All manufacturing businesses are built around productivity, and the beginning of a new year is an ideal time to examine your suppliers to see how they measure up. Sales are not the only driver of profitability; lean manufacturing principles and maintaining maximum productivity are also key components. Together they can help your suppliers offer you the most competitive rates in the market place—thus ensuring you maximize profits from sales.
There are a number of components that manufacturing companies can review to increase productivity, including:
Machinery and tools
Investment in top-quality tools and machinery means better reliability and less down time for repairs or routine maintenance. Wherever possible, machine operators should be trained to do basic maintenance/repairs to further maximize production.
Standard operating procedures
All production jobs and machines should be work studied and have a standard set of operating procedures. Operating procedures should be prominently displayed at each work station.
Raw material and product handling
The less time spent handling raw materials and product, the better. Poor management of raw material and product handling is one of the biggest drains on productivity—and by extension profitability—in manufacturing.
Defects and corrections
Defective work, or work that requires correction is essentially zero productivity that still costs time, energy and wages. Defects and corrections must be cut from production as much as possible.
Shift changes, machine set up and work flow
Productivity can be dramatically increased by reducing shift-change and machine set-up time, and by reviewing and tweaking product flow across the factory floor to minimize unnecessary twists and turns.
During almost five decades of manufacturing and designing wood components for companies in the furniture industry, Newport Furniture Parts has perfected its production strategy to ensure you get superior quality components at competitive rates. From CNC wood milling, through upholstery, finishing and assembly, to fulfillment services and distribution, Newport Furniture Parts are the industry leader in wood-furniture component manufacturing. For more information, contact Newport Furniture Parts today.
