Manufacturing Projects

Manufacturing projects confronted by a variety of challenges

Teams that execute manufacturing projects face a host of challenges in today’s cost- and safety-conscious environment. Some of the difficulties are associated with testing and quality control, two elements key to the success of many manufacturing operations. Determining durations for these activities is crucial during the planning phase but accurate forecasting is a challenge unless the organization has experience executing similar projects.

In addition, difficulties can crop up in adjacent areas as well. What appear to be relatively simple changes to a long-standing production process, for example, may create upstream issues in how raw materials are stored. They could also lead to downstream problems such as the need to modify packaging or transportation practices to accommodate changes to the final product.

While benchmarking data may be helpful in navigating these tricky issues, determining how closely the organization’s goals and practices align with industry norms can still be a challenge that leaves the team searching for direction. Improving efficiency and maximizing value may ultimately prove impossible if the organization lacks the skills to drive its manufacturing projects to a successful completion.

Beware these manufacturing project risks

Whenever production schedules are impacted, the organization faces a number of high-level risks. Revenue projections may fall if a manufacturing project goes off the rails. Without a skilled application of robust quality management and control methodologies, the final product or its components could become unsustainable—in cost, in production capabilities, or in appeal to customers. Retooling efforts may temporarily decrease output levels, and delays could result in unforecasted revenue or market share losses. Even projects intended to leverage economies of scale may introduce inefficiencies or negatively impact the supply chain if they aren’t thoughtfully planned and executed.

Pressures to minimize the project’s duration also introduce risks into many manufacturing projects. These may be tied to time-to-market expectations related to customer demand, or time pressures could simply result from the need to quickly achieve cost savings in a bid to make the manufacturing process more cost efficient. No matter the reason, organizations may find themselves cutting corners in an effort to compress an already difficult project schedule.

What PMAlliance can do for you

Our experienced consultants know how to execute complex manufacturing projects. PMAlliance’s proven solutions can help your team develop detailed schedules and work breakdown structures that offer insight into every work phase, deliverable, and activity. This roadmap will move your efforts toward success by validating the project schedule and determining where timelines can be compressed while still ensuring that activities occur without any unnecessary shortcuts.

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