Working Method

Lately, the working method (direct operators, indirect operators, set-ups, lines and individual equipment) has been one of my concerns in several factories.

Often the challenge of managers is common: significant cycle times differences in their processes similar to those of other plants in the group (especially in bottleneck). Everyone knows that bottleneck processes impact ROI. The current concern of industrial engineering specialists is to reduce or eliminate the “non-value-added activities” of the current working method (through time & motion study, synchronization, etc.). Often, the current working method is “copied” almost entirely from the group (transfer/new factory). The initial pressure on the working method is easy to understand – production should start as soon as possible (similar for new products). But often, this method chosen under pressure is not exactly productive – but it is followed for a long time. Then people can resist change and say “We work this way from the beginning and it’s good that way.”

So, do you think that identifying and stabilizing the best working method to combine the three main factors of production (man, machine and materials) is a key step in ensuring target productivity?

Source: Alin Posteucă on LinkedIn