How To Keep Manufacturing Efficient In Remote Environments

How To Keep Manufacturing Efficient In Remote Environments

Every day, another challenge arises and the growing impact of COVID-19 has left most companies rushing to implement new processes to minimize operational impact. Remote working has become the new norm; but for certain jobs, especially within the manufacturing industry, it can present a significant challenge. 

Factories depend on operators to keep machines running and it’s simply not possible for them to work remotely. It is possible, however, to significantly reduce the number of people needed to maintain operations. The first step, which many plants have already implemented, is to restrict access to critical personnel only; no outside visitors and anyone who can work remotely, such as finance or customer service teams, should work remotely. 

How to Minimize Exposure On The Factory Floor

When asked about how his team was managing the impact of social distancing, a plant manager who declined to be identified said, “We haven’t seen a decrease in customer orders so we’re trying to meet our production numbers with fewer people on the floor. Everyone who has to push a button, turn a knob, or drive a forklift still has to be in the plant; the rest are working remotely.”

Tactics that manufacturers are taking to maintain the health and safety of critical floor employees include: 

• Staggering shifts to limit the number of people on the floor at any given time. 
• Restricting employees from congregating in common areas. 
• Requiring all onsite personnel to wear gloves. 
• For shared tools, one person must put the tool down and the next person who picks it up must sanitize the tool with an alcohol wipe before using it. 

Continue to read “How To Keep Manufacturing Efficient In Remote Environments” article in Forbes.

 

This is an excerpt from an article published in Forbes by Willem Sundblad, CEO and Co-founder of Oden Technologies, a company that empowers manufacturers to make more, waste less and innovate faster through machine learning and applied analytics.