There are many pillars of business success, but many of them stand on a vital foundation; communication. It is difficult to achieve any kind of success, or longevity in the world of business without the right level of communication. You have to ensure you communicate with your clients, wholesalers, and employees as clearly as you can.
You can have all the latest and greatest technological equipment driving your business, but with poor communication, you won’t know about issues on the production line until it’s too late.
Communication is a key to running a manufacturing business, and it is used to notify you of problems in the production process, and to give clearer direction at the time in order to speed up the process as much as possible.
Why Good Communication in Manufacturing Matters So Much
In the manufacturing industry communication is more important than perhaps in any other industry. Communication informs people of what is expected of them, as well as how the company can coordinate efforts in order to create the best possible products. These are some of the key reasons good communication is so important in the manufacturing world.
Boosts Efficiency
As your success rests on being able to run a smooth, and effective production line, efficiency is key. The clearer you can be in your communication, the better and more efficiently people will be able to do their jobs. Errors on the production line can be assessed and dealt with swiftly in order to get the company back up and running again.
Improves Health and Safety
Health and safety is one of the biggest concerns for a lot of manufacturing businesses. When you are dealing with a production line of machinery, safety becomes one of the top priorities, and communication is vital to knowing when something is wrong and production needs to be paused. Clear and immediate communication is key to preventing injuries, and boosting health and safety.
Better Engagement
Better engagement is something that can really help you improve the production process. You need to make sure your staff are fully engaged and know their roles in the process, and better engagement allows for this. If you can communicate with your workforce more, then you can improve engagement, and this will help the whole company run much more effectively.
Real-Time Problem Solving
Solving problems in real-time is one of key parts of running a manufacturing business, and communication is vital here. By keeping in contact via radio, as well as referring to andon systems, you can discover and solve problems in real-time, and get the production process running smoothly, and quickly as soon as possible.
What Does it Mean to Have Great Communication?
There are many factors that play a role in effective communication, but as a rule, it involves being able to articulate precisely what you want in a clear and timely way. It means constantly keeping the team updated with what is happening, and choosing the words and method of delivery carefully. Especially within manufacturing, communication is simply communicating any needs whether through non-verbal signals, or digital communication.
Develop a Strong Communication Plan
It’s too late to start the plan when you’re in need of one. Develop a communication plan for if something goes wrong on the production floor, who that message is going to, and how it will be communicated, in order to get the right information to the right place. Employees must have a clear understanding of who to approach when facing a specific problem, and the means of quickly communicating the issue to get it resolved quickly.
Train Employees
Training your staff is one of the best ways to improve and implement an effective communication plan. They need to be taught about how the business works, what is expected of them, and how they can do their jobs in the most effective way possible. In manufacturing, a lack of training can lead to mistakes, which can be both costly and dangerous, so make sure new recruits are well trained.
Use Visual Communication Systems
Getting visual communication systems installed is a vital part of all good factory communication strategies, as these provide invaluable help and communication support to workers in real-time. Automatic machines and communication packages play a role in Lean manufacturing, and are essential for helping you improve your business communication plan.
Have Regular Staff Meetings
Have management and staff touch base on a regular basis, so that everyone can be brought up to speed on any updates, or issues that need to be communicated. Regular staff meetings allow employees to share any feedback on what is going well, and what needs improvement.
In the world of manufacturing, it is really important to ensure communication is prioritized as one of the key parts of the process. Communication enhances productivity, and this makes it an invaluable part of the manufacturing industry. Ensure your business works on improving its communication to get the best possible results.
