Manufacturing managers have a tough job and must juggle many responsibilities. It can be harder to be a manufacturing manager than in a typical office-based business, because the operation can be so complex and there are many different areas that need managing. Health and safety can also be an issue in this industry. With this in mind, this article will look at a few of the main responsibilities of manufacturing managers so that you can know what to expect with this role and the key areas that you should be focusing on in your job. Read on to find out more.
Setting Goals & Keeping Production On Schedule
One of the main responsibilities that you have will be setting goals for the business, departments and individual team members. You should have clear goals for production that will keep everyone motivated and focused each day, and then ensure that you have a system in place that will keep production on schedule and help you to achieve these goals.
Keep Employees Motivated
One of the hardest challenges of a manufacturing manager is keeping the team motivated. Employees have a direct impact on the daily operation and success of the business, but motivation levels can fall, particularly with repetitive work. Therefore, you need to find ways to keep each team member motivated, whether this is with positive feedback, incentives, career development or social events.
Equipment Maintenance
Manufacturing operations rely heavily on equipment and any issues with equipment can lead to downtime and costly repairs. This is why you need to keep up with equipment maintenance and get replacement parts ordered as soon as possible. You can get replacement conveyor belts from companies like fluentconveyors.com so that you can replace any damaged belts quickly and without having to replace the entire conveyor system.
Health & Safety
As mentioned in the intro, health and safety can be an issue in manufacturing as the work can be hazardous. A manufacturing manager needs to create a safe work environment for their team and ensure that they are compliant with health and safety regulations at all times. You need to carry out risk assessments, remove risks where possible and encourage staff to come forward with any issues, questions or concerns that they have.
Oversee Quality Assurance
There is no stage more important than quality assurance when it comes to manufacturing, and you need to oversee this process and ensure that the products you are manufacturing always meet the required standards. Changes in quality can be detrimental, and in more ways than one, so you want to make sure that your products meet quality standards and take action to rectify the situation if quality ever drops.
These are a few of the key responsibilities that you have as a manufacturing manager. This is a challenging role as there is a lot to oversee and many potential hazards, bottlenecks and issues that can arise at any moment, so it is important that you are prepared and know exactly what is required of you.