Production bottlenecks occur during the movement of information and resources in processes between industry sectors or with external agents, such as customers and suppliers, for example.
In general, these bottlenecks can compromise the quality of the items or services offered by the factory. Furthermore, they are also associated with obstacles such as machine downtime, labor idleness, lack of inputs, high rates of bureaucracy in processes, and communication failures.
On the other hand, when errors are reduced in production lines, operational costs are decreased. Moreover, team engagement and performance improve, and sales results are boosted.
These factors bring organic growth to your company, as well as facilitate the recognition of new business opportunities.
Bearing these factors in mind, in this post we bring you everything you need to know about production bottlenecks, as well as where and how they usually occur. After that, we will also show you how IT can help reduce these hurdles. Check it out now!
Where do production bottlenecks occur?
There are three main scenarios where production failures happen. They are:
People
Human errors, whether caused by idleness or lack of motivation, are examples that can cause expressive losses for the plant or industry.
In addition, people management problems and a lack of training can also lead to operational failures.
Resources
Regarding resources, errors can be caused by two reasons: excessive loss or lack of a loss control culture.
Machines and equipment
Here, problems usually occur due to unscheduled stoppages or shutdowns of machinery and equipment. They can therefore be caused by breakdowns, failures, speed losses, defects, the need for adjustments, or other factors.
What types of bottlenecks exist?
Poor inventory and raw material management
This factor brings several challenges to the production chain. Generally, in the case of raw material supply, they occur when the industry buys the wrong amount of inputs, which end up running out during production.
Another situation is when the factory keeps a very large amount of stored inputs, and they end up becoming unfit for use or being misplaced.
As for inventory, bottlenecks are more common when there is no control over the inputs and outputs of materials, parts, and other equipment necessary for the progress of production.
Lack of equipment maintenance
The lack of equipment maintenance can also be one of the main difficulties in the industrial sector.
After all, with machines being defective or unable to operate, loss of efficiency or final quality, waste of inputs, and production stoppage are just a few examples.
Lack of production monitoring
The lack of monitoring is also among the biggest bottlenecks in production. Without knowing what is happening on the shop floor, it becomes difficult to engage the team by establishing deadlines, goals, and indicators.
Furthermore, good management results in more assertive decision-making based on factual data.
Failures in cost management
Operation costs can also cause production bottlenecks. Those who closely monitor the expenses of the production process know exactly which factors are making it more expensive.
How to identify production bottlenecks?
In general, there are good tools that can assist in identifying potential problems in factories. Among them are Statistical Process Control (SPC) and the PDCA Cycle.
To delve deeper into this subject, see below the step-by-step guide to identifying production bottlenecks in your industry.
Map the processes
Mapping each of the production process steps, including the before and after, will make all the difference when identifying difficulties in the industry. To do this, answer questions such as:
- How is the raw material procurement?
- Is it being stored correctly?
- How has the negotiation with suppliers been?
- Is the machinery up to date with maintenance?
- Is logistics working smoothly?
Manage inputs and equipment
The management of inputs and equipment is also fundamental to solving these processes.
This is because several delays stem from when a supplier fails to deliver raw material on time. The same occurs when a machine does not go for maintenance when it should.
In this scenario, it is essential to plan preventive maintenance and maintain quality control over inputs.
Implement indicators
The best way to monitor production progress is by using performance indicators (KPIs). They allow obtaining diagnoses through concrete data and information.
Count on the help of technology
Finally, you can invest in better computer vision of the process, as well as factory automation. These are attitudes that can provide integrated, easy, and fully reliable access to production process information.
Advantages of technology in identifying production bottlenecks
There are many benefits to investing in technology to identify production bottlenecks in your plant or industry. See a list of the main ones below:
- Lower loss rates;
- Lower operational costs;
- Greater quantity precision and better alignment with labor and machine capacity;
- Lower machine idleness rates;
- Drop in labor idleness;
- Greater agility in responding to stakeholders;
- More efficient communication across all areas of the company.
In this post, we saw how production bottlenecks can disrupt the work routine and considerably reduce organizational results.
However, through efficient process control, it is possible to avoid losses, achieve operational efficiency, and create a competitive advantage in the market.
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