Creating a healthy working environment, investing in the quality of life of employees and keeping processes up to date are some ways to stimulate productivity in the industry. This factor is decisive for the company's revenues, considering that a pleasant environment makes employees work harder. In this content, we will show you 9 steps to make your team more productive. Check it out!
After all, what is productivity in industry?
Productivity in industry is an essential marker for company competitiveness. To be productive in this segment means to produce more without having to resort to extra resources or to undertake new labor efforts. In other words, the factors "capital" and "labor" must be in balance to signal that an industry is, in fact, productive.
One piece of good news is that the industrial productivity index rose by 2.3% in the second quarter of 2022, compared with the first quarter of the year. This is the first rise in the index since the third quarter of 2020. It has therefore been six quarters of declining productivity, which is also related to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The productivity rates
The indicators that measure productivity in industry can be divided into: labor productivity, capital productivity and total factor productivity. In the first case, the ratio between what was produced and the number of hours worked is calculated.
In the second case, the ratio between a given physical output and a variable capital input undertaken is evaluated. In the third case, total productivity signals the efficiency of the combination of labor and capital in the production logic.
We can say that these factors are one of the foundations of Industry 4.0. This concept considers aspects such as sustainable solutions, intelligent processes, and quality of life at work. When these aspects are aligned, it is natural that productivity increases, in order to keep the industry always competitive in the market.
Learn more about the relationship between sustainability and Industry 4.0 and understand how your industry can be part of this new era!
9 steps to optimize processes and increase productivity in the industry
Let's now get down to the basic steps to make your industry more productive.
1. have a strategic plan
A good strategic planning is crucial in the definition of industrial processes. Without this step, the manager would hardly be able to organize his workforce and optimize the production line. Therefore, if you want to stimulate the productivity of your employees, start by establishing a detailed plan, including the objectives and methodologies to get there.
2. Decrease unproductive time
The time management of employees is a challenge in the industry. To stimulate the use of the hours, the manager can signal tasks with a lower degree of difficulty to be performed in those minutes before break times, for example.
3. Keep your processes up to date
Being updated is essential to promote productivity in the industry. It is necessary to work with the most innovative solutions and invest in team training so that your team knows how to explore to the maximum the benefits of technological solutions, which are today the great key to optimize the production line.
4. Invest in technology as your ally
Speaking of technology, make smart features your greatest allies. One example is sustainable natural lighting and ventilation systems. These systems favor a healthier and more pleasant work environment, bringing thermal comfort and well-being to the teams. In addition, they are very economical options because they do not consume energy to operate.
5. Make a quick decision
The decision-making processes need to be agile so that the production chain is not interrupted. As we know, any interruption can be very impactful in terms of financial loss or delays that hinder the relationship with suppliers and other agents involved. Therefore, try to thoroughly understand your strategic planning to quickly know what to do when faced with the most challenging situations.
6. Create a healthy work environment
Setting up a healthy workplace is essential for the well-being of employees. As we said, in a comfortable and pleasant environment it is natural that the group's productivity increases. As a consequence of this process, the company's sales also rise, boosting the industry's positive image in the market.
7. Bet on your team's quality of life
This practice is related to what we talked about in the previous topic about shaping a healthy corporate environment. Again, we highlight the role of technological solutions in this context. Intelligent systems for natural lighting and ventilation have become the champions of choice precisely because they allow the combination of resource savings and quality of life at work.
8. Set achievable goals
Remember what we said about developing a detailed strategic plan? But this is of little use if the goals set by the manager are not achievable. It is necessary to have your feet on the ground and work in a balanced way, considering the available resources and manpower to achieve tangible results, in order to avoid frustration and keep the group always motivated.
9. Offer training and capacitation to the collaborators
Employees need to be aligned with the manager's market vision. Otherwise, it becomes very difficult to set productivity goals compatible with the expectations of all involved. The best way to circumvent this risk is to invest in training and capacity building of the teams. Thus, your team as a whole will start from well-founded bases to pursue the proposed results.
As we have seen, the balance of aspects such as quality of life at work, intelligent processes, and sustainable solutions is what will drive your industry to the highest productivity levels. Therefore, prioritize this tripod when defining your strategic planning.
Want to know more about it? Understand why industrial blinds are one of the greatest allies of productivity and resource savings in the factory!
