Ray Pigott 
Downtime is something that every business owner dreads. When your production line comes to a halt, this can lead to a highly stressful situation for you to manage. While you will aim to get your production line up and running again as fast as you can, this is not always as simple as it sounds. Identifying the issue that caused the downtime in the first place can be difficult, and you may spend hours or even days attempting to find the source of the problem. All this wasted time means your team is left with nothing to do; meanwhile, your orders continue to back up without being fulfilled.
As well as being incredibly frustrating, downtime at your business can be costly. Research shows machine downtime alone costs British manufacturing businesses more than £180 billion each year. When your business experiences downtime, it can impact every area of your company. You may be left with wasted materials, a backlog of orders, missed deadlines, breach of contract penalties, angry clients, and damage to your company’s reputation. When your business depends on getting your orders processed quickly and efficiently, downtime is something that you cannot afford. Here is how you can avoid downtime disrupting your operation:
Choose Your Suppliers Carefully
One major issue that can slow down production is suppliers not delivering on time. If you have a supplier that lets you down and cannot provide the items your business needs when you want them, this can lead to significant delays. These delays can leave you struggling to make up for lost time and your team under pressure to meet client deadlines. Switching to a reliable wholesaler that can deliver your supplies quickly can help resolve these delays and keep your orders on track. If you would like to change your supplier for your business’s chemical needs, click here. Knowing that you have a supplier that can deliver fast and fulfil your orders on time can help you avoid the stress of unplanned downtime.
Keep up With Maintenance
Keeping your equipment well maintained is essential to ensure it is safe to use and can operate efficiently. If you do not service your machinery regularly, the chances of it breaking down unexpectedly increase, and you could be left with long periods of downtime while waiting for it to be fixed, along with an expensive repair bill to pay.
Setting aside time for regular maintenance may seem like a hassle, but it is better to schedule maintenance rather than wait until your machines stop working altogether.
Regular Training for Employees
As well as ensuring your equipment is well taken care of, you also need to make sure your employees know how to operate it correctly and safely. Human error is a significant cause of downtime in the manufacturing industry, so finding ways to reduce the chances of employee mistakes occurring is essential. Thoroughly training staff on using the equipment and carrying out regular refresher training is crucial to avoid the disruption and cost of downtime.
