The manufacturing industry has been put through the wringer in the last 12 months with supply chain problems and downtime being thrust upon thousands due to COVID meaning that productivity has not been the best it could be. As we start to reopen and build back to something approaching pre-pandemic prosperity, facilities across the country are probably asking themselves how they can increase their efficiency and productivity and make up for the lost time.
The vast majority of facilities will already be utilising mobile phones, PA systems and good old fashioned walkie talkies for communication but relying solely on aural feedback is rarely a good idea. That’s where digital signage comes in to cut operational costs, boost productivity and (most crucially of all) make everything run that much smoother and safer.
To elaborate, here are a few of the most practical uses we’ve seen on digital signage solutions being used in manufacturing.
Communication
We’ve already explained how communication in a manufacturing facility generally works in most modern situations but getting walkie talkies and smartphones into the hands of every worker is expensive.
Not only that but what if a few of them decide to leave their devices at home or in the break room? Digital signage, meanwhile, streamlines communication channels by sending information directly to every employee, cutting down on messages being lost in translation.
Announcements
PA announcements are a little old fashioned. Yes, a regular reminder can be useful but what about metrics that are constantly changing or announcing new team members? Digital signage can be used to reveal key productivity stats in real-time and visualise them in attractive ways. As they can be viewed at each worker’s leisure, they are also less disruptive to the workflow. The same is true of emergency announcements.
Because a siren might grab an employee’s attention, but it has no way of actually telling them what the problem is. Signage can be used to formulate factory evacuation plans and let staff know exactly what they are evacuating from and why.
Meetings
Meetings are nobody’s favourite part of the day but digital signage can help mitigate many of the more tedious aspects of the daily grind. Foremen and managers will be able to use them to make more exciting presentations that go into greater depth and can visualise problems and solutions with greater clarity.
The same is also true of training sessions, which will be that much more engaging when arranged on an interactive screen than when spelt out on a piece of paper. They can also help to remind workers when meetings are due to start. It’s a lot more reliable than sending them an email!
Safety
Finally, with many manufacturing facilities finding themselves rife with potential hazards (from chemical spills to gas leaks and everything in between), sometimes having a very visible sign to remind workers of potential hazards and inform them when there’s a problem could save lives. Indeed, a single injury can not only cost a facility thousands and end up as a bottomless pit of expenses but the human cost is simply not worth the risk. Even one worker being lost is one too many so consider that human cost and whether or not you can afford not to consider investing in digital signage today.
So, if your facility is ready to capture the attention and the hearts of your workers, contact Spectra today and we’ll be happy to talk you through the available options.
Image: Gorodenkoff / Shutterstock.com
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