How to improve your manufacturing business without spending a fortune

You may be surprised to know that small changes can be made to your business that will inspire big improvements. Although some of the ideas listed below cost a little bit of money, some are free to initiate, and others you will need to spend a little time setting up. All, however, are like to help improve your manufacturing business in some shape or form.

#1 Take onboard the 5 S system

You may be skeptical, but taking on board and putting the 5 S system into practice can help improve your business. The 5 Ss stand for;

Sort

Remove any unnecessary objects. This cuts down the number of distractions for workers. 

Set in order

Organize work areas. This helps employees perform tasks faster as tools can be found in easy-to-reach areas and save employees from wandering around hunting for the equipment that they require.

Shine

Keep it clean, clean workstations are more pleasant to work at, and it cuts down on the amount of time spent tidying up.

Standardize

Set up procedures to keep it constant. This induces habit forming and can make working faster as certain tasks become second nature.

Sustain

Performing tasks regularly. This routine has got to be easy to repeat. If it isn’t, it won’t be sustainable over a long period.

These steps are not purely for your manufacturing area but can be initiated throughout your whole business. 

#2 Improve the working atmosphere

It is important to provide a good working atmosphere for your employees. Working in strict silence can be good for some workers; however, it could lead to an uncomfortable feeling about your business. Mistakes could also increase as workers will be scared to ask others for help for fear of sounding stupid in front of the rest of the workers. 

However, if there needs to be a hush around working areas, you can provide support to workers who feel they require it. This is by installing a modern intranet system to enhance employee experience, such as one from Simpplr, and ensuring that every employee has personal access to it. 

An intranet system can help your business in many different ways. It can provide workers access to customer, order, and product data and links to individuals within your company that could help with any questions they may have or any issues arising. Of course, you do not have to provide every employee with a laptop or personal computer, but you may have to provide each tablet, which can be easily stored or viewed at their workstation.

#3 Organize delivery routes for drivers

This ensures that they are only driving in certain directions daily. By putting this into force, you will likely save on gas and wear and tear on your vehicles. Planning routes will also prove to be far more efficient for your driver’s time as well. 

Encouraging your customers to except deliveries on certain days of the month or week can be easier than you think. For instance, you could offer them discounts on certain days or charge them a premium for delivery slots on days your drivers will not be in their area.

#4 Invest in time-saving software

An abundance of time-saving software is available on the internet today. Whether it is helping your warehouse stay organized, with stock levels or item locations, or whether it is software that keeps track of where orders are in the manufacturing process so that customer account managers do not have to go hunting for their products. Having software that enables and speeds up application communication could also help your employees retrieve and submittal important data, thus speeding up every procedure within your office environment. 

Originally posted 2023-01-30 20:31:17.