Assembly capacity improvement through workflow improvement
BUSINESS CONTEXT
- Producer and Supplier of meat processing lines facing rapid geographical expansion.
- Projected growth exceeding current capacity of assembly line.
- Plant extension not possible due to legislation.
CUSTOMER NEED
- Increased capacity of assembly line without plant extension.
- Reduced order lead time to increase responsiveness to the market.
RESULTS
- Output (# of assembly machines) increased by 50%.
- Assembly lead time reduced by 25%.
- Operator productivity increased by >25%.
- Late assemblies reduced to next to zero.
CHANGES
- OIntroduced labour planning & flexibility to meet workload.
- Changed culture to give priority to workflow not operator utilisation.
- Implemented “just in time” for the internal material- and part- supply processes.
R&G APPROACH
- DMAIC to reveal and improve critical processes.
- Implemented metrics on order flow and set targets.
- Coached process owners to learn from deviations and implement corrective actions.