A manufacturing manager is responsible for a variety of tasks, including ensuring that production schedules are met and product quality is acceptable. High output and quality are critical objectives, and to achieve them, the manager must coordinate a slew of other tasks. Ensure that equipment and assembly lines are operating properly, schedule materials, manage personnel, and enforce safety standards are just a few of these responsibilities.
The manufacturing manager must constantly improve his company’s processes in order for it to grow and compete in a constantly changing marketplace. He must determine whether it would be beneficial to incorporate new machinery, manufacturing techniques, and technologies into the existing systems as new machinery, manufacturing techniques, and technologies are introduced. An astute manager must also keep a close eye on their competitors’ best practices in order to find ways to counter any significant advantages they may have.
In most cases, the manufacturing manager collaborates with the purchasing department and vendors to ensure that raw materials and supplies arrive on time. To avoid waste and shortages, it’s also necessary to keep the right number of people on the job. Due to a lack of resources, production may suffer, schedules may be missed, and profitability may suffer.
If the manufacturing manager does not ensure that equipment maintenance is performed on a regular basis, negative consequences may result. Unnecessary downtime can be caused by missed routine maintenance. He may need to coordinate with machine vendors to schedule repairs and regular service as part of machine maintenance. He may also collaborate closely with the sales department to determine the appropriate production quantities and with quality engineers to address any quality issues that arise.
The management of subordinates is another important aspect of the manufacturing manager’s job that should not be overlooked. In a large organization, he may have a large number of supervisors and employees reporting to him. Each person will have his or her own personality and motivations, but the activities of the group must all be directed toward the organization’s objectives.
To create their end products, many manufacturing facilities use potentially hazardous machines and chemicals. Some of these safety concerns are regulated by government policies and programs in order to reduce health risks to workers and the environment; compliance must be meticulously documented. Because the wide range of manufacturing techniques makes it nearly impossible to address all potential safety threats through public laws, it may be up to the manufacturing manager to develop and enforce company-specific rules to keep the workplace safe.