People sometimes are so busy reacting to daily needs and problems that they are unable to see the opportunities in front of them. The daily task of operating and maintaining a material-handling system consumes their time and energy, thus limiting people's ability to identify challenges or to see the benefits of possible improvements.
Complacency, or the “way we’ve always done it” attitude, can overcome employees who have become accustomed to a certain condition, certain procedure, certain style or certain level of performance.
Surveys show that employees say their jobs allow them to do what they do “best” only about one-third of the time. Managing in such a way that employees can do what they "do best" most of the time allows and motivates employees to increase their productivity.
Outside resources can make significant contributions to a plant’s operation. They can be experts in a specific industry, specific process or particular piece of technology as used across the industry. These professionals might be material-handling specialists who can analyze plant systems, identify challenges and offer recommendations. They provide a broader view of the industry and of material handling and are valuable resources for solutions to the challenges associated with transporting and storing bulk materials. They can offer a "road map" with directions to achieve a cleaner, safer and more productive plant.
A comprehensive belt conveyor system survey can identify opportunities to improve system performance, increasing productivity, lowering the cost of operation, and improving safety.
A common excuse is that people fear making improvements because it will reduce their job security or give management a reason to re-assign a key piece of equipment. In fact, just the opposite is true. Companies always have more projects than resources. If workers are open to change and focused on what they do best, those individuals are more likely to be ones that the company chooses for a new assignment or the next project. This improves job security. Additionally, if the company becomes more profitable as a result of an individual’s contributions, the firm is more likely to remain in business, again increasing job security.
It is clear that there are “new” ways to do things, ways that will help plants improve their processes and work more efficiently. Often the plant can still use the same basic equipment to increase capacity and output and have a cleaner, safer plant without investing in an entirely new material-handling system.
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