Have you ever thought about setting up a simple production line for yourself and others at work?

Are you looking for some practical tips to make the process go as smoothly as possible?

You’ve got a large catalog mailing to complete at work.

There are stacks of envelopes and catalogs everywhere you look.

The good news is you’ve got several people to help you out.

The bad news is that you’re unsure as to how to organize everything for maximum efficiency.

In this post, you’ll find some tips to help you arrange a very basic production line in your home or office.

Use these tips the next time you have to complete a time sensitive task with many different pieces.

Set up an adequate work area.

You’ll need to have enough physical space in which to set up your production line.

Strive for a clear and unfettered workspace or area.

The exact amount of space will depend on the final production item.

If you’re working on a small project at home, a kitchen countertop or dining room table will suffice.

If you’re at work, a large conference room with large tables and chairs should do quite nicely.

Assemble all necessary materials.

Gather all the necessary items you’ll need for your project.

Using the catalog mailer example, you’d round up catalogs, the envelopes, stickers, stamps, and address labels.

Having all the materials in hand from the beginning will make the production line run more smoothly.

Designate start and end points.

If you’re working in a large meeting or conference room, you could set up tables and chairs so that they form one straight line.

Have your work start at one end of the table and end at the other.

You could also set up tables along the perimeter of the room.

Work will start near the doorway and will travel in a clockwise pattern around the room until it reaches the doorway.

The same start/end ideas can be applied to any smaller surface, be it a kitchen or dining room table, or countertop.

Create small work stations.

This is where you’ll break down the project into small stations.

Each station, or area, is where a small task, or series of small tasks, will be performed.

From our catalog mailer example above, you might break down the process into the following:

• Envelope station:  Stuff catalogs into envelopes
• Sealing station: Seal envelopes with stickers
• Labeling station: Label envelopes with address labels
• Stamp station: Place postage stamps on envelopes
• Quality control station: Ensure every package has an envelope, sticker, address label, and stamp on it

Distribute materials to each workstation.

Next, it’s time to layout out all the necessary materials at each workstation.

Be cautious: this next step is absolutely crucial!

You want to have the correct materials at the right station, otherwise the production line won’t run correctly.

In our example above, you’d place the catalog and envelopes at the envelope station, the stickers at the sealing station, and so on.

Get to work.

It’s time to start up the production line in earnest.

Assign each of your helpers a specific workstation. Instruct them what needs to be completed at their station.

This will help eliminate errors or miscommunication.

If you’re working by yourself, you have the choice of either working your way down the workstations, one after another.

Another option is to sit down or stand near a station until your work there is complete.

I have an organization guide that could help you get organized around the office. Click here to find out more.

If you want to organize your office or workspace so you can work more productively, let’s talk. Click here to schedule a strategy session with me.

How about you? What type of production line are you going to setup in your office or workspace? Join the conversation and leave a comment below!