As a business owner in the manufacturing industry, maintaining a productive workflow is essential to minimizing overhead costs. And whether your processes need updating or you simply want to help automate your employees’ workflow, there are lots of things you can implement to help create a positive impact on production and save money to your bottom line. Keep reading to learn how to improve labor productivity in manufacturing for screen printing.
Ways to Increase Labor Productivity
There are numerous ways to improve labor productivity. Examine your operations closely to reveal any inefficiencies and poor processes; no one knows your business better than you do, but when considering how to improve productivity, it’s important for you to go through everything with a fine-toothed comb. Once you’ve performed your audit, see where you can implement improvements on some of the following issues:
No system to measure productivity for employees
- Poor employee productivity can occur for several reasons, but it’s important not to immediately put all the blame on them if they aren’t as efficient as you would like. While some employees may be genuinely slacking, they may just as likely be hard-working individuals that haven’t been given the right environment to succeed. They may not have access to the right resources to be more efficient, or they may simply need to improve their communication skills.
- You can also establish scheduled breaks and limit labor hours so that your employees know when to take a rest and can be more refreshed when they return to work. By working with your employees to yield better results, the newfound job security may give them the motivation they need to work harder.
Inefficient processes
- Time-wasting processes are often the culprit when it comes to low production productivity. After reviewing your existing workflow, you will be able to identify areas where processes can be updated or streamlined with new technology. Automation is a great tool for productivity increases, reducing error, and relieving some of the strain on your staff. With CTS technology, you can streamline your pre-press processes, consequently increasing productivity.
Irregular maintenance
- If you have tools and technology in your print shop, it’s essential that you commit to regular maintenance or servicing. This may seem like an unnecessary, time-consuming task, but the fact remains that things tend to break at the most inconvenient times. By performing maintenance regularly, you’ll be able to get ahead of these issues and save yourself time and money in the future.
Untrained Employees
- Screen printing requires skill, and not all employees will come to you with the required knowledge to produce the level of quality that you expect. Additionally, your print shop’s specific technology may be unfamiliar to them, leading to more time spent in production. When hiring someone new or introducing a new machine to your print shop, take the time to properly train your skilled workers on all necessary processes. This will initially take some time, but it will make everything run much smoother in the long term.
Unorganized workspace
- A cluttered, disorganized workspace is the death of productivity. If you find that you simply don’t have enough room in your print shop to accommodate your employees and necessary tools, you may need to rethink your setup. Some CTS machines are vertical, taking up less space and removing the need for other printing materials. You might also consider renting a larger space, so long as it doesn’t dramatically impact your overhead costs.
Invest in CTS Technology for Increased Labor Production
If you are thinking of investing in a CTS printer for productivity improvement but are wondering if it’s worth the cost, you’ll find that the machine pays for itself. Most people notice immediate improvements in their production efficiency after introducing CTS machines to their shop. Depending on the size and workload of your business, you may be able to downsize your total labor staff to just one or two screen printing techs after adding a CTS machine.
Because these machines utilize pre-registration technology, they save time with art alignment and produce more accurate screens, allowing for a faster and easier printing experience. This process can potentially allow zero downtime in the screen room, speeding up your production processes to save you time and money.
Exposure units like our V-Lux offer a vertical design for smaller spaces, with optimized UV LEDs and touch screens that are specially designed for CTS printers to provide consistent screen exposure; with proper training and practice, your production crew will be able to use the CTS technology to cut out unnecessary production steps.
EXILE Technologies
Computer-to-screen printing is ideal for those looking to improve the labor efficiency and productivity of their business through automation. Our computer-to-screen solutions offer our customers a variety of choices and configurations to meet the needs of each shop’s environment while saving time. If you are looking to figure out how to improve labor productivity in manufacturing for screen printing, look no further than the EXILE CTS lineup. We have machines like the Spyder II, Expose DTS, and V-Lux to meet all your screen printing needs. Contact us today to learn more about our technology!
