Pro Tip: Here is one way to prevent potential launch and recovery delays in the baking industry.

In the spirit of recent space flight accomplishments in the private sector, I thought I’d bring to light a launch and recovery effort that the baking industry faces every day.

Scheduled down days are great for business. They generally mean you are performing well enough to take the time from production to clean and maintain the assets that produce the product and support the plant.

Down days also provide the opportunity to execute major upgrades. When you are running well enough to take time off, it helps with scheduling and gives employees a chance to enjoy a better work-life balance.

However, down days do pose one harrowing challenge to bakery teams. It’s called the next startup.

Startups can be troubling in many ways. The cleaning and maintenance work will result in a lot of machines being taken apart for various reasons, and some things don’t get put back together correctly.

Changes between the down-day crew and startup crew can leave gaps in communication. Changes or upgrades that were made do not necessarily get shared. The practice of cleaning one area may cause issues in another area if not followed up on.

Startups have a launch time. People are scheduled and pre-mixes are readied. Trucks are waiting for product. Management has expectations. When a down day causes glitches in a startup, launch time is delayed.

So how do you overcome potential launch delays? Implementing pre-flight routines is the answer. This sounds burdensome but can be a key to expected operational performance, product quality, waste avoidance and, best of all, financial stability. Delayed launches cost money.

What is pre-flight and when should it be implemented?

Pre-flight is an organized, disciplined and routine process of checking reassembly of all machines and systems, test running at speed and simulating anything you can. Pre-flight routines can also hold people accountable.

Pre-flight is done 30 minutes before the planned launch, and it begins at the head of the production line. Thirty minutes would be the tightest you want to go.

Setting conveyor guides and speeds, assuring safety guards are in place, and checking aim and position on all sensors and safety switches are critical to an on-time and successful launch.

Ensuring the previous day’s cleaning practices won’t delay the launch is just as crucial. Water in panels and dust on photo eyes can be a killer to a successful start.

When you don’t pre-flight, you will have issues, and you immediately must go into recovery mode. These troubles can catch you off guard and lead you down rabbit holes where you can get lost for hours. The costs add up. Good performance starts with good preparation.

Jeff Dearduff is owner of JED Manufacturing Services who provides “Bakery Guy Tips” to those everyday people working in production, maintenance and engineering. Connect with him on LinkedIn.