of materials management means the company is using its most common parts and subcomponents. Unclear work instructions can never be done away with completely. However, ignoring their impact is unacceptable. In addition, work cell design is critical to minimizing transit times and reducing your overall production cycle times. Finally, no production employee should be asked to share tools. It simply doesn't work.
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