May 14, 2024
Manufacturing companies are needed all over the globe, and the more you specialise in, the more clients you’re going to have. Indeed, product development cycles rely on experienced manufacturers to see their vision through. The more you can deliver, the bigger your name gets, and the more clients start to come your way.
That being said, the manufacturing industry is a tricky one. A new manufacturing business will have a lot to contend with when moving into it. Bigger names are out there, with bigger operations, and your own setup has a lot to prove. Small manufacturing units can provide a personal approach, but ensuring your message is seen amongst all the noise will be difficult.
And then we come to the internal elements that could be dragging you down. These elements make establishing yourself as a reliable manufacturer all the more challenging, and removing them from your workflow will streamline your operation.
Along those lines, we’ve put together a little list of the most common problems in maintaining efficiency in a new manufacturing business. Check it out below to ensure you’re doing everything you can to make business easy, approachable, and satisfactory for your clients.
What are the safety practices in place within your manufacturing business? Whatever they are, they may not be enough. Your employees need to know they can work safely to work efficiently. There’s no cutting corners, or working around safety regulations; everything needs to be assessed for risk, and the recommendations of the report need to be put into place.
A new manufacturing business can be subject to costly fines from safety bodies, as well as lawsuits brought forward by injured employees, and that’s not something you want to fall prey to. Make sure you’re aware of the best ways to keep your staff safe, and make sure they can feel confident enough in you, as the boss, to put their well being first.
Every manufacturing business will need a handling system in place to ensure goods get from one end of the line to the other. And usually this is quite the efficient system. You have both machinery and human input down the line, ensuring product moves steadily at pace.
However, there is an optimisation issue commonly at play within new handling systems. Namely, they’re actually on the slower side of things.
Common complaints revolve around both automatic and manual error, but issues stemming from the weight of materials, as well as the space on your manufacturing floor, are holding you back as well.
Thankfully, you can speed up in a variety of ways. To start with, invest in machinery like an industrial manipulator to ensure heavy goods are processed at the same speed as their lighter counterparts.
This is also a great cost effective investment for a new manufacturing company, as budgeting for big and bulky equipment like cranes can use up your whole budget and still be ineffective.
You should also focus on the movement between your line and your storage area. Is anything going on to prevent goods from being swiftly deposited? If you’re not already, start using operational management software to monitor the timescale and see where it’s being held up.
Automation is a crucial part of manufacturing. It’s too expensive to have human workers on stand by at all times, and the precision of a specialised manufacturing machine cannot be matched. Manual labour will form the core part of your operation, but it would be impossible to staff your entire business with skilled employees who have the right flexibility.
Similarly, the use of automation software in the manufacturing landscape makes it much easier to have products out on time. Not only can you control the flow of your work, and have a detailed insight into what’s going on at all times, but you can do this whenever and wherever you are.
That reduces downtime, and it improves coordination between every member of your team. People don’t necessarily need to be in the right places at all times - the software you’re using to keep all the moving parts on the go will handle this pressure for you.
Set yourself off on the right foot by investing in automation from the beginning. Programs are here to help, and even if the upfront cost seems high, the long term savings will more than pay you back.
There’s no point in optimising your efficiency level if you have no orders coming through. If that seems to be a rapidly approaching issue within your manufacturing business, it could be a sign you’re not approaching lead acquisition in the right way. Indeed, it could also be a sign that your client onboarding is nowhere near as efficient as it needs to be!
It’s time to identify your target customer. Who is it that you’re most likely to be able to service, and who would benefit most from sending a purchase order through to you?
For some companies this will be medical or tech entrepreneurs, while for others it could be ecommerce store owners, or anyone interested in starting up a new food product. You need to consider what you’re capable of, what you’re experienced in, and how that aligns with those in need of a reliable manufacturer.
Then, make sure your online presence revolves around these needs. Make it clear what you do, and why you’re good at doing it.
You can do this by maintaining a clear brand image across your website and social media, and you can give insights into your product development process. Show your target customers the unique reasons as to why you’re the best, and why they should choose you above the rest.
If you want your manufacturing business to be as efficient as possible, check for issues like these and smooth them out. Internal issues will always make it harder to turn a profit!
