Baking&Snack - February 2017 - 139

Many times, it requires in-depth analysis and creative solutions, especially when you are dealing with downtime associated with scheduling. Yet the cost of downtime, be it mechanical,
operational or a combination of the two, can quickly run double digits. The skills and resources needed to bring to bear are
inquisitiveness, analysis, problem solving, time and patience.
Where bottlenecks and downtime limit the output of a production line, process waste limits the output and has the added
cost of lost material and labor. We all know and recognize the
uniqueness of bakery operations created by the natural variation of ingredients, fluctuating lot-to-lot and season-to-season.
That being said, process waste - specifically defective product
- is not a necessary byproduct of bakery production. To eliminate process waste, it's necessary to separate what is attributable
to the process from what is attributable to the equipment used
in production. One thing we know: Equipment that is properly
selected, maintained to standard and operated as designed will
produce consistent results. If it doesn't, it's either a machine deficiency or an upstream process variation. Either way, once the
source of a process loss is identified, it is correctable. I know,
easier said than done; identifying the true source of the problem is the difficult part. But the better the process is defined,
the easier it is to identify the source.
It takes time to identify the limits of your processes and the
sources of process waste, but once you do, you can quantify the
true costs to your manufacturing operation and identify opportunities for improvement. The rest becomes an investment decision.
A side note: To those of you investing in a new process line,
looking to optimize an existing line or just looking to replace
a unit piece of equipment, the most reliable, consistent performance comes from operating equipment at its "sweet spot." By
this, I mean the rate of production and performance that the
equipment manufacturer warrants the unit is built to perform
24/7. Equipment manufacturers each know where this is; don't
go into the purchase pushing the limits of capability. It may
work at first, but you will likely find this becomes one of your
limiters over time.

Every phase of production must be considered when trying to eliminate bottlenecks,
reduce waste and increase efficiency.

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