You're facing shifting market demands in your plant operations. How will you adjust to meet customer needs?

Em uma empresa organizada, as áreas de marketing, vendas e assistência técnica trabalham juntas identificando e validando antecipadamente novas tendências e necessidades dos clientes. Essas necessidades por sua vez, com a participação da alta liderança, são desdobradas em projetos e ações. Entram em cena então as áreas de engenharia, supply e produção, responsáveis principalmente pela implantação das ações. O ponto é que muitas empresas pecam por não promover o envolvimento das pessoas ou equipes, pecam pela falta de liderança e falta de clareza das prioridades. Quem quer tudo pra ontem, não tem nada para amanhã. É preciso estar disposto a organizar e envolver o time em prol do resultado comum!

Adjust to shifting market demands by increasing operational flexibility. Optimize production lines for quick changeovers, invest in scalable technology, and maintain an agile supply chain. Regularly gather customer feedback, forecast trends, and adjust inventory and production schedules to align with evolving customer needs.

One thing I have found out over the years of working in a factory is that, production output is initiated by the market or sales in the trade. If there is an incremental demand for the products, the production planning and scheduling should be aligned as such, vice versa. A lot of insight is obtained from the market or the trade, production budgeting depends on the sales market shifts. In view of this FLEXIBILITY comes into play. We look at capacity reduction or increase in reaction to the market trends.

I totally agree with this subjective proposition. However, this is a two sword analysis. Technology implementation at plant level will increase on efficiency and effectiveness at plant level, resulting in productivity increase. There will be reduction in wastage of raw materials which will contribute in reduction to the cost of production. There will be reduction in Downtime,hence more products at any given time. Machine do not take on lunch, tea breaks of go out for convenience, hence more output per machine hour. It should be noted however, that Automation of a plant could be costly, therefore, it is necessary to do Cost- Benefits Analysis.

I found, this is truly action of “going beyond” plant operation as a function and we should train and encourage our people to have this ability. Given the advancement of technologies and power of AI, this data analysis and insight become accessible and available. Nothing is to stop us from operation to gain this insight and serve our customers better. Of course, in certain companies, there is a process to respect and follow when it comes to the direction and strategy. However we have no need to limit ourselves to. My humble 2 cents.

Nothing much to add here. It is a bead and butter for an operation excellence, not limit to only plant operation. People always.