< PreviousWe are no ordinary manufacturing business. Through our principal products within our clay and concrete divisions, we are committed to providing new solutions to today’s social and environmental challenges for the new build housing and domestic repair, maintenance and improvement markets and infrastructure. Our vision is to enable the construction of homes and spaces that inspire people to work and live better by being at the heart of building a better world. To see how Ibstock is en route to a greener future, visit ibstock.co.uk/sustainability or simply scan this code with your smart phone camera. At the heart of building a sustainable future. 20-31.qxp_Layout 1 10/11/2020 15:55 Page 11Get in touch with Greg: Call 0115 727 0674 or Email greg@pressforattention.com FOR AWARD-WINNING PR, TALK TO AN AWARD-WINNING PR EXPERT. Get in touch with Greg: Call 0115 727 0674 or Email greg@pressforattention.com For a FREE PR audit ahead of 2021, email greg@pressforattention.com or call him on 0115 727 0674 to discuss your plans for next year. FREE PR AUDIT At Press For Attention, our approach to PR and marketing support is 20-31.qxp_Layout 1 10/11/2020 15:55 Page 12© Shutterstock /EtiAmmos Achieving 32 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk MANUFACTURING SPOTLIGHT 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 09/11/2020 13:25 Page 1www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 33 MANUFACTURING SPOTLIGHT Japan’s post-war ‘economic miracle’ ushered in a period of record fiscal growth that lasted until the early nineties. During this era, the nation became a leader in the financial services and technology industries, defining the model of modern businesses with the idea of the so-called ‘salary man’ still prevalent in Japan to this day. For decades, Japanese businesses set the high-bench mark for corporate efficiency and productivity with concepts that have been adopted and implemented into companies in the UK. Although many of these have fallen out of fashion in more recent years – often relegated to motivational posters on the boardroom or meeting room wall – there’s still plenty that can be learned from these business concepts for companies looking to usher in productivity and efficiency gains in their workplaces. One such concept is 5S. This organisational framework emphasises the use of a specific mindset and offers tools to create efficiency and value. It involves observing, analysing, collaborating and searching for waste and inefficiencies in order to create a leaner, more efficient operation. It’s named after five Japanese terms used to describe the steps involved – Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu, and Shitsuke. In English, these translate into: Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardise and Sustain. A simple example of these five terms in action involves removing items that are no longer needed (sort); organising the items to optimise lean We explore the benefits of the 5S organisation framework to help achieve lean manufacturing. 34 Á 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 09/11/2020 13:25 Page 234 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk MANUFACTURING SPOTLIGHT © Shutterstock /TRMK efficiency and flow (straighten); cleaning the area in order to more easily identify problems (shine); implementing colour coding and labels to stay consistent with other areas (standardise); and developing behaviours to keep the workplace organised in the long-term (sustain). Readers might have seen this concept with the additions of safety and security, sometimes referred to as 6S, but this shouldn’t be confused with Six Sigma, which is often stylised as 6S. However, this statistical-based data-driven approach and continuous improvement methodology for eliminating effects in a product or service was developed in the US in the early eighties. It’s important to understand that whatever business improvement strategy a company is looking to implement is doomed from the start if they don’t have a clearly defined idea of where they want to end up. It would be like manufacturing a product without any idea about how that product was going to be used, by whom and where. As in all cases, having a clearly defined business strategy in place is critical. That might simply be greater operation efficiency; cleaner, more organised facilities, or an emphasis on lowering cost. While smaller businesses can implement a 5S strategy across their © Shutterstock /Gorodenkoff 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 09/11/2020 13:25 Page 3www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 35 MANUFACTURING SPOTLIGHT entire operations in one go, it’s unwise for larger – or even medium-sized – business to do so, and should instead prioritise one area at a time. It should go without saying that everyone needs to be on the same page in understanding the business strategy and the company’s aim so that everyone is working towards that same goal rather than against it. Staff should also be trained in the ins and outs of 5S, exactly how they can use it to improve operation efficiency, reduce wastage and lower costs, and how to implement it. Though articles such as these are a great introduction, they’re no replacement for training courses and expert advice. Implementing 5S or any other business improvement strategy isn’t something a company should rush into without first understanding their business aims, making sure their staff and senior team are all working towards the same shared aim, and then training everyone appropriately in order to implement those aims. By its very definition, manufacturing is all about productivity and efficiency. These aren’t static but are in constant flux and that’s exactly the attitudes that companies must take. Improvement must never be static but constantly evolved and with this framework, companies can do just that. Implementing 5S We take a closer look at implementing 5S, from sort to sustain. Sort Companies should begin by removing all items from the work area and inspect and identify those that are critical to the success of the function performed at the workstation. From here, companies are advised to remove any duplicates, unnecessary equipment, infrequently used items and rubbish. Businesses should also categorise the non-essential items into two categories – either as waste or as valuable but not critical. The latter should be stored outside the workstation area which should save time, space and labour costs whilst boosting productivity. Set in order Having separated the waste and non-essentials, the equipment critical to a company’s operation now needs to be organised. It’s advised that positions are assigned for all equipment, work in progress and raw materials, keeping in mind ease of reach, proximity to work surface and identification. The idea is to maximise the efficiency of the workstation layout by putting the most frequently used tools within closest reach and thereby minimising wasted time from excess motion and searching. It might seem obvious, but it’s commonplace in manufacturing facilities and, as they say, wasted time is worse than wasted money. Shine Essentially, this stage means companies should keep everything clean, every day. As well as ensuring that the floors, walls and equipment are cleaned daily, companies should also ensure that all items are returned to their designated places. The important thing to remember here is to make this thorough routine part of the daily tasks instead of putting it off. Standardise This is an area which manufacturers might already have implemented, especially in the food industry where different coloured cleaning products are being used for health and safety reasons. Following on from the previous stage, this one sees companies ensuring that the conditions of their work area do not return to how they were before implementing 5S. In order to do so, staff should understand their responsibilities and be empowered to perform all their tasks daily. Sustain Naturally, the last stage sees companies making a habit of properly maintaining correct procedures to avoid slipping back into how their operations were beforehand. Key to the success of this concept is understanding that it’s not a one-time deal, but rather a continuous process. 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 09/11/2020 13:25 Page 436 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk MATERIALS HANDLING © Shutterstock /Andrei Mayatnik 36-39.qxp_Layout 1 09/11/2020 13:33 Page 1www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 37 MATERIALS HANDLING moving Vital to business operations, especially those involving the movement of heavy parts and goods through a workplace and to delivery channels, one must ensure that the handling of materials is completed safely. A safe environment is usually achieved by making employees aware of typical hazards, such as exceeding load limits, and teaching them how to prevent these though clear training programmes on operating materials handling equipment and risky situations. Supervisors, meanwhile, must exercise due diligence to prevent injury and keep facilities safe. With such a high level of on-the-job danger, health and safety hazards surpass more obvious instances of collision and trapping. Workers, repeatedly bending, reaching and lifting heavy objects, put serious strain on the body, causing immediate and long-term injuries such as repetitive stress injuries. Ergonomics has therefore become a key focus in materials handling. Equipment that is ergonomically designed can minimise the strains associated with twisting, excessive stretching, pulling and pushing. One common piece of materials handling equipment that can be improved with ergonomics is the forklift, whose operators frequently develop repetitive strain and musculoskeletal injuries. Seats with lumbar support, adjustable arm rests and suspension can be adopted to reduce vibration that frequently leads to musculoskeletal 38 Á The business of Whether one is considering trolleys, conveyors or forklifts, materials handling equipment – and the wider facilities themselves – are continuously evolving to allow greater levels of efficiency and flexibility all while promising to save costs in the long term. 36-39.qxp_Layout 1 09/11/2020 13:33 Page 238 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk MATERIALS HANDLING disorders and fatigue. Boosting visibility has also improved forklifts for their operators, with cameras improving vision at forks to allow for increased accuracy and less neck straining, especially when navigating in increasingly narrow aisles as warehouses aim to hold as much product as possible to meet demand. With operations under growing pressure to do more in less time, with less resources, more safely, robotics and automation - from robot pickers to Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS), Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and robot arms - have been highlighted as key in improving productivity and operations while driving down costs. In warehouses particularly, the demand for quicker delivery times has caused an overhaul. Downtime is not tolerated, and the smallest of disruptions can have a major impact. Automation acts as a reliable solution in reducing chance of downtime and unanticipated delays, and usefully takes over physically demanding tasks. Quite simply, traditional human techniques can reduce productivity, increase time consumption, are prone to error due to human fatigue, and restrict the amount of load that can be moved. Meanwhile, robot trucks, for instance, can work 24/7, tirelessly and need only stop for battery charging. These trucks are further being fitted with Lithium Titanate Oxide Batteries which can be opportunity charged quickly, with a single charger able to serve multiple vehicles. While automated materials handling equipment overall has been expensive and complex to buy and install, and even somewhat inflexible, this is not the case today. Robotic trucks, for example, are now more versatile, can be integrated without devoted infrastructure and no longer require wires, reflectors or magnets. Rather, trucks can be walked through a facility to build a map, decipher main routes, locate specific aisles and more. Using walls and racks to map a facility, trucks can navigate and self-locate without physical infrastructure in real time. The introduction of automated and autonomous equipment has further benefits when considering the high turnover rates of manual handling staff and the training periods required for new employees - both of which are costly. While there has been concern that use of robots and automation will eliminate jobs, the wider automation of materials handling is sure to be a benefit with a bleak labour market and as the materials handling workforce ages and retires while service levels become more demanding. Robotic trucks also enable repetitive tasks like loading and unloading and strenuous activities to be completed cost effectively and allow staff to be redistributed to more value-adding and engaging tasks. They create support jobs such as engineers, technicians, software developers, and move staff to tasks like operating equipment, revising performance data and transport planning. Meanwhile, when integrated with other automation technologies, operations can be made even more efficient. For instance, the use of sensors on conveyor belts enables them to perceive when pallets are at the end of the line and notify a robot to collect and move it to the next location. The position of conveyors in automated and robotic systems is expanding here, particularly as this often requires a product to be in a precise position at an exact time, meaning investing in a conveyor that is reliable and efficient and engineered specifically to work with robots is essential. The popularity of AGVs is on the rise, after previously being thought of as untrustworthy, as they make the movement of materials and products effortless and remove operator error that causes many accidents, being able to detect objects from several feet away and move between people and other machines. While the idea of autonomous forklifts for instance is well established, improvements in navigation, adaptability, flexibility of technology and decreasing costs has seen the equipment become more of a reality. 36-39.qxp_Layout 1 09/11/2020 13:33 Page 3www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 39 MATERIALS HANDLING With the use of Internet of Things (IoT) devices and AI programs, multiple AGVs like autonomous forklifts can be deployed at once, are able to communicate with each other and avoid colliding. They can also adapt to changes in warehouse layouts and are helpful in reducing loss from misplaced products as every movement they make can be tracked. Further, when connected to the IoT, software can be used by managers to monitor and optimise AGV traffic. When integrated with telematics systems, warehouse management systems or enterprise resource planning systems, one can get the best use out of a fleet through increased visibility into processes and units which allow one to adjust and optimise based on use, maintenance and congestion data and make changes in real time. Moreover, AGVs are set to make operations more fuel efficient. Removing a driver and the mechanics needed for operation from say a forklift dramatically decreases burdens - a lighter vehicle goes easier on fuel. Further smart forklift decisions, driven by computers and data systems automatically choose the most energy and time efficient route to products and delivery vehicles. While moving goods around a facility is a challenge of its own, getting them in and out also throws up potential problems for example when not unloading optimally, inefficiency, high costs and queueing appear. Ensuring the process is quick and smooth has a positive effect on the operation that follows. AGVs are just as beneficial in the loading dock as elsewhere as part of automatic truck loading systems (ATLS), which perhaps more usually involve conveyor belt systems integrated into vehicles. ATLS significantly reduce manpower needed at loading bays, minimise chance of product damage and accidents as well as ergonomic injuries associated with lift truck operation. Products are loaded and unloaded quicker, and at higher volumes, which also means fewer loading docks are required. © Shutterstock /alinabuphoto 36-39.qxp_Layout 1 09/11/2020 13:33 Page 4Next >