We like to look at problems from a different perspective - maybe even to the level of "out of the box thinking." We have previously written about how the decline of technical and trade schools, and shifting desires of high school graduates, will deliver a severe shortage of operators, mechanics, and technicians to operate manufacturing plants in the future. Rather than just focusing on recruiting, training, and retention practices as HR solutions to an HR problem - lets take a different view. What if we can increase the level of instrumentation and automation to reduce the need for human actions and enable us to run our plant with fewer people. This is a way to solve an HR problem with an engineering solution - in addition to reducing operating costs at the same time.

We really like to incorporate equipment and systems reliability efforts into our operational excellence programs. If equipment is more reliable, we spend less time maintaining it, which can result in the need for fewer maintenance mechanics. By focusing on reliability, we can avoid reactive breakdown or "emergency" maintenance, and transition maintenance activities to simpler, more preventive maintenance. Frequently this preventive maintenance can be accomplished by operators rather than mechanics, and incorporated into their normal daily rounds. And of course, it works both ways. Many times the root causes of poor plant reliability and up time performance are poor practices in plant operation, planning, or process control.

Synchronous consultants are expert in understanding not only the operational excellence tools to help you achieve your productivity targets - but the interactions between them as well. We can help you implement solutions that deliver positive results in many dimensions of plant performance. Give a call, send us an information request at Sales@SynchronousLLC.com, or visit our services portfolio at www.SynchronousLLC.com.