Your factory’s maintenance stockroom is much more than a storage space or a staging area. It’s where the foundation of good work begins. A sloppy, messy, unorganized storeroom breeds the same quality work. Likewise for one that’s organized, coordinated, labeled, and properly stocked. If you’re looking for a higher caliber of maintenance and efficiency, consider…
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A fishbone diagram — often called an Ishikawa diagram or a 5M framework — is a mode of root-cause analysis. It’s particularly effective for troubleshooting consistent issues, making it a critical resource for maintenance managers. Incorporating a fishbone diagram as part of a thorough, evaluative approach to reactive maintenance can yield exceptional insight. But to…
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There’s already a dearth of qualified manufacturing professionals in the workforce today. In 2019, the gap between available jobs and applicants to fill them will grow even larger. With 3.5 million manufacturing jobs expected by 2025, the United States manufacturing economy is set to fill just 1.5 million of them. A growing concern In a…
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Worker safety has always been a clearly defined focal point of factory operations. But as industry evolves, is the concept of risk mitigation and worker safety evolving with it? As we enter a new phase of industry, there are new concerns about how factories are identifying and mitigating risk. Manufacturers need to take a close…
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It’s no secret the United States is suffering from a shortage of skilled laborers. What’s not always evident is that the definition of “skilled laborer” has changed in the past decade. Today, manufacturers are looking for more than someone who’s good with a wrench — they’re looking for a rich STEM background and a skillset…
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There’s no end to the headlines about Industry 4.0 and the industrial internet of things (IIoT). But not every headline paints an accurate picture, and many trend toward hyperbole. Industry 4.0 is certainly a new-age revolution, but having realistic expectations about the changes it’s bringing will help you better understand how the IIoT will benefit…
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While many industrial companies are rushing to become a player in Industry 4.0, speed of adoption is supplanting due process. Specifically, many companies aren’t comprehending the cybersecurity demands of the new industrial internet of things (IIoT). It’s a problem that’s only growing as IIoT adoption scales up, and it’s one that needs solutions soon. The…
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The focus on factory maintenance usually comes from a service standpoint. In the modern factory, it’s all about creating preventive and proactive maintenance programs, using robust data and relying on modern skills. It’s easy to forget there’s heavy product involvement — from a spare parts inventory, specifically. While it’s critical to focus on better maintenance…
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Understanding why something went wrong is the first step in fixing it and preventing it from happening again. On the factory floor, this process is called Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA). It’s a core tool among lean Six Sigma evangelists and a useful approach for defining problems. A well-executed FMEA yields insight into the…
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Kaizen. Jidoka. Nagara. A lot of unique terminology is associated with lean manufacturing — all of it important. One term (and action) that’s fundamentally important is Gemba. Performing a Gemba walk through your facilities allows you to see how work gets done. And doing so helps you understand where you could improve operations. What’s a…
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