5 ways to make production more efficient
In all economic sectors there is a constant concern for efficiency gains. Here are some of the best ways to make production more efficient. By applying them, you will lay the foundations for the optimization of operations in the company you run and achieve excellent results in the course of both your current work and the long-term development of your company.
Organize and plan company resources
The first step in making your business more efficient is to organize and plan your material, financial, human and time resources. In this respect, it is useful to implement a production planning system, linking raw materials input to the finished products obtained on each production line, assigning tasks to each employee and determining the resources needed to carry out these activities.
One such application is xTrack MES for production planning, with Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) functionalities. This Manufacturing Execution System takes an operational approach to business activities and a managerial view to organize the required production and calibration times according to machine schedules, order priority and other quantitative and qualitative parameters so that delivery dates for finished products agreed upon with customers are meet.
With xTrack MES, consumption can be tracked and reduced thanks to intelligent management of scraps that can be used later to make other components.
The benefits of this MES solution mean that on average, consumption decreases by 15% on production orders, labor productivity increases by 30% and machine productivity, by 25%, all printed documents are no longer needed in warehouses, factories or workshops, and production start-up times are halved.
Set up optimal production flows
An important method of making production more efficient is to design and implement optimal flows that allow for a better organization of work in raw material, WIP and finished product warehouses, in correlation with technological operations on assembly lines.
To this end, the use of the xTrack WMS (Warehouse Management System) is more than recommended. Implementation of the application leads to a 30% optimization of warehouse processes and the doubling of the delivery capacity while using the same material and human resources.
The xTrack WMS software solution provides important benefits for inventory management and provides real-time information to reduce receiving, picking, inventory errors in warehouses of production facilities. The integration of xTrack WMS with xTrack MES enables accurate automatic calculation of the quantities required to fulfil production orders. In addition, this significantly reduces the time spent on picking raw materials and, later, finished goods that need to be delivered to customers on the agreed dates.
Manage production, transport and delivery of goods in a unified way
An important source of efficiency in manufacturing is the uniform organization of activities. That’s why, in addition to the xTrack MES planning and monitoring system designed for a strict control of technological operations and the xTrack WMS warehouse and stock management system, the use of distribution and courier management systems is also recommended.
Such applications are the TMS (Transport Management System) software solutions, such as xTrack TMS, which ensure that transport costs are reduced as they help optimize loading and routing, reducing the number of vehicles used to make delivery trips, the number of kilometers driven and the working time of drivers.
xTrack TMS achieves optimal grouping of transport orders for deliveries by identifying and setting routes according to predefined criteria. The application also provides automatic management of all documents required for transport and delivery.
The use of TMS systems in combination with POD (Proof of Delivery) solutions, such as xTrack POD, is necessary to facilitate the collection and storage of data as well as the communication and confirmation of task completion by drivers on the route.
This simplifies the remote reporting system and fully automates the delivery process, using mobile computers and smartphones.
Manage returnable packaging
It is also very important for manufacturers to manage returnable packaging if the finished products are delivered in their packaging (pallets, crates, shuttles, containers, etc.). Systems designed for tracking such packaging should be used to minimize costly losses.
One such application is xTrack PMS – a Packaging Management System developed by Axes Software, which can be used to manage the returnable packaging that accompanies the product or products sold so that the company has a detailed record of it at all times (type, location, number, etc.).
With xTrack PMS you have full traceability of packaging. You may allocate the required amount to each goods supplier and beneficiary quickly and easily, optimally organise the flow of documents (pallet slips, vouchers, etc.), monitor losses (due to wear and tear, theft, stock discrepancies) and track all types of packaging in the production unit as well as their location (with the carriers, in customer warehouses, etc.) simultaneously. And much more!
Digitalize production and logistics processes
To increase economic efficiency, the digitalization of logistics activities is needed throughout the supply chain. Use Axes Software’s xTrack LMS (Logistics Management Suite) applications to benefit from customized solutions that you can integrate with your company’s existing systems, especially by interfacing them with ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems.
If you choose to interconnect these applications, you will ensure a constant data flow which you can manage according to the needs and priorities of your production and delivery cycles. By using the latest technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), you increase business efficiency across your manufacturing company.
Consider the methods presented and test the applications developed by Axes Software to help you work “smarter” and streamline your production activities. You can contact us by filling in the form below and our consultants will contact you as soon as possible.
