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By Henry Brown

For any business that happens to produce its own products, the production line is one of the most essential parts of the process. You will need to ensure you are keeping on top of this, as if you fail to do so, your product could suffer. That means the experience of the customer suffers, and that is the kind of failure that no business owner wants to happen. Let’s take a look at how you can start 2021 with a much more efficient production line.

Identify what’s slowing it down

The first step in trying to improve your production line is to work out what might currently be slowing it down. Often, the culprits are things which can be easily fixed, such as a failure to analyze the production data and make relevant changes, or turning the production off when there is no reason it can’t simply carry on running. At times, business owners are guilty of failing to properly automate those tasks which can be automated.

All of that leads to a slower production line, and a less efficient process. Changing any of those things is going to be a huge benefit. You could also make a point of keeping an eye on your equipment, to ensure it is kept up to scratch and in good repair. The whole point is that you need to identify whatever might be slowing things down, so you can draw up a plan for improvement.

The benefits of greater efficiency

If you manage to change any of those things, you are going to notice some huge improvements to the production line very quickly. These might include: an improvement in the quality of the finished product (and therefore happier customers); lower costs of running the production line, and a healthier financial position across the business in general; reduced lead time, meaning your customers get their product in their hands sooner; happier customers; and ultimately, higher sales.

So what are some of the best ways to make your production line more efficient in 2021?

Get automating

First up, you should seriously consider the benefits of automating more of your production line. Many business owners are worried about over-automating, but the fact is that automation is your friend. It is the single most effective way to improve efficiency across the business. If you haven’t done much automation before, an easy way to get started is with a robotic work cell. This way, you don’t have to source and engineer all of the equipment by yourself in-house.

Upgrade your equipment

Whatever equipment you might be using in the production line, whether it’s for capsule manufacturing or more generic pieces of equipment, it’s best to always use the best version you can afford. You don’t need to upgrade all the time, but if you are currently running some older versions you might want to think about opting for some newer parts. This alone could mean that your production line increases dramatically, even if you make no other changes at all.

Train up your staff

The employees are a hugely valuable part of the process too. The more clued up they are on what they need to do, the more you are going to get out of them. The best way to ensure that they know what they are doing is simply to give them the necessary training. With good and regular training, they are going to have a much better sense of what is necessary and where to save time and money.

Use on-site technicians

There are always going to be problems with your machinery, no matter how high-quality it is and how much you care for it. But by having some on-site technicians on board, you are going to be able to keep those machines in the best possible state of repair, as well as having a chance to fix them as soon as something goes wrong. That will keep your downtime right down to a minimum, ensuring you can get more products made at a much quicker pace.

Outsource parts

When you need to have spare parts made, it’s generally best to outsource that, as it’s something that is going to take up a lot of your resources if you do it in-house, including your most valuable resource: time. Outsourcing it instead is going to be a wiser move in most cases.

If you can take these steps on board, you are going to find that your production line is considerably more efficient in no time.

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Henry Brown is an online marketing executive. When he isn’t talking shop, he’s roaming the streets of London, uncovering the extra-ordinary in the ordinary.