Shift Schedule Considerations

August 11, 2020 By

There is little academic research as to the advantage or disadvantages of a 4-day; 10-hour (4/10) shift versus a 5-day; 8-hour (5/8) shift. When determining the best shift schedule for your operation, there are multiple things that you should consider. These include things such as employee desire, customer demand, efficiencies, and safety.

Key Considerations
Employee Desire
Statistics from the Society for Human Resource Management indicate that 31 percent of employees were in a compressed workweek schedule such as a 4/10 shift and a wide majority find it favorable. Wadsworth & Facer (2008) show that more than 70% of employees favor 4/10 schedules. Additionally, 2008, researchers from Brigham Young University conducted a series of surveys and found that about four-fifths of the employees reported a positive experience working that type of schedule. Surveyed employees listed improved morale, work-family balance, more daylight for leisure, time for second jobs, reduced commute time, and lower cost for travel and child-care as 4/10 benefits.

Customers and Suppliers
Customers
The pace of customer demand must also be considered when changing shift schedules. Customers may need to adjust their ordering cycle to adjust to your new schedule. If you are shifting from a 5/8 to a 4/10 schedule, you must consider the additional 2-hours of work per day. Does your order flow or work schedule provide 10-hours of work per day at the current pace? If you are considering a switch from 4/10 to 5/8, can the work be spread across the additional day and still meet your customer’s order flow?

Suppliers
You must also consider when your suppliers make deliveries. If you are moving to a compressed workweek, Just-In-Time inventory policies may need to be adjusted to ensure a sufficient supply of materials. This may mean changing order quantities and delivery dates. Also, your warehousing requirements may increase by at least 20%. Ensure you have sufficient space for the additional materials, or you may need to schedule multiple daily deliveries. If you are considering a move from 4/10 to 5/8 you may have to schedule additional deliveries.

Productivity
When evaluating productivity, few studies that overcome the problems of differences in the workforce or work practices. However, most of the data does not indicate productivity improvement differences between a 5/8 and 4/10 schedule. Companies must perform this analysis themselves over time to see how the different shift schedules affect the productivity of their workforce.

Employees can save money on transportation during a compressed work-week and companies may see a reduction in overhead such as electricity and water as the operation is maintained one fewer day per week.

An additional consideration is the condition of the equipment. Equipment that has been conditioned to run 8-hours a day would run 10 under a compressed 4/10 schedule. Maintenance plans and schedules may have to be adjusted along with the shift.

Smaller groups
Smaller support groups such as cleaning crew, maintenance, and the warehouse have been shown to have a slight increase in productivity when shifting to a compressed scheduled. The off-day in a 4/10 schedule allows these groups to perform some of their activities during times the operation is not running.

Safety
There is little data to suggest increased safety concerns in a 5/8 versus a 4/10 schedule. However, Dembe (2017) points to a variety of studies on the potential dangers that can occur as the result of the additional risks created when work demands exceed a certain threshold. Most of these studies suggest that the dangers are most pronounced when people regularly work more than 12 hours per day or 60 hours per week. Dembe (2005) found that the risk of suffering an industrial accident is raised by 37 percent for employees working more than 12 hours in a day. The risk is 61 percent higher for people in “overtime” shifts. Working more than 60 hours in a week is related to an additional injury risk of 23 percent. As the hours worked in those schedules increase, the risks grow accordingly.

Considerations when changing a shift schedule
Before you change from a 5/8 to a 4/10 or from a 4/10 to a 5/8, the research suggests that there be a program worked out in advance by both managers and employees. All concerned parties must be involved in the decision-making process and that there must be clear explanations as to why things may need to change.

Try starting slowly and implement one four-day work-week a month or one five-day work work-week a month. That will allow time to solicit feedback from your employees and customers. It will also allow time to adjust schedules for shipments and deliveries. During this time, you should monitor employee productivity to make sure goals are still being met.

Considerations when adding a second or third shift
Before adding a second or third shift to an operation, please consider the fact that multiple shifts may result in higher overall costs that are required for shift premiums, nighttime lighting, quality control, and safety measures. Research has also identified that the utilization of evening and night shifts causes higher rates of labor turn-over and absenteeism that could lead to project delays and cost overruns.

In addition, productivity across different shifts can vary greatly. This reduction reflects on a number of underlying factors, including less experienced employees, a disturbed social life, shortened and disturbed sleep, and disrupted circadian rhythm.

Figure 1 below shows the relative performance across a 24-hour day with the worst efficiencies seen from midnight to 6am.

Figure 1: Industrial performance efficiency over the 24-hour day

Note. Reprinted from “Shift work, safety, and productivity”, by Folkard, Simon and Tucker, Philip., Occupational Medicine, Volume 53, p. 96.

Conclusion
Changing or adding shifts can have a great impact on employee morale, efficiency, and safety. By considering the factors mentioned in this report, you can make the transition smoother for your organization.

References
Dembe, A. (n.d.). No, we shouldn’t switch to a four-day Work-week. Slate Magazine. https://slate.com/business/2017/09/you-dont-want-a-four-day-workweek.html
Dembe, A. E. (2005). The impact of overtime and long work hours on occupational injuries and illnesses: New evidence from the United States. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 62(9), 588-597. https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.2004.016667
Facer, R. L., & Wadsworth, L. (2008). Alternative work schedules and work–family balance. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 28(2), 166-177. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734371×08315138
Folkard, S. (2003). Shift work, safety and productivity. Occupational Medicine, 53(2), 95-101. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqg047

By Ben Cheeks, with the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership

Georgia Manufacturers Have a Story to Tell – GaMEP Client Survey

July 22, 2020 By

During the next month, the Georgia Manufacturing Quarterly Survey will be delivered to companies across the state. This survey is a key benchmark that provides us with critical information on Georgia manufacturers’ problems, needs, and business performance. Through a third-party administered survey, we ask our clients to answer questions that will help evaluate the quality and usefulness of our services and the impact the assistance of GaMEP has had on their business.

By telling their story, companies can showcase the results of our partnership and work, so that we can continue to receive vital funding that helps us provide integral, low-cost services to manufacturers across the state. Companies self-report the results of working with the GaMEP, highlighting the impacts around cost savings, sales, and job creation or savings, that have been a direct result of projects within the plants.

GaMEP knows that these improvements leave a lasting impact, and each year we work with more than 800 manufacturers to advance the state’s economic impact. In the last year we have helped manufacturers reduce operating costs by $121 million, increase new and retained sales by $317 million, created and retained 2,074 jobs, and helped our clients make $159 million in plant investments to improve their operational efficiencies.

Many clients want to share their impacts with the GaMEP. Through an interview process, we capture their results and create client success stories. These stories are a great way for companies to share their journey and outcomes. We then send the stories to our national sponsor, post on our website and social media channels, promoting the company and GaMEP’s impact. We, as a team, get excited to tell these stories and celebrate the wins, as it helps fulfill our mission of enhancing global competitiveness for Georgia manufacturers.

By showcasing the positive performance of our clients, we can attract more manufacturers to our state, build a reputation as the No. 1 resource for manufacturing excellence, and continue to grow and advance an environment that supports small to mid-size manufacturing companies.

The next survey period is active and runs from July 13 to August 19.

Here are a couple helpful tips for completing the survey:

Manufacturers will only need to complete one survey per year. If GaMEP has completed multiple projects, your Regional Manager will work with you to combine the impacts of all completed projects into one survey report.
During the survey period, your Regional Manager or Project Manager will be in touch to verify the appropriate contact and share more information about the survey process.
On the first day of survey period, the contact will receive a unique survey link via email from: moc.yevrustneilcpemnull@troppus.
Only one survey response is allowed by each company.
Clients should consider the totality of the impacts they have achieved in working with GaMEP and how those impacts have cumulatively been expressed in the last six-twelve months in results.

If you’d like to see some of the stories shared by other GaMEP clients, please visit the Success Story page on our website. Contact your Regional Manager with any questions, or if you are interested in having a success story written about a project we’ve completed with your team, contact GaMEP’s Marketing Strategist, Raine Hyde.

By Raine Hyde, with the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership

6 Tips for Keeping Your Manufacturing Plant Cool During the Summer

June 16, 2020 By

As temperatures increase in the summer months, so do the risks that are associated with a lack of proper cooling solutions at your manufacturing plant. Keeping the factory floor cool during the hottest part of the year is vital to providing your employees with a safe and comfortable work environment, and can also prevent equipment and machinery failure. However, reducing heat to the necessary level within a manufacturing workspace can prove to be a challenge, especially when you are working towards becoming more energy efficient or do not have the budget for updating or purchasing new cooling systems. For optimum efficiency in cooling the factory floor and the rest of your building without incurring high energy costs, consider implementing some of following best practices at your plant:

Install High Volume Low Speed (HVLS) Fans. Proper air flow is key to reducing stratification. While standard fans may be able to provide some relief to employees, larger HVLS fans will be more effective when it comes to breaking up blocks of hot air and cooling the factory floor. Many HVLS fans are also programmable and can work together with other cooling equipment to lower temperatures. To ensure optimal results at your facility, you’ll need to consider a variety of factors, including blade size, the speed at which it rotates, and even the tilt of the blade. If you’re not sure which direction to go in, you can contact your local GaMEP region manager to help you find a reputable brand that can offer a variety of options and a free estimate.

Change the Color of Your Roof. Generally, darker colors absorb heat, while lighter colors reflect the sun’s rays. If your current roof is a darker color and traps in a lot of heat, consider replacing it with a light colored roof that will deflect more heat and keep the interior cooler, ultimately helping your plant become more energy efficient in the long run. If replacing your roof with new light colored materials is too daunting of a task or not within your budget, you may try applying a reflective roof coating to your existing roof. This type of coating is different from regular paint, but is applied in a similar fashion.

Insulate Your Building, Piping, and Equipment. Proper thermal insulation of your building, piping, and mechanical equipment is critical to managing the heat within your plant and can lead to lower cooling bills during the summer months. Without adequate insulation, the extra heat making its way out into your facility will make the air conditioning system work that much harder to cool things down. Simple devices such as thermal imaging cameras that connect to your phone can help detect energy loss caused by missing or damaged insulation, inefficient HVAC systems, electrical faults, and more.

Practice Preventative Maintenance. Performing regular HVAC maintenance will help your HVAC system run close to peak efficiency, resulting in reduced energy costs and preventing costly breakdowns. While HVAC maintenance may seem like an obvious necessity, small steps in the process can be easily overlooked, or you may assume that a certain noise is normal, or that a particular room may run warmer than others. Even something as simple as changing out the air filters can make a big impact. Ensure your facility is taking preventative steps when it comes to maintaining your HVAC by either recruiting an outside professional or looking to one of your qualified employees to routinely complete this work.

Shift Your Operational Hours. If your plant does not operate 24 hours a day and has some flexibility within its scheduling, you may consider shifting some of the operational hours to avoid using equipment during the hottest part of the day. By transitioning some shifts to overnight or earlier in the morning, your facility will experience less infiltration of heat and your employees will benefit from a cooler work environment.

Invest in Zip Doors. As your employees continuously move throughout the facility every day, the amount of times they open doors and let cold air out or allow warm air in can affect the air flow and contribute to increased temperatures. While you cannot control how every employee opens and closes a door, you can consider replacing your current doors with zip doors. After being opened, zip doors will automatically close – quickly and securely. Some versions may even offer verbal warnings that are triggered if a door is left open for too long. Zip doors also tend to be constructed out of softer materials, allowing them to better absorb any distress that comes their way and resist damage more easily.

If you are a small to medium sized industrial facility that is interested in implementing new or additional cooling solutions, but struggle to determine the best course of action then you may qualify for a no-cost assessment provided by the GaMEP. An IAC assessment will help you to identify opportunities to improve productivity, reduce waste, and save energy. To see if your company is eligible, apply at https://iacgeorgia.org/.

In addition, if you would like to discuss other energy cost savings opportunities or look at ways to improve your preventative maintenance capabilities, contact your local region manager at the GaMEP.

By Megan Johnson, with the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership

Is Online Learning the Right Fit for You?

November 14, 2018 By

Is Online Learning the Right Fit for You?

Online learning is not new to education or business. Actually, according to the 2015 National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 5.5 million people participated in some form of a class that was offered online.

This number continues to grow, according to the Online College Student Survey. There’s been an increase in online interest and a steady growth of 1% every year since 2012 (Clinefelter & Aslanian, 2015). The research by Moore and Kearsley (2005), states that online learning is the chosen platform for learning for adults between the ages of 25-50, due to perks that include, scheduling flexibility, increased access to courses on unique topics, and lower costs.

However, when a person thinks of online learning, depending on their learning style or prior learning experiences their outlook may be one of dread or excitement. As for me, I jump at the opportunity to not being committed to attend a class at a designated day, during a designated time. I enjoy the freedom to learn new information when my brain tells me it’s a good time to retain the information I am learning. Not everyone learns in an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. block.

Many who dread online learning think, “I’m not computer savvy enough,” but did you know, research shows that you don’t have to be a computer expert to take an online course? Actually, those who are not computer experts tend to perform better in online courses than those who are computer “savvy”.

When surveyed, people who said they preferred a traditional classroom setting stated that they valued the interaction with other students and could learn more through that interaction than through an online course. However, if your learning style is one of visual or auditory, you may actually prefer taking a course online rather than in a traditional classroom. During a well-designed online course, videos can be played multiple times, audio recordings reinforce what’s being taught, and you are given opportunities to practice new skills. Research conducted by Heather Kauffman (2015) showed that individuals who took a class online had an as high or higher success rate, than those who attended a traditional classroom course.

Do you think online learning could be for you? If you haven’t given it a try, I hope you will consider taking one of GaMEP’s online courses soon. GaMEP considers each course’s content carefully and determines the best way (or ways) to deliver the material to students. Several of our traditional courses are now available online, but we have developed some new online only subjects as well. Here’s a list of some of our newest online offerings:

Introduction to ISO 50001 + Basic Energy – Gain knowledge of foundational energy management terminology and concepts as well as basic elements of ISO 50001.
Introduction to ISO 50001 – Learn about ISO 50001 and how it relates to management responsibility, energy policy and planning, implementation and operations, and management review.
SEP Update Course – Receive updates to the SEP suite of documents and be able to help organizations meet or audit the new requirements.
Integrating Additive Manufacturing with Traditional Manufacturing – Understand which factors to consider, including cost and logistics, when incorporating additive manufacturing into a traditional manufacturing operation.
Additive Manufacturing as a Secondary Process – Find out how manufacturers use additive manufacturing as a secondary or indirect process, including its advantages and disadvantages.
Industrial Network Integration – Discover common ways networks are used for manufacturing as well as practical network concerns and technology that allow industrial networks to function correctly.
Introduction to Composites – Learn about the basic materials used to make composites, how composites are processed, and the applications of composites in various markets.
Automated Systems and Control – Identify the common methods of industrial automation, describe the available technologies, and explain how they are applied in manufacturing.
Applications for Robots – Acquire an understanding of industrial robots, the pros and cons of using robots, and learn about their basic capabilities.

If you have any questions about the format of a course you are interested in, just send me a message. I am happy to help in any way that I can and make sure that you find the right course for you!

Written by Jennifer Stone, GaMEP Instructional Designer. Jennifer works with GaMEP project managers and region managers to develop effective traditional and on-line training course materials. She holds an Ed. S. in Instructional Design from the University of West Georgia, an M.S. in Educational Computing Technologies, and a B.S. in Elementary Education and Psychology from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro.

References:

Clayton, Blumberg, & Anthony. (2018). Linkages between course status, perceived course value, and students’ preference for traditional versus non-traditional learning environments. Computers & Education, 125, 175-181.

Clinefelter, D. (2015). Data from Survey of Online College Students Helps Institutions Thrive. ELearn, 2015(12), ELearn, 01 December 2015, Vol.2015(12).

Kauffman, H. (2015). A review of predictive factors of student success in and satisfaction with online learning. Research in Learning Technology,23(1), 1-13.

Thorpe, M. (1997). Distance education: A system view: MICHAEL G. MOORE and GREG KEARSLEY, Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1996. 290 pp ISBN 0-534-6496-4. Computers & Education, 29(4), 209-211.

National Student Clearinghouse Research Center Releases Fall 2016 Current Term Enrollment Estimates Report. (2016, December 22). Professional Services Close – Up, pp. Professional Services Close – Up, Dec 22, 2016.

Why You Should Consider an Energy Management System

September 24, 2018 By

Why You Should Consider an Energy Management System

Did you know that the GaMEP Energy and Sustainability Group contributed significantly to the content of the original ISO 50001 standard? Or that ISO 50001 may be able to help your company save a lot of money?

Randy Green, GaMEP project manager, has helped many companies throughout the United States (and the world!) implement energy management systems, such as ISO 50001. Read his responses to our most frequently asked questions about energy management below and then contact your region manager to find out if our energy management services could help your company.

What exactly is ISO 50001?

It is the International Standard for Energy Management, a set of guidelines and procedures designed to take a systematic approach to reducing energy waste throughout a facility.

Why is it important to be certified?

You can model some of the recommended behaviors and use the tools of ISO 50001 without becoming certified, which is a great first step. However, in my experience, companies that commit to the whole system and take a structured approach to energy management, see the most value and experience the continued and sustained benefits of the program. Many of the companies I have worked with have even chosen to take the next step and become Superior Energy Performance (SEP) certified as well, which is a designation given by the U.S. Department of Energy to companies that have demonstrated their energy performance through their metrics.

Does this only work for large companies?

No- we have helped companies of all sizes and in many different industries save money using these systems.

Is it expensive?

The initial cost to get the certification is usually around $10-15K. You will also need to allocate some staff time (and salary dollars) to implement and maintain the program. However, the bulk of the efficiency improvements usually come from behavioral change, not from investing in new or upgraded equipment. Both ISO 50001 and SEP are really about culture change and making energy management a part of everyone’s job, which means you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get real results.

Do you have any case studies?

The U.S. Department of Energy has released a series of case studies (many of which are about companies that GaMEP project managers have assisted.) I will link a few below, however, we don’t have a lot of case studies in the state of Georgia- something we would like to change- so contact us to be one of the first companies in the state to benefit from these systems and certifications and from having this unique expertise right in your back yard!

Case Studies: