How can you make your manufacturing process more resilient to disruptions?

The first step is to understand the value chain to identify where the most vulnerable points are. On the side of materials and raw materials, one can diversify the supply by developing alternative suppliers. Another strategy would be to have alternative formulas so that the exchange can be done quickly. In the manufacturing process, there are various ways to create a robust and rupture-proof manufacturing system. I can describe several, but there are two fundamental: redundancy and safety factor. In the first one you can absorb unforeseen events such as catastrophic plant failures. In the second a peak of additional demand can be absorbed to ensure continuity of supply. To be cost-efficient, these strategies must not raise the cost.

Enhancing manufacturing resilience requires strategy and planning in place to diversifying suppliers for critical materials, buffer stock to manage fluctuations, redundancy to minimize downtime in case of any breakdown, lean principle to reduce waste and optimise process, digitalization to increase efficiency, cross training for multiple roles, regular risk assessment to develop contingency plans, local sourcing to mitigate geo-political risk, and scenario planning to respond various disruptions from natural disaster to economic downturn.

In my experience the first question that needs to be asked before assessing your vulnerabilities is "What is the cost of a disruption" Lost revenue, earnings, customer good will, etc. only after understanding the value should you invest resources to analyze your vulnerabilities.

The best way to mitigate disruptions is to be able to predict them upfront. MDT: Reliability engineering, TPMs, and PMs are the basic foundation for this to go to plan. Materials: Forecasting customer demand plays a vital role in making sure adequate material is available for production to run. Production: Gemba walks, Kaizen events, Visual management (Andon lights), 5S and lean approach are key to maintaining productivity.

Empower your people to make decisions and react quickly - stop making all decisions at the highest level of seniority in the company. The people in the front line have the best perspective on the issues and the solutions!

Build your risk-mitigation team You don’t need to tackle everything at once. Prioritize the initiatives that will have the most impact on your business, and work your way down the list. After all, this is not a one-time exercise. Resilient manufacturers are constantly scanning their operations and spheres of influence to identify and neutralize vulnerabilities. Of course, it’s one thing to know that you need to reinforce your operations against disruption. It’s another thing for manufacturers that don’t have the capacity or capabilities to build and execute a plan of defense.

Buenos días. Planear los procesos, incluyendo todos los recursos requeridos y tiempos, teniendo definidas las competencias de los empleados y capacidades de los equipos, como los tiempos de suministro de insumos, materias primas y otros, nos ayudan a tener flujo de procesos adecuados. Sin embargo, el análisis de los procesos paso a paso y realizando una evaluación de sus vulnerabilidades nos ayuda a planear estrategias para eliminar estos tiempos perdidos.

We should have emergency preparedness plan to stay resilient in manufacturing. Safe inventory levels Maintain critical machines/equipments Keep critial spares Keep trained manpower (multi skilled) Infra backup (power, air, water, IT data, etc...)

To reduce manufacturing disruptions, deploying predictive analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) is crucial. These technologies forecast potential breakdowns, allowing for proactive maintenance and smarter supply chain management. AI not only predicts disruptions but also enables quicker, smarter decision-making. Incorporating AI-driven robotics further minimizes human error, enhancing consistency. Additionally, applying Six Sigma methodologies can streamline processes, eliminate inefficiencies, and improve quality control, all of which contribute to a smoother, disruption-resistant operation. By combining AI insights with Six Sigma's data-driven approach, manufacturers can create a more robust, interruption-proof environment.

To fortify manufacturing against disruptions, a comprehensive Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is vital. It involves identifying supply chain vulnerabilities and diversifying suppliers to minimize reliance on any single one. The BCP should outline immediate actions for potential crises and prepare teams for agile response. Ensuring redundancy with backup equipment and alternative distribution methods is prudent. Continual refinement of the BCP, informed by predictive data analysis and regular drills, is crucial to maintaining seamless operations amidst unforeseen challenges.

Things that I have found useful are the simple things... How long does a [internal/external] customer want to wait, and how are we tracking to that goal? What is your percent of value add time to non value add time. If your process is under 50%, then you need to perform surgery. What non value add can you automate, combine, eliminate, or reduce significantly? Treat your processes like an operating theater or a pit stop. Can you maximize the value applied and do the "clean up work" after you deliver impeccable, timely service.

Collaborating and communicating effectively with internal teams and external stakeholders are crucial for mitigating manufacturing disruptions. Clear internal communication allows for quick, coordinated responses to issues, enhancing flexibility. Externally, strong connections with suppliers and customers facilitate unified disruption planning and response. These relationships also lead to shared innovation in anticipating and handling disruptions. Such collaboration bolsters a company's capacity to both react to and proactively reduce future disruptions, leading to a more resilient manufacturing operation.

To add more resilience on this is to build and sustainable culture among all the stakeholders namely the suppliers, contractors, employees and the management. Building sustainable culture in mitigating interruption involve use sensitization training and building mutual relationship