Daily production tasks, often for a specific skill set on a project, are overseen and carried out by production supervisors. The success of the project depends on their abilities as a team, thus, they should have some background in shipbuilding to be able to provide useful feedback and keep things on track. But what qualifications are necessary to work as a Production Supervisor? Louise Lees, an expert in maritime recruitment, identifies six characteristics shared by the best production supervisors.
Best Qualities of a Production Supervisor
Effective communication
A significant portion of your time as Production Supervisor will be spent on the shop floor and throughout the construction of the ships, providing you with invaluable on-the-ground experience. Having the ability to convey your ideas effectively is, thus, crucial. You must be able to talk to people at different levels of the organisation about the project, including how it's doing, whether or not it's on schedule, and if there are any problems.
Making decisions with assurance
Deadlines are always a factor in the shipbuilding sector, and they might be complicated by sudden queries or changes in requirements. The most effective Production Supervisors can make quick decisions under pressure to guarantee that their teams always deliver on time. Knowing what to do in a given scenario requires a solid understanding of the issue and the self-assurance that comes from having dealt with it before. In order to anticipate future problems and promptly decide on the best solutions, it is important to have experienced Supervisors who can appraise what the project is likely to include.
Quick response time
Although the ability to make decisions is crucial to succeeding in the role of Production Supervisor, so is the ability to provide prompt answers to questions from subordinates and superiors. It is also important to respond swiftly to problems, such as a mistake or a delay on the project, so that they may be fixed as soon as feasible. A high level of vigilance is required in this position since catastrophic events can happen at any time, changing the course of a project in an instant.
A well-thought-out strategy
The most effective Production Supervisors think several steps ahead of the current situation and inspire their teams to complete their work on schedule and, ideally, under budget. To ensure that long-term projects can continue to be successfully delivered after the current engineering crew retires, it is important that experienced Production Supervisors spend time both planning the project's future and passing on their skills to the next generation of shipbuilders.
Paying close attention to detail
Paying close attention to detail is a must for a Production Supervisor. Similarly to other forms of production, assembling components into a whole requires physical contact between the many parts. To minimise problems later in the product's life cycle, it's crucial that you can read and understand technical drawings and specifications.
A sense of responsibility
Since they are in a position of authority, Production Supervisors must have faith in their judgment and willingness to take responsibility for their work and judgments. With this self-assurance, you can effectively guide and direct your team while you work together on the task, and you'll be able to spot and fix any problems as they arise. Doing so will guarantee on-time and high-quality delivery of the finished product.
Conclusion:
Production supervisors are a crucial part of any manufacturing plant. It is vital to choose the most competent people for this job. We are LocalSkill, leading manufacturing recruitment agency; we help you find the best candidates for your vacant roles. Contact us now!
