Businesses that handle their own manufacturing should constantly be looking for ways to improve efficiency and cut back on costs. In many cases, that means introducing new machinery and changing processes. Eventually, these new processes will help you save money, improve the product, and boost efficiency. However, it takes time to implement new equipment and that transitional period can be very disruptive. The longer it takes to get things up and running again, the more money you will lose.

That’s why you need to find ways to make the transition smoother so your team can get to grips with the new process immediately. Here’s how to seamlessly introduce new equipment into your manufacturing operation.

Consider Turnkey Solutions

If you want to make drastic changes and introduce a whole new manufacturing process, you should consider turnkey solutions. When implementing a new process, you have two options; you can either purchase all of the equipment separately and then set them up and integrate them yourself or you can buy a turnkey solution, where everything comes under one contract. With a turnkey solution, the supplier will implement everything for you, so it all runs smoothly right away. Your only challenge is training your employees and helping them get to grips with the new system. Opting for a turnkey solution is usually the best way to avoid any headaches and get your business up and running again as soon as possible.

Prepare Your Team

If you spring a new piece of equipment on your team without warning, they don’t have time to prepare themselves for the new way of doing things. That’s why it’s important that you give them advance warning and prepare them. You can start doing some basic training on new pieces of equipment before they have even arrived. Get to grips with the basic functions and parts, and highlight differences between the old way of doing things and the new way. This doesn’t mean that employees can jump straight in and start working with new machines, but it does mean that they will have a base knowledge, making the transition quicker.

Install A PLC System

A PLC (programmable logic controller) is a far simpler and more effective control system for industrial machinery. Although some businesses rely on computers to control their manufacturing operation, this can be over complicated and more prone to issues. But if you get a company like Pro Circuit Inc to install a PLC system, you make life a lot easier for everybody. It reduces the chances of software-related issues and the control system is easier to understand, so your employees will pick it up a lot faster. This is one of the most important things you can do if you want to smooth that transition.

Reconsider The Layout Of Your Operation

The way that equipment is arranged makes a big difference to efficiency, so reconsider your layout. Although you may have things in the right place at the moment, that could all change when you start introducing new equipment. So, before you implement any new processes, take a look at your current setup and think about where new equipment will fit. Then, move things around to make space and ensure maximum efficiency before your new equipment arrives. If you don’t do this, you could end up with a serious dip in productivity.

Have A Crossover Period

Making the switch too quickly can cause a lot of problems. If people are not yet up to speed with the new process, things could come to a grinding halt and your business will start losing money. That’s why it’s best to have a crossover period. Introduce the new processes and start training some staff members on them. However, you should still use the old system at the same time. This means that people have time to train without slowing down production. You can then gradually shift production to the new method and the employees that are already trained can then assist those that are not.

Don’t Forget The Energy Costs

Updating your manufacturing processes should save you money and make things more efficient. However, you can easily negate those benefits if you end up drastically increasing your energy use. Cutting back on energy costs is one of the best ways to keep the cost of running your business down, so it’s something you must consider when updating manufacturing processes. Do an energy audit of the business and make sure that new equipment is not drastically increasing your energy costs.

As long as you follow these steps, you can seamlessly update the manufacturing processes in your business.