SAN FRANCISCO — You may be experiencing pangs of envy as you congratulate this year's Plant Design Awards winners. A new plant can be a tremendous asset, but an existing plant can feel new again with some focused effort. Relatively minor revisions can improve productivity, boost morale, increase throughput and enhance profit.
Here are 10 ways to renew your existing plant:
10. REMOVE THE CLUTTER
Overcome the “pack rat” tendency to hold on to everything. This is a huge challenge for frugal owners, but clearly most excess/old equipment will never be re-activated. Even if you operate duplicate equipment and keep the defunct piece for parts, can the usable parts be more orderly?
How often have the boxes stored in the out-of-the-way places been opened? Do you know what they contain? Why are the contents being saved? Do they have any value that can be captured by use or sale?
Removing excess unused items of all kinds provides light, air and floor space for productive use and shows an organized approach to operating your business.
