Increasing Uptime in Lean Manufacturing with IT

Lean IT in manufacturing is all about streamlining systems to eliminate waste and produce optimal results. It’s a great strategy, and when everything is going well, the result is almost always increased production and efficiency.

Because efficiency is so important, constant uptime is essential for lean manufacturing companies. Maintaining IT systems for manufacturing is critical, because systems and computers need to stay online in order for production quotas to be met. Any downtime can result in backlogs that bring the whole operation screeching to a halt.

Eliminating any downtime is essential – but how can you do it?

At Swift Systems, we’re experts at maximizing uptime and ensuring that your mission-critical systems remain online at all times. With your success in mind, we have a few suggestions that can help to ensure increased uptime and minimized downtime. Here are four ways to increase uptime in lean manufacturing with IT.

1. Keep your systems clean
To prevent downtime from happening, it’s necessary to identify the basic stress issues that cause systems to go down and then eliminate them. One of the most common issues is keeping system components clean. From dust to rust, degradation will cause problems. What’s needed is a methodology for ensuring that degradation doesn’t happen. At Swift Systems, we offer products like remote monitoring and managed services to address degradation before it happens, making sure that downtime never does.

2. Use good hardware
Good hardware is often the key to avoiding downtime. Consider cable-free machines to avoid damage from trampling twisted cables. Invest in perfect hardware matches that can accomplish the operations you need instead of settling for less-than-ideal machines. In the end, the downtime you’ll inevitably suffer from using cheap hardware will cost you more than it would have to purchase reliable, well-matched hardware in the first place. Developing the correct architecture for your enterprise is essential.

3. Keep software up-to-date
Maintaining updated software is a must for any system when it comes to increasing uptime. Too often, businesses use million dollar machines that are running older operating systems because the machine’s software isn’t compatible with the latest version of Windows. At Swift Systems, we’re experts at keeping that older operating system as secure as possible while keeping production running on those million dollar machines to help businesses get the most out of their systems. From firewall rules to segmentation, Swift System can help make your IT lean, allowing you to get the most out of your machines.

4. Invest in IT maintenance for manufacturing
Even if you have the best hardware and software, proactive maintenance can go a long way towards resolving problems before they happen. That’s why using managed services is a big advantage when it comes to ensuring uptime. With maintenance IT for manufacturing, you get an army of technicians at the local level and multiple experts for the price of one. Through bi-weekly visits to your location and dedicated staff that learn your topology, a technology partner like Swift Systems can help you to virtually eliminate downtime, allowing you to rest assured that your maximum efficiency is being reached.

So, there you have it: four ways to increase uptime in lean manufacturing. At Swift Systems, our skill sets are diverse enough to handle any IT problem, and our expertise with the latest hardware and software will help you ensure maximum uptime for your lean manufacturing.

If you want to make your operations even more efficient, contact us today, online or at 301.682.5100.

Let our Specialists take care of your IT Support