What are the most effective ways to reduce bottlenecks in your production line?

most of bottlenecks are consequence of unclear definition of done, leading to chaos in all other processes. this is due to unclarity, absence of logic connections between tasks (be it temporal, technological, legal...). this in its turn make the risk and opportunity management quite unusable, hence most responses will be either late or inadequate. the multiplication of this fact across all domains and processes create bottlenecks- the header of which will be unknown (you won't know where to start as the bottleneck cannot be described properly, it could be a % of issues interconnecting across all processes)

Exatamente! O entendimento detalhado do processo produtivo é crucial para identificar e abordar eficazmente os gargalos. O uso de ferramentas como mapeamento de fluxo de valor e análise de tempo de ciclo oferece insights valiosos para otimizar o fluxo de trabalho e melhorar a eficiência operacional.

First step is to identify the metrics that will help you measure your process. Having the right balance of speed and quality metrics is essential. Now review your process using 2-3 distinct projects and collect the data associated with the identified metrics. Ensure that you are as objective as possible and remain unbiased. Leveraging someone not aware of the current process might help with that goal.

Agree broadly. The Industrial Engineering discipline has had a myriad of analysis tools and certification standards (TQM, JIT, Kaizen, 3-sigma, 6-sigma, etc). Most by Japanese firms. The trick is to use what is applicable but to not get caught up in these.

Clearly define the problem - what is the issue/where/when/how does it impact process. Collect and analyze the data - go the the floor and talk with manufacturing operations and maintenance personnel. Implement solutions to address the problem; FMEA is a good tool. Establish effective preventative maintenance programs to anticipate / prevent known component failure modes.

O equilíbrio da carga de trabalho certamente aumenta a eficiência de uma maneira geral. Como as linhas vem atingindo um certo nível de automação, fica evidente que o treinamento dos colaboradores é fundamental para que se alcance as metas, equilibrando a carga de trabalho e disponibilizando uma flexibilidade eficiente.

Balancing a production line or process is a risky strategy and will never give you the desired output due to operational performance fluctuations. What it will do is give you floating bottlenecks which are almost impossible to manage and will ironically give you an unbalanced process. I would map the process and identify the true bottleneck, sub-ordinate the bottleneck (remove any non value adding work), ensure it is never starved of material and the downstream process is able to quickly take the material away. Theory of constraints - identify the pacemaker and manage it.

Entendo que o treinamento de equipe e flexibilidade de equipamentos contribuem para uma produção mais eficiente. Reuniões excessivas sem uma agenda e controle desequilibram a carga de trabalho atualmente.

"Work in progress" is a misnomer. A better term is "current focus," recognizing that tasks vary in urgency and complexity. Mixing slow, critical tasks with quick, easy ones leads to "snacking," as termed by Hunter Walk. This means prioritizing short-term, low-impact tasks over long-term, vital ones. We should clearly distinguish between urgent tasks and those important for long-term success.

Nesta parte a análise de MURA e MURI em sua fábrica é de suma importância. Além de verificar que todas as análises ligadas a teoria das restrições de suas capacidades foram feitas é identificar processos, máquinas ou pessoas que possam estar sobrecarregadas ou ociosas. Elas irão mostrar os riscos e problemas que necessitam ser tratados com urgência por você e sua equipe.

Addressing bottlenecks involves identifying the root causes and implementing strategies to alleviate or eliminate them. Mostly bottlenecks occurs in software development due to - Heavy reliance on manual process - poorly structured code - unoptimised queries - slow communication between cross team, departments, and stakeholders. - ineffective project planning, misaligned priorities. - insufficient testing. Etc To address these, it is crucial to invest in automating repetitive tasks, process and quality checks. Invest time on code optimisation and tech debt, and practicing agile methodologies with a focus on allocating adequate time and resource for quality testing.

I agree. In some cases, the bottleneck is simply caused by inefficient work culture. Lean manufacturing is a good tool to check the way how the human and other resources are being utilized.

OEE is one of the best ways in measuring manufacturing productivity. Equipment availability, quality and performance should be regularly monitored and, when needed, address issues detected especially downtimes, assists and defective parts produced. PM should be done per defined schedule. Manpower support, both for machine operators and materials handling/inspection should have regular trainings and re-certification for skills improvement and thus faster throughput.

The "manufacturing" analogy for software engineering is *way* overused. Building and maintaining software for an enterprise is much more like gardening than it is like building an assembly line. Even in companies whose product is software, this is true, and we would better serve our users and customers by backing off attempts to force what we do into a manufacturing approach.

Bottleneck ops can be efficiently improved through integration of AI: 1. DRL algorithms like Deep Q-learning and Proximal Policy Optimization can dynamically adjust process parameters, optimize scheduling, and discover effective bottleneck-crushing strategies 2. Bottlenecks can hide amidst unexpected anomalies. Unsupervised learning techniques like autoencoders and one-class support vector machines can sift through vast operational data, pinpointing deviations from normalcy that signal impending bottlenecks before they cause issues.

In my experience, this particular step in the overall process is very important. Often, leaders demonstrate proficiency in identifying the root cause of a problem and successfully implementing a solution. However, a common oversight is the lack of diligent monitoring to ensure the sustained adherence to the prescribed solution. I believe that any endeavor aimed at improvement should not merely stop at implementation; it should incorporate a robust system of metrics that defines the criteria for completion. Regular and systematic measurement becomes indispensable to gauge the efficacy of the solution over time, providing valuable insights for continuous refinement and optimization.

When analyzing potential constraints in a production process, it is essential to examine the overall context of the entire manufacturing process and also study operations preceding the bottleneck location. To gain this comprehensive insight into the situation and the workload of the production plant, having a MES (Manufacturing Execution System) offers numerous advantages. This tool provides real-time production data and allows for an analysis of the state of each production line to quickly identify bottlenecks. Additionally, it enables extracting productivity data from each machine, facilitates OEE analysis, optimizes resources, and minimizes downtime, among many other benefits.

Effective management of production line bottlenecks also hinges on rigorous monitoring and control of the entire process. By establishing a comprehensive system of real-time tracking and analysis, we can continuously observe workflow, identify emerging bottlenecks, and respond proactively. This could involve implementing advanced data analytics, IoT sensors, or AI-driven monitoring tools to gain deeper insights. Regular process audits and reviews ensure that controls are effective and adjustments are made as needed. This ongoing vigilance not only mitigates current bottlenecks but also enhances our ability to anticipate and prevent future disruptions, ensuring a consistently efficient and productive operation.

Análizar, mediante una supervisión la efectividad de los procesos es esencial. Recomiendo tener conectada una herramienta de gráficos que monitorice y permita visualizar a través de diferentes gráficas cómo se comportan los procesos activos en la organización. Esto además, permite poder visibilizar las necesidades y escalar a los diferentes departamentos de TI las mejoras propuestas.

Bottlenecks are process/es which produced the lowest output than the rest of the processes. In order to identify this bottleneck process, you need to get the list of your processes, the tact time to complete each process for two operators at 10 samples each operator. Include also in the computation the yield per process for a more realistic data. Once everything is plotted, check which process or processes that don't achieve the output requirement. From that, you can determine how many head count you need to make the process meet the required output. Once every process is already within the required output, then you are good to proceed.

Talk to the workers on the lines. No matter how smart the design engineers and production engineers are, the people on the line are living it. Also, if you show the line workers the respect they deserve they are more willing to trust you and try improvements you are suggesting know that you have their best interests at heart. Nobody wants to make a bad product.

An example of line balancing as a senior production engineer I achieved a optimization of a refrigerator assembly line, a meticulous analysis was conducted by evaluating the processes at each workstation and determining their respective takt times. Subsequently, a strategic reallocation of certain processes was executed to consolidate them within the workstation exhibiting the highest takt time. This proactive reorganization resulted in a notable reduction of the cycle time to 2.3 minutes. Furthermore, the overall efficiency of the assembly line experienced a substantial enhancement, displaying an impressive increase of 14.42%.

A well defined process flow and a balanced line with just in time inventory type can significantly reduce the bottleneck inventory. Tools that can be used to reduce and improve the line balancing, 1. Value streaming Mapping 2. Time study/work study

In my experience many industry articles unfortunately seem to equate a software development lifecycle process flow to a manufacturing production line, however the two have some fundamental differences, and attempts to turn a design and development workflow into a manufacturing production line often fail due to not recognizing these differences. Software product development usually contains substantial discovery, while a manufacturing production line is repeatedly building an existing design with well defined variances (size, shape, color, etc.). While both are process flows, trying to apply the same techniques to each will often yield different results.

While one bottleneck can be useful for predictable scheduling, I agree theory of constraints can boost profits with efficiency. To increase factory capacity at a bottleneck a tool which can be very useful is rapid setups. Single minute exchange of die (SMED) made capacity improvement of about 10% while also average reducing run length. This also allowed a reduction of in-work inventory. I found the book by Shigeo Shingo very helpful.