When looking at your manufacturing business in its entirety, it can feel overwhelming to even begin fixing common issues such as lapses in productivity, excess waste, and protracted operations. You have an asset in locating the sources of these issues: the workforce that interacts with the machinery and processes of production daily. But how do you make that valuable feedback actionable?

Lean manufacturing provides us a framework of understanding inefficiencies, referred to as waste, from a ground-up approach, using the knowledge of those who interact with floor processes daily.

Here's how to go from input to improvement:

1.     Clearly Identify the Source(s) of Waste

Waste can take the form of excess time spent waiting on approvals, bottlenecks in the production process, navigation or doubling back on the factory floor, costly production errors that result in work having to be scrapped, and more. Employees may spend years of experience dealing with inefficiencies that become perceived as inevitabilities without the intervention of leadership.

2.     Include Employees in Your Improvement Plan

Structured problem solving can help turn those issues intoactionable steps and continuous improvement. Establish goals and metrics ofsuccess with employee feedback to ensure that there is accountability forchanges and a record to inform future problem-solving attempts.

3.     Increase Communication and Recognize Employee Contributions

Engage employees and check in with them about the changes to the process; they will notice when their contributions are incorporated and will be more likely to proactively communicate future issues as they appear. When employees feel that there is space to voice suggestions for project improvement, you are more likely to see staff support and buy in, as they feel a sense of ownership over these processes. This can go a long way towards improving employee retention and creating a culture of continuous improvement.

Employee feedback is fundamental to confronting operational issues, and when paired with defined improvements and metrics for success, can have a transformative impact on your day-to-day operations.

If your organization wants to incorporate Lean techniques and reduce waste in the manufacturing process, contact a Manufacture Nevada Business Advisor to learn about our Lean Six Sigma workshops.

Content from this article was sourced from WMEP Manufacturing Solutions.

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