5 Ways to Increase Industrial Productivity
Increasing productivity is an everlasting goal for industrial manufacturers. Finding the pathways to increased productivity—whether in production, maintenance, machine building, or anything in between—can lead to higher outputs, lower operating costs, and better profit margins.
That said, increasing industrial productivity should never come at the expense of quality. Striking the right balance between quality standards and high output is critical. But that’s no simple task.
So how can you increase productivity while maintaining the standards you and your customers demand? Let’s look at a few methods for increasing industrial productivity.
How to Increase Industrial Productivity
1. Start with Your Employees
In most cases, increasing productivity starts with your employees. Curating an engaged, knowledgeable workforce is essential to maximizing productivity.
Investing in training and development has numerous benefits that can lead to better productivity and more long-term profitability. Not only can it lead to better work, fewer mistakes, and a safer workplace, but it will also help improve employee retention and engagement.
2. Optimize the Workplace Environment
Your employees will also appreciate investments in the workplace itself. Ensure that your plant or facility is clean, organized, and designed to maximize efficiency.
One important consideration is lighting. Good lighting and the right light color temperature can provide a boost to employee productivity. Bright lights that mimic the color of daylight sun help keep energy levels high while ensuring proper visibility and improving safety.
3. Audit Your Equipment
Once you’ve invested in your workforce, it’s time to ensure you have the proper equipment in place. This could mean identifying equipment that may not be operating at maximum efficiency or determining areas where additional equipment is needed.
One of the most effective ways to do this is by analyzing critical metrics like overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) or total effective equipment performance (TEEP). Leveraging this data is helpful for both identifying areas of need and expressing these needs to stakeholders.
4. Don’t Overlook Maintenance
Maintenance can be tedious in the short term, but that’s no match for the long-term benefits of routine, preventative maintenance. Maintenance should be conducted across the entire operation—from single machines to the facility itself.
Routine maintenance is a proactive way to reduce downtime and keep operations running smoothly. Effective maintenance practices include following a maintenance schedule, training employees on how to monitor equipment, and keeping necessary components on hand to quickly address issues as they happen.
5. Embrace Industrial Automation
Automation is one of the first things many people think of when talking about productivity—and for good reason. After all, the primary purpose of automation is to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and maximize productivity.
Data shows that this is, indeed, what automation can do. Proper implementation of automation solutions can significantly increase industrial productivity, and, with the field only growing more sophisticated, new industrial automation solutions are frequently emerging. Understanding what automation solutions are available for you is a pivotal step in becoming more productive.
Increase Industrial Productivity with Crescent Electric
When it comes to industrial productivity, Crescent Electric has you covered. Our extensive range of time-saving products, comprehensive industrial services, and unmatched industry expertise are designed to meet your needs—from delivering basic facility supplies to creating complex control solutions.
Crescent Electric serves a variety of industrial markets, and our technical support and engineering teams understand the challenges each market poses and the solutions needed to overcome them. Learn more about how we can help you increase industrial productivity today—contact us to start a conversation or shop our wide selection of industrial products online now!