To do a good job in production management, workshop supervisors should focus on these six aspects

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This post was last edited by “Hasty Passerby” on September 3, 2018, at 15:20. To do a good job in production management, workshop supervisors should focus on these six aspects... First and foremost, it’s about how to manage oneself. If one can’t even manage themselves, how can they possibly manage the production floor? We need to regularly engage in self-reflection and self-assessment: First, whether we are moving in line with the direction set by our company ； Secondly, it is important to be strict with one’s own words and actions. As a workshop supervisor, who is a middle-level manager, high standards are required of one’s behavior. If one cannot even control their own words and actions, how can they manage their subordinates effectively or oversee production properly? Thirdly, it is important to strictly abide by the company’s rules and regulations. These regulations represent the company’s overall direction and are designed to be fair and just. If they are not followed rigorously, it will lead to employee dissatisfaction and make management at the production site even more difficult ； Fourthly, it is about whether one can keep up with the company’s development needs. As the company continues to grow, we need to keep learning and improving our management skills in order to keep pace with its development ； Fifthly, the ability to serve employees well: perhaps 10 years ago we used control methods, but now we need to change this mindset and focus on serving our employees well. Previously we might have used punishment, but now it’s exactly the same; trying to punish him or scold him definitely won’t work. Therefore, we need to change our previous way of thinking, serve our employees well, educate them, and help them improve, including providing guidance on their work as well as care in their personal lives. If you don’t pay attention to them, they will feel neglected. Secondly, we must focus on the six key elements of production management. These six elements include safety, quality, efficiency, material consumption, training, and civilized production; they also represent the key focuses of our efforts to manage the production site effectively. First, let’s talk about safety. We need to understand how to ensure safety, what causes safety accidents, and what harm such accidents can cause. As a workshop supervisor, it is essential to be aware of these things. For a company, especially one involved in production management, an industrial accident can lead to anything from minor financial losses and harm to families, to even the collapse of the business. If a safety accident results in heavy casualties, production must be halted for rectification. If we carry out the restructuring for a month or two, all our employees might leave. By the time the restructuring is completed and work resumes, those people will no longer be there, and the damage this would cause to the company is obvious. As for us here, almost all of us have to support our families. If we lose a leg due to an accident, it could harm an entire family; it’s not just a matter of one or two people, but it may affect eight or ten people. Therefore, our workshop supervisor must have this awareness; if we all lack it, how can we ensure safe production? I once said, \"To focus on safety means to focus on conscience; safety is a responsibility.\" Even if the company does not expect you to take responsibility, you should at least be responsible to your family and yourself. Let me give you an example from here: In Workshop G, two employees failed to work together properly and violated safety rules against each other, which resulted in one of them breaking a bone in his hand. As a result, he is now unable to perform tasks that require heavy physical effort. His wife came to the company crying, and we told her that her husband also bears responsibility for this. She retorted, “My husband lacks awareness of safety issues; why don’t you educate him? Why didn’t you punish him for violating the rules? Now that this has happened, my family is ruined.” ”So this example serves as a warning to our workshop supervisor: it is essential to have an awareness of safe production. The factors that cause safety accidents include four aspects: people, materials, inadequate management, and poor attitudes. First, let’s talk about this person; human behavior is the main cause of accidents. How does such behavior in humans arise? It is mainly caused by people’s thinking, a lack of safety awareness, and on the other hand, a lack of the necessary operational skills. So the first thing we need to do is train our employees, educating them at the ideological level so that they understand the importance of safety and the harm that safety incidents can cause to individuals, families, and the company. If employees do not understand safety knowledge, they will not improve themselves in this area. Secondly, employees need to be aware of the company’s rules and regulations as well as the safety procedures; this is a basic requirement for them, and it is mandatory that they comply with these rules. Supervision and guidance should be provided to employees on site. If things are only handled superficially, with a meeting held to discuss the issue without actual on-site management, and if violations by employees go unaddressed with no consequences or corrective actions taken, it is very likely that accidents will occur frequently. Therefore, safety operating procedures and safety systems must be strictly enforced and implemented. Third is on-site training: when problems are identified at the production site, help employees resolve them. It’s not necessary to use fines to solve these issues; instead, demonstrations can be used to show them how to do things correctly. For example, if we notice a minor violation of protocol by an employee, we should demonstrate the correct way of doing things and explain to them the potential hazards associated with not following those rules. They are likely to be moved by this and will be more willing to abide by the regulations ； But if we just scold him and fine him, he might still not know where he went wrong, and the problem won’t be resolved. Safety operating procedures do not necessarily cover all issues that arise during production; therefore, it is necessary for our workshop supervisors and team leaders to talk to them more often and educate them, while also imposing fines on them in a targeted manner to serve as a warning to others. Next, let’s talk about the management of items. During the production process, safety accidents caused by damaged items are quite common; therefore, we must arrange the items in the workshop in an orderly manner and carry out regular inspections and replacements. For example, in Workshop C, a small pair of scissors used for cutting wire ends was left on the workbench, and an employee accidentally stepped on it, resulting in an injury to the tendon in their foot; this was caused by inadequate safety management of those objects. As workshop supervisors, we must keep track of, supervise, inspect, and provide training regarding the management of materials at the production site, and we must have a thorough understanding of the safety devices available in the workshop. Some workshop supervisors don’t go to check the cranes for a year or even half a year; they don’t even know how many motors or brakes there are on the cranes. How can they then manage the equipment in the workshop properly? The third aspect is the lack of proper management, which includes: 1. In companies, safety procedures and other regulations are detailed, but they are not put into practice in actual work; they are not effectively implemented ； 2. No specific requirements have been established in the workshop to regulate employees’ behavior ； 3. The quality of management personnel is poor; they lack professional knowledge. Some are unable to identify problems, while others detect problems but cannot find solutions to them. Still, some ignore employees’ violations in an effort to increase production. We increase production not by breaking rules, but mainly by improving operational standards and strengthening team building. So we must address each problem as it arises; by doing so, there will be fewer problems, and the frequency of safety incidents will decrease. The fourth aspect is the issue of poor working conditions. As we all know, production workshops are characterized by high noise levels, high temperatures, and a fast pace of production; we need to find ways to improve such working environments. Secondly, let’s talk about how to ensure quality. As we all know, quality is the lifeblood of a company; without quality, there is no market, and without a market, our products cannot be sold. If products cannot be sold, the company may face bankruptcy. We should focus on quality from four aspects: first is the manufacturing process. Jianhua has a fairly mature process system, and we must strictly adhere to this system in order to ensure quality. Second is the equipment. In our company, quality issues caused by problems with the equipment are common; therefore, the proper operation of the equipment is a prerequisite for ensuring product quality. If the equipment does not function properly, no matter how advanced our manufacturing processes may be, it will be impossible to produce high-quality products. Third is on-site operation; we need to identify problems from both the data perspective and the aspect of on-site operations. Furthermore, we must pay attention to the details and not overlook any aspect in the workshop. We should regularly carry out maintenance checks on our equipment to prevent similar problems from occurring. Thirdly, let’s talk about efficiency. The level of production efficiency in a workshop depends mainly on whether the team has cohesion. As the workshop supervisor, it is necessary to take into account the actual circumstances and maximize output while ensuring quality. Another thing is to make proper plans, especially in a situation where supply falls short of demand, as this is necessary to meet market needs. The most fundamental thing is that we must meet the production schedule; failing to do so means harming the company’s interests and affecting its reputation. We need to communicate and coordinate with various workshops, especially the auxiliary workshops; tasks that must be completed within a certain time frame must be done, otherwise it will affect the production schedule. The fourth point concerns material consumption. At present, some workshop supervisors and team leaders lack a sense of conservation, let alone put this awareness into action. Many people might think it’s not worth anything, as it only saves a little over two thousand yuan per month, but when added up over a year or two, the amount saved can be quite significant. Additionally, regarding accessories, we also need to pay attention to ensuring that they are all present during the production process. Regarding the management of equipment, we need to conduct regular inspections, upkeep, and maintenance, so as to identify minor issues promptly and address them right away. If we wait until the problems worsen before taking action, it could result in exponentially higher costs. On the other hand, cost savings can also be achieved through innovation and technological improvements. As for the reasons for waste, they can be summarized as follows: First, managers are not proactive in their work; they always wait for instructions from their superiors and fail to address any issues that arise, which leads to waste. Second, the focus is not placed on what really needs to be done – tasks that should be carried out are not done, while those that shouldn’t be done are instead undertaken. Third, there is a lack of coordination and communication among team members. Fourth, many managers do no actual work and take the company’s money without contributing anything in return, which is also a form of waste for the company. Fifth, work is done perfunctorily; tasks assigned by superiors are not completed in a timely manner, which again results in waste. Sixth, there is improper handling of tasks. Regarding training, middle-level managers are expected to fulfill the following responsibilities: First, they must take the initiative to guide and train their subordinates effectively. Talk to them more about the company’s corporate culture, rules and regulations, and direction of development, to help them develop an awareness in these areas; one must never adopt the mindset that \"by teaching the apprentice, the master will starve.\" Secondly, knowledge training, which includes training in both specialized knowledge and general knowledge; those who serve as team leaders or group leaders must receive appropriate training in specialized knowledge. Regarding training methods, it can be done through lectures or meetings; if an employee is in a poor mental state, communicating more with them to help them adjust their mindset is also a form of training. The sixth point deals with civilized production (mainly referring to environmental management). The 6S management system we are talking about includes sorting, organizing, cleaning, standardizing, disciplining, and safety. 6S management is an essential tool for improving basic management at the workplace, and employees’ voluntary strict adherence to these standards is a sign of modern civilization. Society is progressing today, and various aspects of management are constantly being improved; our company is also evolving, so the management of production processes in the workshops must keep up with these improvements and enhancements. The first is sorting. Sorting means categorizing the items on site at any time into useful and useless ones, and removing the useless items from the site promptly. The second is organization, which involves sorting and placing useful items in their proper places, ensuring that their quantities and quality are clear and that everything is in good order for easy access. The third is cleaning: consciously keeping the areas responsible for production and work, as well as equipment, tools, and workstations, clean and tidy, so as to maintain a clean, orderly, and pleasant working environment. This allows employees to work in a positive mood, thereby improving production efficiency. The fourth is cleanliness: properly maintaining the production and work areas to ensure clean production, eliminate occupational hazards, and prevent environmental pollution. Employees themselves must also maintain proper attire, appearance, and cleanliness. The fifth is competence: having a passion for one’s work, fulfilling duties responsibly, adhering to rules and regulations, improving one’s skills, and developing habits of self-management and self-control. For example, in the production area, if all employees help each other and respect one another, a very harmonious atmosphere will be created in the entire workshop, which greatly facilitates management. The sixth is safety; by adhering to the principle of \"safety first, prevention foremost,\" it is essential to ensure the safety of people, equipment, and facilities in production and work.