SOPs for Manufacturing Industry

Low Production. A manufacturer may have to face low production levels because of mechanical or engineering failure, inaccurate procurement of raw materials, low employee productivity, slow internal decision-making and communications, etc. For example, periodical check-up of machines and equipment can help identify problems and keep them in good working conditions. But someone has to be assigned that responsibility along with the operational procedure and reporting formats. The reporting authority must be further made accountable for receiving these reports and taking corrective actions to conclusions. When monitoring and reporting activities are not defined and mapped, there will be shirking of responsibilities which will eventually hurt productivity.

Poor Quality Control. A manufacturer needs to maintain the standards of quality on two scales – the first one to meet customers/clients requirements and expectations and the second one to meet applicable regulatory parameters. From the sourcing of raw materials to the final output, adequate QC filters (with parameters and procedures) must be placed so that only the right output passes through to the next stage of the manufacturing process. If proper quality checkpoints are not present in the system, faulty inputs will be processed that may lead to the manufacturing of defective products. Or worse, faulty inputs may cause damage to machinery and equipment leading to an operation halt.

Compromise with Safety Standards. Safety is a big priority in any manufacturing plant or process and not having stringent operating procedures could be an invitation to disasters. Nothing should be left to chance when it comes to maintaining the standards of safety. But if the processes and operations are not planned and defined considering the safety requirements and prescribed/required protocols to be followed, it shall amount to increased exposure to operational risks and attracting regulatory penalties as well.

Low Performance and Productivity. If good levels of performance and productivity are to be ensured from employees, businesses must also create a robust operational framework. All the efforts put into recruitment and training would be rendered ineffective if duties and responsibilities are not defined properly. To measure performance and productivity, certain benchmarks have to be created and communicated. Employees must also know and comprehend what they are supposed to be doing to accomplish their role in the organization. But if the business processes and operations, that are carried out by employees or with their involvement, are not planned, defined, and mapped in terms of procedures, resource requirements, standards of performance and output, authority-responsibility, and reporting and feedback, what employees will deliver is unlikely to be in tandem with the process and operational objectives.

Communication Gaps Leading to Disruption. In business and business processes, communication between positions, teams and departments is vital to continue the chain of operations through decision-making and action. If the business processes and systems are not designed to ensure affirmative flow of formal communication, it is certain to create gaps in sharing of data and information that will further lead to operational activities being carried out or business decisions being made with insufficient information. Correct and timely information-sharing is vital to ensure smooth flow of business activities and achieving the intended process outputs. For example, if the production team has no reporting format to share with the engineering department, the problem details received by the latter could be insufficient to find the right solution.

Inaccuracy in Procurement. Given the importance of timely availability of input materials for a manufacturing enterprise, strong inventory management and procurement process become a necessity. To ensure consistent and successful procurement, the operational activities involved in it have to be planned and defined taking into consideration every minute detail. It has to consider aspects like when to initiate a reorder request, who is authorized to raise a purchase request, how the requirements have to be specified, who will authorize the purchase, who will check the quality, etc. Everyone’s duties and responsibilities from initiating to completing the procurement process must be established in clear and unambiguous terms.

Poor Maintenance of Assets. As machinery and equipment are subject to wear and tear and depreciation, adequate measures must be institutionalized to ensure that these assets remain in working condition and long-term funds are being created for their replacement. The better the handling and care of an asset is the longer shall be its life span. Therefore, assigning duties and responsibilities for asset maintenance and guidelines for their proper utilization is a must. If the working systems do not have such provisions, assets will be more prone to malfunctioning and if it goes on unchecked for too long, such assets will not last as long as they are supposed to.