In today's competitive manufacturing landscape, staying ahead requires more than maintaining the status quo. Modernizing facilities and operations is essential for improving efficiency, performance, and resilience. This article explores five practical steps manufacturers can take to achieve these goals, from gathering comprehensive data to leveraging expert project management. By implementing these strategies, manufacturers can ensure their facilities are up to industry standards and positioned for future success.
However, there is more to the story than you’ll see below. Download our new white paper, Modernizing Manufacturing, here.
Now, on with five practical steps:
1. Get organized with data inventory
Manufacturers must gather comprehensive data on their operations, including asset inventories and current technologies like a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS,) utility bill management (UBM,) and energy management system (EMS.) This data allows plant managers and corporate real estate teams to benchmark plants against each other, providing insights for improvement.
2. Do apples-to-apples comparisons to gauge which projects to prioritize when
Identifying low- and no-cost opportunities for facility modernization helps manufacturers quickly determine which plants are leaders and laggards in efficiency, performance, and resilience. By bringing laggards up to average, companies can achieve significant operational savings.
Once priorities are set, insights from these comparisons can guide workflow changes, software adoption, and tracking scorecards. Plant managers benefit from understanding their site's performance relative to peers, fostering community engagement, and promoting best practices through internal summits.
3. Unlock efficiency now by implementing low-cost ‘quick wins’
It's time to implement fast-start solutions in vulnerable plants and adopt preventative maintenance strategies. Elevating underperforming sites to industry standards can yield immediate savings and strengthen the business case for ongoing modernization.
4. Lay out a big-picture modernization roadmap complete with capital planning
Manufacturers should aim to implement, manage, and monitor interconnected facility assets and systems across their portfolio. Developing a multi-year playbook for medium- and long-term projects helps allocate budgets strategically, ensuring capital is spent wisely and expenditures are spread out to assets as needed.
5. Implement projects programmatically and monitor for ongoing improvements
Expert project management helps teams collaborate and manage budgets to complete projects. Honest, data-informed conversations bridge gaps between facility assets, budgets, and people. Continuous monitoring and reporting are critical for achieving new wins as facilities teams work towards a brighter, more efficient, and higher-performance future.
Modernizing manufacturing facilities is a multifaceted process that requires careful planning and execution. By following these five steps—gathering comprehensive data, identifying low- and no-cost opportunities, implementing fast-start solutions, developing a multi-year playbook, and leveraging expert project management—manufacturers can achieve significant operational savings and enhance overall performance. Continuous monitoring and data-informed conversations will ensure facilities remain efficient and resilient, paving the way for a brighter, more productive future. Embrace these strategies to transform your manufacturing operations and stay ahead in the ever-evolving industry.
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