Motivating a sports team on a game by game basis can sometimes be a challenge. Motivating a production work force on a daily basis poses a far more daunting challenge. The following text intends to show why a “Production Scoreboard” could be a very effective way to instill a more winning spirit in your manufacturing process. 

A few years ago, OES installed a Production Scoreboard in a local manufacturing facility (in London, Ontario, Canada) to try to boost productivity. The manufacturing company had seven identical production lines making the same product, and an OES Production Scoreboard was only installed on one of them. The function of the Production Scoreboard was very simple; to let everyone on that line know how that line was performing, real-time.

This multinational company had identical plants in two other countries and the plant manager was assessed on his plant's operating efficiency as compared to those other plants. The manager reported that his plant was operating at an eighty-four percent efficiency rating and that the corporate mandate was to increase that number by one percent over the next year.

In a follow-up meeting about a month later, the manager was excited to report that the production line that was given feedback the OES scoreboard had in fact risen to a ninety-four percent rating while the other two lines were maintaining their last year's number. Sensing a buying signal, I immediately asked when he wanted Production Scoreboards on the other six lines.

What followed was a surprising, (but all-too-typical) response. The manager stated that because of the increased efficiency on that one line, his plant was now operating at eighty-six percent, one point higher than the corporate mandate. He had no additional funds in his budget for capitol purchases – besides which, there was now no need to spend any more money since he had more than achieved his objectives.

Fast forward to a couple years later and the multinational company closed the local plant. All three plants were performing reasonably the same, but because of an overall industry downturn, one plant would have to be closed. I keep wondering, however, if OES had had the opportunity to install those other scoreboards if that facility would still be open today.

Production Scoreboards work for one simple reason: people instinctively like to measure their own performance and take pride in doing it. People like feedback - they like to know the score.

Consider for a moment the typical hobbies and pastimes people choose with their recreational and discretionary time. Many would choose to play golf. Some would choose to watch golf. Others prefer to watch baseball or football or some other sport. All of these are performance measuring pastimes. Whether people are measuring their own performance and participating themselves, or living that experience vicariously through their favorite athletes and teams, they are eager to measure and know all the performance related statistics in the hopes of ending up on top. From RBI and ERA, to total yards, yards per carry and TDs to INTs. From yards per drive and fairways in regulation to rebounds, assists, and points per game. We love to measure performance, and we love to compete. And, we love to win.

Why is it then, that in many North American companies seem to say “check your brains and your pride in performance at the door”? Management will measure their performance, and management will let them know the score – when they think it’s appropriate. This brings up the second perplexing question: why tell them the score when it’s too late to do anything about it? After the month is done, or the week is over, or even when the shift is finished – it’s all too late; nothing can be improved upon in that time period just transpired. Imagine playing basketball without keeping score, and at the end of the game being told that you lost by 4 or 6 or 10 points. If the team knew the score during the game, they would still have a chance to improve their performance, and by doing so, improve the end result. Imagine a game in which one team knows the score the entire game while the other team is only told at the end. Which team would you bet on to win? 

A well conceived Production Scoreboard should only do one thing – it should tell the score in real-time. It should compare what has been accomplished to what was expected (“par” perhaps). It should be relevant to what is going on in that area and the work being done. Nothing more, nothing less.

Can you afford to install Production Scoreboards in your facility? Can you afford not to? The biggest continuing investment most companies make in their production facilities is the wages they pay to their production staff. If the production team’s performance is improved only a couple percentage points, how long will it take to pay for the investment in the Production Scoreboards?

Let your production team members know that they don't have to check their brains, creativity, and pride at the door of your manufacturing facility. You want all of them when you hire them, not just their skill and their labour, but their brains and their passion to achieve results. Manufacturing is a competitive game these days - help them to help you win.