Being organized is important for any company--indeed, any person--wanting to get things done consistently. For an assembly service, though, being organized is a paramount necessity. Here are a few major signs that an assembly service is organized for maximum productivity.

U-Shaped Cells
Its unfortunate, perhaps, that the cubicle of an assembly service employee is called a cell, but so it is. Just as cubicles have certain attributes shaped and intended to spur office worker productivity, cells are shaped and intended to spur assembly worker productivity.

The industry standard today is for a U-shaped cell. The worker stands in the middle and can work around the U to complete the assembly process. This process can be exactly replicated without unnecessary movement, yielding the goal of an assembly service: continuous flow. The U-shaped cell is something to look for when looking for contract assembly.

Full But Not Crowded
A contract assembly service pays rent by the square foot just like any other business. Its likely then that using as much space as possible for profitable work is a priority for the assembly service. However, too many workstations in too little space will result in too little productivity.

Well-run assembly service houses are put together well. There are plenty of U-shaped cells, but theyre not all crowded together, with everyone getting in everyone elses way. This may seem obvious, and maybe it is, but its still something to look for when looking for contract assembly.

Proper Tool Holders
On a smaller scale, the organization of the U-shaped cell itself is important. If multiple tools are used in the assembly line, these tools should have specific holders where they are kept. That way, the workers can quickly see if a tool is missing or in the wrong place.

Organization down to this granular level shows that an assembly service is serious about its business. Lost or stolen tools are the bane of an assembly service and can shut down humming assembly lines for hours. Many of these tools are not easy to replace.

Information Readily Available
Although continuous flow and standardization of procedures are vital parts of a successful assembly service, the employees who work in the U-shaped cells are not robots, and should not be treated as such.

Contract assembly workers must be able to easily access information regarding the products they are assembling. Notes and graphics posted inside a U-shaped cell can be extremely helpful if an employee gets stuck or confused. Again, this is a seemingly little thing, but its a big deal for the employee and it shows that an assembly service is working in a professional manner.

Take a Picture
Sometimes its not cost-effective for a business decision-maker to personally visit a contract assembly services operations center. The place may be in another state or country, for example. In that case, consider asking for a picture of the warehouse.

A picture is worth a thousand words, and can help answer the question: Is this contract assembly organization organized for maximum productivity?

Source
Assembly Magazine