The responsibilities of a department manager in a manufacturing plant include an obligation for reporting the problems from the machinery to the upper level managers who are authorized to take action to control those problems, such as with new machinery. The machinery is designed for specific functions but may not be suitable for all of the processes in a manufacturing plant. If the costs for maintenance services and for machine downtime have exceeded the projected goals of a department, then the machinery should probably be replaced with more durable models.

Manufacturing Costs

The costs for making a product do affect the price of the product, which is a crucial factor in the business markets. With huge costs for maintenance services, a manufacturer would be forced to increase the product price to cover the manufacturing costs. The manufacturer would not be prepared to compete in the business markets with a higher price because consumers do want to pay low prices for high-quality products, such as for gutters or downspouts.

Inspections for Quality Control

With regular inspections for quality control, a department manager could evaluate the efficiency of the machinery. The problems from machine downtime can affect the production schedules because there would be a delay for the workers who could not make a product for a customer, such as for a next-day shipment. The costs and also the level of the quality for a product are important factors for machinery, such as for a press brake forming process for making a gutter.

Financial Investments for Profit Margins

The business decisions about increasing the profit margin are frequently affected by the additional costs for new machinery for increasing the productivity in a department. With new machinery, there would be fewer problems to block the production schedules for providing the products to the customers, such as metal roofing panels for contractors who are building houses. Each manufacturer should focus on his or her objectives and should then make practical decisions about the business investments.