5 Steps to ramp up a manufacturing operation [pt. 2]

This post is a follow up to last week’s post: 5 Steps to ramp up a manufacturing operation.

Here are the rest of our recommendations:

4. Protocols/Contingencies – When you analyze the risks to your operation, make sure you also develop the appropriate protocols and contingencies for handling unexpected situations. Here are a few examples:

1. 1. How will we respond if an essential employee is suddenly unavailable?
   2. Are there any labor laws we need to be prepared to address (based on working conditions and work hours, etc.)?
   3. How will we respond if we suddenly lose capacity (e.g. equipment failure, have a large portion of staff unavailable, etc.)?
   4. How will we respond to critical supply interruptions?
   5. Are we prepared to respond in the case of an injury?

5. Equipment – Ensure a small team completes an assessment of your critical equipment. The team should be covering the following:

1. 1. Equipment accounted for (nothing missing)
   2. Test equipment is operational
   3. Verify all needed supplies are available
   4. Perform any necessary preparation (cleaning, area organization, calibration, or lubrication)
   5. Verify if any critical maintenance work is needed. Ensure this is completed before ramping up to avoid break downs.