Listed case studies are a brief example of the types of projects undertaken and are by no means conclusive.
Other case studies which may be more relevant to your Organisation Sector or Improvement Opportunity can be presented by contacting us.
Packaging line OEE improvement
A Pharmaceutical organisation was experiencing significant Customer backlog from its high-speed Packaging lines, with no scope for headcount increase due to maximum shift deployment. The objective of the project was to perform an analysis on the line performance and determine and quantify improvement opportunity.
The main tools used in this case were Value Stream Mapping and OEE / Downtime analysis. These analysis methods revealed a series of opportunities for Waste reduction, which were prioritised and monitored by deploying Downtime, OEE and Lead-time metrics.
A roadmap for process improvement (with targets) was developed and cross-functional teams were formed to implement the improvement plans, including equipment improvements, method changes and visible metrics. These improvements were then rolled out across three lines. The overall outcomes were an average OEE increase of 18% and a backlog reduction of 3 million packs within 2.5 months.
Assembly performance & quality improvement
An Electronics assembly organisation needed to increase productivity in their 5 person cells by 5-10%.
A Current State value stream analysis undertaken to determine where the waste was located in the process and the impact each type was making on productivity. The analysis was supported by historical data, metrics, direct observation and was confirmed by operating personnel.
The major areas of opportunity lay in reducing the amount of work in progress (WIP), introducing visible, realistic metrics, reviewing the cycle count process and instigating root cause elimination to reduce the levels of rework in the cells. Some cross training was also required to support the re-balancing of work within the cells. The main outcomes of the project were a rework reduction of 8%, WIP reduction of 52% and an efficiency improvement of 6% after 3 months.
Lead-time & Waste reduction
An Aerospace organisation needed to reduce their manufacturing lead-time and increase their flexibility while increasing their competitiveness.
A Current State value stream mapping process identified 29 non-value-added steps within the 52-step process which had a theoretical cycle time of 7.1 days and a lead-time of 52 days.
Future State value stream development showed reduction of the main NVA steps by reducing WIP, implementing a Pull process and a visible prioritisation process for shared services. Some process steps were also outsourced.
The initial implementation phase reduced NVA steps by 23, reducing the cycle time to 4.1 days and the lead-time to 22 days.
Lead-time & inventory reduction
An organisation manufacturing and assembling Optical Equipment needed to reduce their assembly lead-time from 5 days to 4 hours or less, as part of a global lead-time reduction project. They also needed to maintain or improve current efficiencies.
Current State value stream maps indicated NVA content of 1.53 days and VA of 2.85 minutes. A Future State map development indicated opportunities to reduce NVA to 136 minutes and VA to 2.75 minutes.
The process was redesigned to virtually eliminate WIP, by using a “Pull process” based on Kanban buffers, JIT techniques and materials at point of use. Work Teams were also re-organised into self-sufficient cells which produced product from start to finish, eliminating waiting time.
The final outcome was an average process lead-time of 3.6 hours, and a space saving of 40%. In the same organisation a material receiving process lead-time was reduced from 2 days to 2-4 hours, with a space reduction of 45%.
Small batch changeover improvement (SMED)
A Pharmaceutical organisation needed to reduce waste in their Packaging process and improve productivity.
Analysis of the Current State process and historical data was undertaken which showed opportunities for improvement in the running performance and also during changeovers. SMED techniques were deployed to improve the changeover process and an OEE metrics process was introduced to provide visibility on all ongoing improvement opportunities.
The SMED programme yielded a 50% and 62% changeover time reduction across two of the nine changeover types, representing a 3.5% efficiency improvement equivalent to an extra 256 operating hours per annum, with the same headcount.
Visual controls & Customer Service improvement
An Engineering organisation needed to reduce its manufacturing lead-time, provide improved Customer Service and improve visibility of its process status.
Value Stream and Capacity analysis was undertaken to determine the opportunities for waste reduction and alignment with Customer demands. The subsequent Future State was a complete re-design of the process including a 3 loop “Pull system”, with a build to order policy.
While no physical re-layout of equipment was necessary, WIP reductions of 35% and improved signal visibility allowed a customer lead-time reduction of 40%. There were also productivity improvements in both the production and maintenance groups due to improved process consistency and flow.
Managers also experienced a reduction in panic and stress levels, throughout the organisation.
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