In the food processing industry, using assets effectively and efficiently is an essential prerequisite for food manufacturers to stay competitive. Optimizing asset use in the food processing industry leads to increased productivity, reduced costs and waste (which also diminishes environmental impact), and an overall boost in business performance. Listed below are six steps to improve asset usage in the food processing.

The first step in improving asset utilization is a comprehensive inventory of all assets. An asset inventory can be used to collect data on the age, usage, maintenance history, location, spare parts, and other relevant asset and equipment information. Some of this information can help manufacturers estimate the mean time between failure (MTBF), a metric that measures the reliability of machines and components and helps plan maintenance accordingly. Food manufacturers can also use asset inventories to: