The equipment is roaring in the workshop, the workers are in a hurry, but the output figures on the report are
not growing well. Frequent schedule changes disrupt the rhythm, sudden equipment failures lead to
production line stagnation, semi-finished products pile up in the warehouse, and repeated reworks in the
quality inspection process eat up valuable man-hours - these familiar scenarios are precisely the bloodletting
of the invisible loss of production efficiency. In the escalating costs, delivery cycle compression, competition
is white-hot, improve production efficiency is not a choice, but the survival and development of the
manufacturing industry life and death proposition.
First, directly hit the pain point: efficiency loss of the hidden battlefield
Enhance efficiency, must first recognize the enemy. Under the traditional manufacturing model, efficiency loss is
often hidden in these links:
Difficulty of equipment:
Frequent unplanned downtime: equipment failure without warning, repair time-consuming and labor-intensive,
production line has no choice but to “stop”.
Inadequate performance: equipment aging or improper parameter settings, the actual operating speed is far
below the design capacity.
Time-consuming model change: product switching, lengthy mold replacement, debugging process, equipment
for a long time “idle”.
Process chaos:
Information silos: planning, production, materials, warehousing data fragmentation, scheduling by “roar”,
decision-making by “guessing”, inefficient collaboration.
Work in progress pile up: process beat imbalance, bottleneck process before the material backlog, the subsequent
process “waiting for the rice pot”.
Carrying waste: unreasonable layout of the workshop leads to materials, semi-finished products long distance,
frequent handling, time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Waiting for waste: waiting for materials, waiting for equipment, waiting for instructions, waiting for quality control,
personnel and equipment, a large number of ineffective waiting.
The death of quality:
After-the-fact fire-fighting: quality problems rely on the final sampling, found when the batch has caused rework or scrap, costly.
Process fluctuation: Lack of stable control of key process parameters, resulting in fluctuating yields.
Personnel constraints:
Inadequate skills: Unskilled operations and non-standardized processes lead to long operating times and high error rates.
Low morale: invalid labor, poor working environment, unclear goals, affecting employee initiative and efficiency.
Second, the way to break the game: systematically improve the efficiency
of the actual strategy
Enhancing productivity is not a one-trick pony, but a multi-pronged approach that integrates lean thinking and digital power:
Strategy 1: Digging into the potential of the equipment, so that the efficient operation of the machine
Implement Total Productive Maintenance (TPM): Implement independent maintenance, professional maintenance,
strengthen inspection and maintenance, and significantly reduce the equipment failure rate. Establish a quick response
mechanism to shorten the mean time to repair (MTTR).
Focus on Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE): Accurately measure the time start rate, performance start rate and qualified
product rate of equipment. Analyze OEE losses (downtime, speed loss, scrap) and target improvements, such as
optimizing the mold changeover process (SMED) to compress changeover time by more than 50%.
Embrace predictive maintenance: Use sensors to monitor equipment vibration, temperature, and other key parameters
in real time, combined with data analysis to predict signs of failure, and intervene accurately before problems occur to
avoid unplanned downtime.
Strategy 2: Optimize the production process for a smooth flow of value
Value Stream Mapping (VSM): Maps the complete value stream from raw materials to finished products, and accurately
identifies the seven major wastes (overproduction, waiting, handling, processing, inventory, movement, defects). Focus
on eliminating bottleneck processes.
Implement lean unitized production: break the traditional assembly line, set up U-shaped or unitized production line according
to product family, shorten the logistics distance, improve production flexibility, and realize the rapid flow of small batch.
Implementation of advanced scheduling (APS): Based on real-time orders, materials, equipment status, process constraints,
dynamically generate optimal production planning and scheduling. Quickly respond to order insertion and equipment
abnormalities to improve order delivery rate and reduce work-in-process inventory.
Layout optimization and 5S management: Optimize the layout of equipment and material areas according to the process
flow to reduce ineffective handling. Implementation of 5S (organize, straighten, sweep, clean, quality), to create a clear and
efficient operation of the site.
Strategy 3: Build a strong foundation of quality and do things right at once
Build a total quality management (TQM) system: integrate quality awareness into all staff and processes. Reinforce process
control and utilize statistical process control (SPC) to monitor the stability of key parameters.
Deploy automated online inspection: Introduce intelligent inspection means such as machine vision in key processes to realize
millisecond-level full inspection or high-frequency sampling, intercept defective products in real time, and prevent defects from
flowing downstream.
Establish rapid quality traceability and closed loop: Utilize barcode/RFID to realize accurate binding of material, process and
equipment parameters. When quality problems occur, lock the problematic batches and root causes at the minute level, and
promote effective corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
Strategy 4: Stimulate people's motivation, so that the team can work together efficiently.
Standardized Operating Procedures (SOPs): Solidify best practices into clear, visual operating procedures. Reduce variation and
improve efficiency and consistency.
Enhanced Skills Training and Multi-skilled Worker Cultivation: Systematic training and certification for job requirements.
Cultivate employees to master multiple skills, enhance line flexibility, and cope with fluctuating demands.
Establish performance-oriented incentive mechanism: Set clear and quantifiable efficiency indicators (e.g., per capita output,
OEE improvement rate), and link improvement results to team and individual incentives. Create a culture of continuous improvement.
Promote cross-departmental collaboration: Break down departmental walls and use digital platforms to realize real-time data
sharing and linkage of planning, production, materials, and quality.
Strategy 5: Make good use of the power of digital, drive intelligent decision-making
Open up the “last mile” of data: Deploy Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to realize real-time and stable collection of data from
key equipment and sensors. Build industrial network and edge computing capability.
Construct manufacturing operation management (MOM) hub: Integrate MES, APS, QMS and other systems to realize the
transparency of the whole production process and management refinement. Provide real-time production kanban and
performance reports.
Data-driven Continuous Improvement: Use big data analysis to dig into the root cause of efficiency loss, optimize process
parameters, predict equipment performance, simulate scheduling plans, and support scientific decision-making.
Action Guide: Pragmatic Path for Efficiency Improvement
Precise positioning: Go deep into the workshop, use data analysis (such as OEE, value stream mapping) to accurately
identify the 1-2 most painful efficiency bottlenecks (such as a high downtime rate of a key piece of equipment, or a serious
accumulation of work in progress in a certain process).
Small steps: Focus on high-value pain points and set specific, measurable improvement goals (e.g., reduce mold change
time from 2 hours to 30 minutes). Assemble cross-functional teams to implement the improvement program quickly.
Technology Enablement: Evaluate needs and select cost-effective, easy-to-deploy digital tools (e.g., equipment condition
monitoring sensors, lightweight MES modules) to support improvements and deliver fast results.
Curing and Promotion: Standardize and institutionalize the successful pilot experience. The success of the pilot experience
is standardized and institutionalized, and then horizontally extended to similar production lines or workshops to replicate
the successful model.
Rooted Culture: Integrate efficiency awareness and continuous improvement into the corporate DNA, encourage frontline
employees to propose improvements, and regularly share best practices to form a virtuous cycle.
Efficiency is the Future: Building an Irreplaceable Competitive Advantage
Productivity improvement is not simply a matter of cutting costs. It means faster market response, stronger order delivery
capability, better product quality stability, and superior flexibility in the face of customized demands. In the increasingly
competitive landscape of the manufacturing industry, production efficiency has become the yardstick for measuring the
core competitiveness of enterprises.
Companies that have embedded lean concepts in their marrow and are adept at utilizing digital technology to amplify the
effects of improvement are quietly reshaping the rules of manufacturing. They are through the maximum release of equipment
potential, process lean re-engineering, quality defense line in advance of the construction and the full wisdom of the entire
staff to fully stimulate, and constantly break through the ceiling of efficiency. This continuous refinement around the production
efficiency, is the manufacturing industry to high-quality development of the solid ladder. Enhance efficiency, can not be
delayed, action, right now!