Managing an industrial facility is a crucial task and is the main way to make production activities run efficiently.
Industrial management uses various techniques, as well as the knowledge and innovation of professionals to optimize productivity and order in a facility.
An industrial facility cannot exist without management, as it would become a non-productive chaos that would gradually ruin the whole industry.
Why is an industrial facility management so important?
First of all, industrial management is important because it allows efforts, skills, and resources to be directed towards productivity and efficiency.
Industrial management is composed of a wide set of techniques that seek to minimize time, costs and losses, in order to increase the value of production.
Although management is generally associated with the industrial facility production, the truth is it also covers processes such as storing, organizing and distribution, all of which are activities closely associated to production.
It should be noted that management is useful for planning and programming industrial warehouse renovations (and / or maintenance), in order not to interrupt or affect productions activities.
Who is in charge of managing industrial spaces?
In production, industrial engineer are the main managers, since they have the knowledge, experience and professional training to apply the techniques correctly.
An industrial engineer is familiar with production processes. This is a professional trained to carry out industrial optimization.
However, it’s generally the managing directors who are in charge of managing an industrial facility.
A manager has to organize, plan and control activities additional to production, such as storing, distribution, etc.
Techniques to efficiently manage a facility
Currently there is a diversity of efficient industrial management techniques, some with a more traditional approach and others with a more modern and innovative attitude.
Modern techniques differ from traditional techniques because they leave a linear way of thinking behind, adopting a more dynamic and flexible way of understanding complex activities.
Of all the industrial management techniques, these are some of the most important:
5S Methodology
It is a technique of Japanese origin, consisting of a set of 5 stages based on oriental principles. Its name is due to the fact that the name of each of the 5 stages begins with the letter “S”.
The stages of the 5S method are:
- Seiri: translated as classification, this stage consists of identifying and differentiating the necessary items for production and those which are useless and unnecessary.
- Seiton: this stage embraces order, so it basically consists of organizing industrial spaces, and placing the necessary items for an optimal production.
- Seiso: it is linked to the tidiness and cleanliness of the industrial space.
- Seiketsu: translated as standardization, it’s a stage in which anomalies, that is, clutter and dirt, are prevented, setting the appropriate rules and procedures for production.
- Shitsuke: the last stage is discipline, in which effort to continue improving productive activity is encouraged.
Kaizen
This is another oriental technique, which stands out for its philosophy status. Kaizen is a word that means “improvement”.
Its main goal is to manage industrial quality through a continuous improvement process, consisting of simple and specific actions.
This technique considers the industry as a whole, in which every component (workers, managers, engineers, directors, etc.) has an active role in the search for continuous improvement.
Total productive maintenance (TPM)
It’s a Japanese technique that has also risen to a philosophy status. It consists of the elimination of loss of time (stoppages, standstills, interruptions, etc.), quality and costs during production.
- Focused improvements: it is a process of continuous improvement that determines the bases, in order to make the appropriate changes in a planned and precise way.
- Autonomous maintenance: set of activities carried out by operators to maintain and prepare the equipment and machinery.
- Planned maintenance: systematic activities carried out to renew the deteriorated condition of machinery and equipment.
- Initial control: it consists in learning the possible errors to reduce the deterioration of the equipment and machinery and lower maintenance costs.
- Quality maintenance: emphasis on the compliance of regulations and quality standards.
- Training: process of training and preparation of staff members in their respective professional fields.
- Total productive maintenance in offices: it refers to transferring the entire set of industrial improvements to office environment.
- Safety and environment: the compliance of environmental and safety laws established by the government.
8D
This technique is constituted of 8 disciplines, which will be oriented to problem solving. It is especially used to confront problems in quality controls.
The 8 disciplines of this method are:
- Formation of a team of experts with knowledge in various fields.
- Precise definition of the problem.
- Implement and validate provisional solutions.
- Identify the root cause of the problem.
- Determine and examine permanent correction solutions.
- Apply and verify permanent corrective solutions.
- Prevent the resurgence of the problem and / or its causes.
- Recognize team effort.
