How do your manufacturing operations' performance metrics stack up against your competition's efforts? How do they compare with best-in-class performers? Manufacturers always are looking for the answers to these questions, but they frequently can't find the answers.
We're not here to say we have all the answers, but we do have some numbers we can share, courtesy of the IndustryWeek Best Plants Awards competition. The IW Best Plants Awards competition is our annual salute to manufacturing excellence across North America. The competition's origins date to 1990
The data presented in this slideshow reflect median and average performances achieved by IW Best Plants winners and finalists from the years 2014 to 2018. This is a small sampling of the information we collect in pursuit of the best manufacturing plants.
Given the diversity of manufacturing operations, direct comparisons can be misleading, but the data can prove useful as a general benchmarking reference.