While downtime tracking solutions are undoubtedly powerful, it would be a mistake to consider them a “silver bullet.” Simply investing in such a solution in and of itself is not enough to consistently improve your manufacturing efforts. It’s not an end point – it’s the beginning of something much larger.
This means that to drive real, positive change, you need to be prepared to analyze that downtime tracking data in a variety of different ways, all of which are worth a closer look.
Taking Downtime Tracking to the Next Level
By far, one of the most important steps to take in order to get the most out of your downtime tracking efforts involves conducting a thorough analysis of what your data is trying to tell you.
Case in point: machine failures. Yes, downtime tracking can instantly tell you when a machine goes offline and can likely define a reason why. But how long does it actually take your employees to fix these issues? Is this a number that can be improved as well and, if so, how do you best go about doing it? The answers to these questions cannot only make sure that machine failure events happen less frequently, but that they’re resolved as quickly as possible when they do.
Along the same lines, it’s also important to understand your data within the context of your own manufacturing operations. The volume of data that a solution like Thrive can provide you with is enormous, so you need to pick more specific metrics in order to gain actionable insights about your company. Which metrics matter the most to you? Why is it important to gain real-time visibility into these qualities? These, too, are answers that will vary depending on the organization, which is why it’s so important to answer them as early on in the process as possible.
Finally, consider the end result of downtime tracking – meaning what action you’re actually going to take as a result of your findings. Yes, you want to reduce unplanned downtime events – but you also want to accomplish more than that. Downtime tracking can be a viable way to identify waste in your production efforts, for example, which can and should lead to thoughtful process changes. It may even uncover opportunities for the implementation of new technologies, allowing your employees to work “smarter, not harder.”
Regardless, downtime tracking itself is only the beginning. The true impact rests not just with the data that you’re being provided with, but the actions you take and the decisions you make as a direct result of it.
If you’d like to find out more information about how to dive beneath the data from your downtime tracking solution to uncover the true story of what’s going on with your business, or if you have any additional questions you’d care to talk about in a bit more detail, please don’t delay – contact Thrive today.
