IWPS | Case Studies | IW Process Solutions Ltd

New Balance
Athletic Shoe Manufacturing

To assess the current process and apply appropriate Lean Manufacturing tools and techniques to enable more efficient manufacturing on their athletic shoe assembly line.

Project Description:
Current State: The company made two types of product; Sourced and Cut to Box.
Sourced
Completed uppers for the shoes were bought in from the Far East. A collation stage within the factory boxed these uppers with corresponding soles and packaging in set quantities (lines). A pallet would be loaded with these boxes and fed into the assembly area where a number of manufacturing cells would debox the product and assemble the uppers to the soles. The cells were manned with five operatives who carried out the assembly process. Work-in-progress existed between each process stage within the cell and some operations were more complex than others.

Cut to Box
For this product, components were cut from the raw material and sewn together to form the upper. Some of the stitching processes were automatic and some were manual. Each stage of the process was grouped in a different part of the factory and work-in-progress moved from one process stage to the next when completed in baskets. Once the upper was complete, it would then be fed into one of the manufacturing cells where it would be paired with the corresponding soles and assembled.

Future State:-
Sourced
The manufacturing cells were re-designed to have only four operatives assembling the product, each with a carefully defined amount of work such that all four processes took the same amount of time. Work-in-progress within the cell was eliminated by implementing a single piece flow methodology. The future state manufacturing cell was smaller in footprint than current state and 5S was introduced to demarcate the new layout. Freed up operatives were grouped into more teams and new cells created in the space freed up from the reduced footprint size of the existing cells. Systems were put in place to control the amount of work-in-progress fed into the factory which freed up even more space for further manufacturing cells.

Direct Benefits Achieved:

35% Productivity improvement
35% reduction in Manufacturing Cell footprint
Factory capacity tripled from 1 million pairs per year to 3 million
Cost competitive with Far East on outsourced manufacturing of the sourced product

Cut to Box
A large manufacturing cell, renamed as a Value Stream, with enough equipment from every process stage of sufficient quantity required in order to manufacture an upper from start to finish was created. The equipment was laid out to facilitate single piece flow and manned accordingly.

Direct Benefits Achieved:

Lead time for manufacture of product reduced from 10 weeks to one hour

Other Benefits:

Finished Goods stock reduction
Stock accuracy up from 64% to 90%+

This photograph shows the factory floor before the introduction of Lean Manufacturing. The processes are arranged in process silos and the majority of the available floor space is filled with work-in-progress between the silos. Analysis showed that only 40% of the available floor space contained value adding activity.

This photograph shows one of the manufacturing cells before the introduction of Lean Manufacturing.

This photograph shows the development of the first value stream for the Cut to Box product, where the requisite number of machines from each process stage were joined together in one large cell. Once implemented, the value stream reduced the manufacturing lead time from 10 weeks to one hour.

This photograph shows the current shop floor with minimal work-in-progress and floor space utilisation above 90%.

This photograph shows the manufacturing cell after the team had redesigned it using Lean principles. The cell was 35% smaller than the previous cell and only required four operatives compared with five before the change, achieving the same output. This equated to a 35% Productivity improvement.

This photograph shows a value stream mapping exercise in progress with members of the New Balance team developing a current state map of their business. They went on to create a future state map which delivered a significant reduction in the levels of finished stock and a system that improved their stock accuracy by over 25%.

"Ian has become a trusted and valued member of our team who just doesn't work here all of the time."

ANDY OKOLOWICZ - FACTORY MANAGER AT NEW BALANCE

Comfortex
Comfort Seating Products

To provide training/support to core staff in tools and techniques to enable them to undertake a line leadership role as part of a restructuring of the business.

Project Description:
Managing Director, Nathan Beckwith, wanted to restructure the management configuration within the business to drive the business forward at a greater pace. He had taken the step of dividing the factory into work-zones, identifying several people as potential Leaders for these work-zones. Immediately, he recognised that the group required some support and upskilling in order to take on these roles.

IW Process Solutions developed a bespoke training course for the group covering a range of subjects combining lean manufacturing techniques with the interpersonal skills necessary to be an effective leader. Following the delivery of the training programme, a number of Consultancy days were planned to support the group on a one-to-one basis in their areas to ensure that they were fully applying the learning. IW Process Solutions generated a series of observation reports from these areas with potential Productivity improvements which could be achieved.

As a result of an observation report in one area, it was decided to use the area as a Practical workshop for the group to apply the knowledge learned on the course to initiate the changes identified in the report. This resulted in a 25% Productivity improvements from the application of single piece flow in the Seatpads area, through changes made to the layout and working methods employed in the area. Other elements from the course were also incorporated, such as a performance monitoring system so that output could be monitored hourly to ensure the takt time was being adhered to. Additionally, a structured workplace management system was set up which defined hourly tasks for the Zone Leader to ensure that all aspects of the operation were where they needed to be, including pre-planning activities for the following day’s production. To finish off, workplace organisation was implemented to create a more organised and tidy work area.

Finally, to support ongoing improvements, Nathan asked IW Process Solutions to work with a group of the middle management team with the aim of training them to see the potential improvements for themselves. Using the Observation reports as a script, the group spent time analysing individual areas under IWPS guidance so that they developed their own improvement plan for each area which they then actioned to make the changes and bring about the Productivity improvements.

This picture depicts the reason for the restructure of the management configuration within the business and was an underpinning influence on the training course content.

This picture shows the groups working out how the process cycle times in Seatpads measured up against the takt time they’d calculated. From this, the group determined how many people would be needed and who would be doing what to balance the work content as equally amongst the team as possible.

This picture shows the groups revised layout for the Seatpads process to accommodate the new working methods.

This picture shows the groups draft format for the Short Interval Control (SIC) board for the Seatpads area.

"Ian's input, both personally and professionally, has been extremely valuable. His effort and hard work on our behalf has helped us to understand the level of improvement that we can aspire to."

NATHAN BECKWITH - MANAGING DIRECTOR AT COMFORTEX

Esse Engineering
Stove Manufacturing

To assess the current process and apply appropriate Lean Manufacturing tools and techniques to enable more efficient manufacturing on their stove assembly line.

Project Description:
All stove products were manufactured on an assembly line which had a team of five assembly operatives permanently assigned to it. Outputs were variable and a working structure existed in which some assembly operatives had free time in between products, depending upon the product mix.

An initial data analysis exercise concluded that, on average for most of the year, the company was selling around 120 stoves per week. From this information, a takt time was determined which would act as the drumbeat for output from the assembly line. The data analysis also found that the product range could be grouped into four categories, based on assembly times, and that 80% of Sales were of the category containing the lowest assembly time products.

The weekly plan was re-organised such that the products were manufactured in category order from the easiest to the most complex. Further analysis of the work content involved in the easiest categories indicated that two assemblers with an equal amount of work should be able to produce a product to match the takt time previously calculated. An additional assembler was added later in the week for the penultimate category and a fourth added for the most complex products at the end of the week. All sub-assembly work was moved off-line and matched to the takt time. Thus, for 80% of products sold, only three people (two assemblers and one sub-assembler) were required instead of the five previously used for all products. The layout of the assembly line was altered accordingly reducing the footprint of the line significantly.

A performance monitoring system was introduced so that output could be monitored hourly to ensure the takt time was being adhered to and a structured workplace management system defined hourly tasks for the area Supervisor to ensure that all aspects of the operation were where they needed to be, including pre-planning activities for the following week’s production.

"Ian's first visit to our factory was a catalyst for change. He is insightful to an almost embarrassing degree. Intelligent, good humoured but resolute, which means that action has to be taken when he casts his eye over a facility.

I cannot recommend him highly enough!"

MARTIN ASHBY - MANAGING DIRECTOR AT ESSE ENGINEERING

Optimum Coatings
Lens Manufacture and Coating

To assess the current process and apply appropriate Lean Manufacturing tools and techniques to achieve a more efficient manufacturing operation.

Project Description:
MD of Optimum Coatings, Paul Bailey, was concerned that potential new business could not be considered as the Production department were struggling to meet current volumes.

Analysis of the current state, primarily through observation and process timings, led to the conclusion that capacity was being lost due to product not being ready at the right times to be loaded into their two coating machines. A more structured work method was devised which would ensure that capacity of these two machines would be maximised, thus creating 25% additional capacity with the same headcount. The method was future-proofed to ensure it was viable and also that downstream processes could cope with the increased volumes which could be produced with the extra capacity.

Additionally, some of the process steps were re-designed to eliminate double and triple handling and a Performance Management system developed based on schedule adherence. A structured workplace management system was introduced for the process team leaders to ensure that ongoing checks were being made during the 24 hour operation which would guarantee the process was where it needed to be.

This photo shows the first stage of the new manufacturing methodology introduced at Optimum Coatings. It combined two original processes into one to eliminate double handling of the product. It also brought forward from a downstream process the collation of customer orders into particular lens groupings to improve the product flow throughout the rest of the coating process.

"I'd like to thank Ian for the direction he has helped steer us in. As a result of our recent project, we now have a clearer understanding of our true production capacity.

I would welcome the opportunity to work with Ian again in the future and have no hesitation in recommending him to any organisation looking to improve and understand their process flow."

MARTIN HARWOOD - TECHNICAL & OPERATIONS DIRECTOR AT OPTIMUM COATINGS

Fairham Mouldings
Rubber Mouldings

To provide training/support to core staff in Lean Manufacturing tools and techniques to enable the business to achieve Fit For Nuclear (F4N) status.

Project Description:
A series of tailored workshops were delivered so that key Fairham staff were trained in basic Lean principles and 5S Workplace Organisation. The workshops included a practical implementation of the 5S methodology, in different areas of the factory, such that those areas could act as exemplars for a planned roll-out of 5S throughout the entire factory in the near future.

Additionally, the company needed to put together a series of Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) to monitor how the business was performing in a number of areas to illustrate the benefits achieved during completion of the programme and for future continuous improvement activities.

The most valuable resource within any business is their people and when you allow those people to implement their ideas in a structured way, the results can be amazing.

"Throughout the project, Ian's experience and professionalism were of great benefit and he was completely flexible in his approach, always showing great respect for our business needs.

Due to his support, we have achieved F4N status and we would strongly recommend him to other companies."

DAMIAN WILD - MANAGING DIRECTOR AT FAIRHAM MOULDINGS

Metflex
Rubber Mouldings

To provide training to core staff in Lean Manufacturing tools and techniques to enable more rapid improvement to be achieved through the involvement of more people within the business.

Project Description:
A series of five 2 day workshops were delivered so that around forty permanent Metflex staff were trained in basic Lean principles and 5S Workplace Organisation. The second day of each workshop was a practical implementation of the 5S methodology, in different areas of the factory, such that those areas could act as exemplars for a planned roll-out of 5S throughout the entire factory at some point in the future.

A number of the workshops involved significant modifications to the layout in the target area to improve work flow and reduce transportation/motion waste, resulting in a more efficient process in those areas. Key to the success of the training was that all individuals demonstrated good application of the theory and were committed in their efforts during the 5S implementation.

A group of employees were then selected to be trained in the Value Stream Mapping (VSM) technique. The team put together a Current State map of the business, during which a significant number of issues within the manufacturing operation were documented on the map. The team then set about developing a Future State map which eliminated/minimized the majority of the issues raised in the Current State. An action plan resulted with over 50 improvement actions denoted, many of which were assigned to team members for completion within an appropriate timescale.

The most valuable resource within any business is their people and when you allow those people to implement their ideas in a structured way, the results can be amazing.

This photo shows the current state value stream map for Metflex. The proliferation of pink post-it notes on the map indicate the number of issues identified by the process team within the product flow of the business. The future state map created addressed the majority of these problems leading to the implementation of new working methods, such as a Sequenced Pull System run daily by the Leading Hands, which solved a number of the issues.

"The quality of the training material, Ian's interpersonal skills and his ability to communicate effectively to all levels ensured complete buy-in from all the manufacturing team."

PHIL RYCROFT - DIRECTOR OF UK MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS AT METFLEX

Playdale Playgrounds
Playground Equipment

To provide training to core staff in Lean Manufacturing tools and techniques to enable more rapid improvement to be achieved through the involvement of more people within the business.

Project Description:
At Playdale Playgrounds, each department is measured individually against a set of standard times for the products they produce. Some departments are much bigger than others but the challenge for them all is to attain 100% against standard.

A bespoke training programme was agreed with Operations & Technical Director, Paul Mallinson, to train the group of Team Leaders in the basics of Lean Manufacturing and Workplace Organisation. The group were introduced to Process mapping as a technique to help them identify wastes within their processes and each department was mapped by its respective Team Leader.

The programme included implementation days where the 5S theory was put into practice with exciting results. Regular sessions recorded progress in each department, in terms of efficiency improvements and the 5S implementation to ensure consistency across the manufacturing operations in terms of the standards attained.

This photo illustrates what one team member introduced into his department following the Lean training programme. Not only does it represent an excellent example of workplace organisation but it also incorporates a tool refurbishment system to ensure that the process always has the tools it needs when they need it.

"We have, and continue to find, Ian's consultancy and training very beneficial with significant return on investment through increased engagement and efficiency gains.

Dealing with Ian is very straightforward and always seems to deliver quick, positive results and is excellent value for money."

PAUL MALLINSON - TECHNICAL & OPERATIONS DIRECTOR AT PLAYDALE PLAYGROUNDS

Lovair
Washroom Fittings & Systems

To provide mentoring support to company Operations Director to guide his implementation of Lean Manufacturing tools and techniques into his assembly process.

Project Description:
Operations Director, Murray Boyt, knew that the theory behind his implementation of a flow line Production methodology should improve efficiencies in the manufacture of their wash trough product range. However, the results were not as dramatic expected and Murray turned to IW Process Solutions to help him understand why.

Initially, the mentoring focused on truly understanding the data supporting the flow line concept. This exercise unearthed flaws in the process timings for the products which then led on to the grouping of products into four categories based on the manufacturing assembly times once all the necessary data had been collected.

With the categories determined, Murray was encouraged to develop a revised takt time for the process using more detailed historical Sales data to understand the demand for individual products and, following that, for the categories. This brought to light that the Production Planning system needed to be altered in order to maximise efficiencies and modified the planning process to develop weekly Production plans (or buckets), sequencing products based on their category from highest assembly times down to the lowest. These weekly plans were based on the available capacity within the assembly department and it was recognised that, if the base data of the product timings was accurate, then adherence to this weekly plan would equate to maximum efficiency. Therefore, the plan also provided a Performance Management aspect as adherence to the plan could be assessed at any time during the week.

This picture shows the assembly area set up for single piece flow and after a 5S implementation. The final assembly station is behind the Perspex screens to create a clean environment for the finishing operations.

"With many years of hands on experience, a logical thinker and someone who is able to communicate his advice, support and follow up in a clear and succinct manner, Ian was just what we needed."

MURRAY BOYT - OPERATIONS DIRECTOR AT LOVAIR

Hi-Tech Steel Services
Metal Processing

To assess the current process and apply appropriate Lean Manufacturing tools, techniques and performance measurement systems to achieve an efficiency improvement within the manufacturing processes.

Project Description:
Hi-Tech Steel Services had an ambitious 2-year Sales growth plan which would increase volumes of steel products produced at the factory by approximately 60%. Managing Director, Ian Gorman, was unsure as to whether the factory had the capacity to cope with the extra tonnage and appointed IW Process Solutions to work with his management team to identify potential barriers.

Given that the factory was crammed with Inventory in its many forms, the first step was to create a Value Stream Map to help identify the levels of Inventory and the root causes as to why the Inventory existed. This led to grouping of the issues into four categories. From this, individual projects were set by the Managing Director for the management team, each of which would impact upon the amount of Inventory.

The next step was to understand the Utilisation performance of the three key machines within the business as this was where additional capacity would be required to support the volume increase. A data collection system was developed to collect information as to the losses on the machines. Further projects were identified as a result of this data to reduce the highest contributing loss on each machine.

Additionally, a review was carried out of all orders/customers to identify problematic orders. For example, a number of customers ordered product of a material which caused the machine to run at around 35% of normal speed. Going forward, any orders sanctioned of this material were immediately sub-contracted out to protect the in-house capacity.

Finally, the focus shifted to labour utilisation, particularly in the Shearing department where manning levels were high. Several ideas were recommended which could potentially reduce manning levels significantly, thus further reducing Hi-Tech’s manufacturing costs.

This picture depicts the tonnages processed down the primary process routes with the Hi-Tech business.

This picture shows the issues arising from the Value Stream Map, grouped into the four categories.

This picture shows the Utilisation performance chart for one of the primary process routes.

This picture shows Value Stream map created by the management team for one of the primary process routes.

This picture shows the data collection system developed to collect information as to the losses on the machines.

The management team used the data collected to produce this Pareto chart highlighting the nature of the losses on this machine. This fed into the project identification for the management team to improve Utilisation.

"We had been wrestling with problems related to workflow in our 47,000 sq.ft. factory for some time. Then Ian came along and with his structured approach he introduced us to Value Stream Mapping. The results have been remarkable in both understanding and tackling the problems via the pictorial evidence. Our team is now fully motivated and savings are starting to accrue."

STEVE WELLS - CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER AT HI-TECH STEEL SERVICES

Cleland McIver
Household Textiles

To assess the current process and apply appropriate Lean Manufacturing tools and techniques to achieve a more efficient manufacturing operation.

Project Description:
Phase 1
For Operations Director, Paul Adams, something wasn’t quite right regarding his manufacturing costs. To provide the detailed information he required to confirm his suspicions, IW Process Solutions was commissioned to collect process data from all areas of the business as a Time & Motion study.

As well as collecting data, from observing the processes within the factory, IWPS were able to put forward a number of improvement recommendations to increase Productivity and reduce manufacturing costs even further. These were presented back to Cleland as a series of flip chart pages/email summaries which steadily grew as the project continued.

From the data collected, a final Target matrix was developed by IWPS which set the output targets achievable for all areas depending on the labour resource available and the configuration employed. Short Interval Control boards were introduced into several areas of the factory to drive performance in real time with significant impact.

These pictures show notations on flip chart paper of opportunities for improvement identified following analysis of the current process:

Phase 2
Towards the end of Phase 1, a restructuring of the Production Management team took place. A new Production Manager was identified but Paul Adams recognised that he required some further support if the opportunities from Phase 1 were to be fully delivered. IW Process Solutions were commissioned to mentor the new Manager through his initial 6 month period in the role to equip him with the necessary skills and knowledge to deliver the improvements. At the end of the 6 month period, significant improvement had been made in the majority of areas with all key metrics being on or above target.

"It was apparent something wasn't right, we could see that our efficiencies were reducing. I contacted Ian to discuss his thoughts in order to get an opinion from someone outside the business.

From the first meeting, Ian's knowledge and insight was obvious. Sometimes you just need to see it from another perspective. Ian is a vastly experienced consultant, and is extremely personable, which helps when you are trying to implement changes. Ian immediately had the team buying in to alternate ideas and the results speak for themselves.

We have only looked at one part of the business so far and already have plans to see how we can improve others. Ian delivered an insightful and very successful project - I would 100% recommend IWPS. Thanks Ian."

PAUL ADAMS - OPERATIONS DIRECTOR AT CLELAND McIVER

Renray Healthcare
Furniture Manufacturer

To mentor the Operational Management team to apply appropriate Lean Manufacturing tools and techniques to achieve a more efficient manufacturing operation in the Carcass Assembly area.

Project Objective:
The overall business objective was to manage the carcass manufacturing cell processes to world class lean standard. The aim of the project therefore was to mentor the Operational Management team to achieve the business objective.

Project Delivery:
Current State:
Renray Healthcare manufacture a wide range of furniture specifically for a range of Healthcare environments such as Hospitals and Care Homes. The carcass cell consisted of two CNC Router’s which fed up to eight Assembly benches with machined carcasses. Other components were added to the pallets of machined board such that the Assembly operatives received a “kit” which should allow the completion of the order for that item(s) of furniture. Typical issues occurring in the Current State:

Assembly area cluttered with a multitude of part finished products due to shortages. Poor stock accuracy in the Warehouse was a major factor contributing to this as orders were launched only to find components were missing.
Lots of componentry and consumables WIP held on the shop floor to “guard” against shortages
Assembly and CNC areas were untidy, dirty and shabby.
Efficiencies were extremely variable
High degree of manipulation required of the weekly plan by Operational management team.

This photograph shows the condition of the assembly area before the project commenced.

Future State:
To aid the visioning of what the Future State should look like, several key targets were set:

Improve the value stream to achieve a 20% reduction in labour costs
Single Piece Flow
- Ensure individuals in cabinet assembly completely assemble one product at a time.
- Man CNC machines and assembly benches for full shifts.
- Reduce WIP in front of assembly to initially 2 shifts and determine ideal level for the future.
Capacity Planning
- Match and plan assembly capacity to sales volumes, and only increase shifts in a controlled manner. Manage lead times in the same way as upholstery.
Planning
- Ensure adherence to plan and any change if required is carried out in an orderly manner.
- Issue weekly plans for each CNC which requires no manipulation.
- Issue weekly plans for each CNC which requires no orders to be skipped due to missing parts.
Efficiency
- Manage the Assembly process to meet standard assembly times at all times.
- When the CNC machines are running, minimum efficiency to be 80% of the full shift time. Deciding to shut machines down at lunch time is time lost. Staggered breaks and reliefs need to be considered.
- Investigate right first time rates and ensure any item that is started to be assembled is completed in 16 hours. (this assumes if parts need re-machining on the CNC's these are done in a planned way but within 16 hours to stop a build-up of part finished product in the assembly area)
- No programme should be run on the CNC unless all the parts required to assemble the product are on site.

The project was delivered in a number of Phases. Throughout each phase, following each visit, an action plan was created to drive the Operational Management team to progress

Phase 1 – Key performance Indicators (KPI’s)
A number of key performance indicators were agreed with the Operational Management team to establish baseline performance in a number of areas:

Assembly Weekly Efficiency measured against standard times
- Directly linked to Efficiency Target
CNC 1 and CNC 2 Efficiency performance (Uptime)
- Directly linked to Efficiency Target
CNC Downtime Causes
- Continuous Improvement
Cost per Minute performance
- Directly linked to Labour Reduction, Capacity Planning and Efficiency Targets

Notice boards were set up in the Assembly and CNC areas to display these charts on a weekly update basis.

Phase 2 – Material Control / Planning
The WIP holding area between CNC and Assembly was modified to limit the amount of pallets of work which could be held and CNC operatives directed to switch off if WIP capacity level reached. The area also included a “Fast-Track” lane for orders which had been skipped due to late delivered components.

Weekly Plan developed to split work between CNC1 and CNC2. System set up for Warehouse Manager to review weekly plan before issuing to advise as to which orders did not have all components available on site so those orders had to be skipped. List of missing items fed back immediately to Procurement for them to chase. Number of shortages reduced drastically throughout the project due to work done by the Procurement team.

Phase 3 – Layout
Assembly area was disorganised so the layout of the area was changed to accommodate “Standardised” workstations set out in the most effective way.

Phase 4 – Workplace Organisation
Having developed standardised workstation layout, the area was cleaned, painted and re-demarcated. New stock shelving units were built as part of the standardised workstation which were set out using a two-bin Kanban system with daily replenishment carried out on all workstations by Warehouse personnel. The introduction of the Kanban system allowed:

The elimination of a paper-based ordering system which the assemblers had to write out and take through to the warehouse in order to get parts, thus improving efficiency.
The removal from the shop floor of significant levels of WIP which gave the Warehouse greater potential for stock accuracy.

To support the project throughout, operatives were trained in Lean Awareness and the 5S Workplace Organisation methodology to develop an understanding of the changes planned and the reasons why.

These photographs show the Assembly area following its re-organisation. The workbenches are standardised and each have a storage rack which incorporates a shadow board for tools.

"Ian is a Lean consultant who has worked with a wide variety of manufacturing businesses to support, train and implement Lean processes and thinking into their working methodologies. That was exactly what we were looking for and Ian has delivered exactly what we needed. He possesses the ability to communicate with all levels of the business to communicate his ideas and engage people in the improvement process.

I found Ian's approach to be extremely logical and the use of a structured approach to denoting actions and accountability with our Operational Management team was instrumental in effecting change. This ensured that the project maintained impetus. I would highly recommend Ian to other companies."

GRAHAM SILMAN - MANAGING DIRECTOR AT RENRAY HEALTHCARE

Astec Precision Engineering
Precision Component Machining

To assist the Company in generating additional machine capacity to support increasing Sales through application of the appropriate Lean Manufacturing tools and techniques.

Background:
Astec Precision Engineering manufacture a range of micro and miniature precision turned parts for high specification industries. All parts are manufactured in accordance with customer and aerospace specifications from materials as diverse as nickel alloys, chrome alloys, copper alloys, stainless steels and high chrome content steels. The business employs 48 people and has a Sales Turnover of £3.4M, which is growing around 30% year on year.

Project Objective:
There is significant potential for the business to expand as there is increasing demand for its products and services within current markets. To facilitate this, the company needs to create additional capacity through a series of operational projects which would then serve as a basis for future improvements delivering tighter control of costs/margins.

Project Delivery:
The project focused on the introduction of lean tools and techniques, driven by the workforce and moving towards a culture of continuous improvement, through a series of workshops and hands on training sessions. The project was aimed at three key areas:

5S Workplace Organisation
Structuring KPI’s and monitoring Shop Floor Performance linked into the daily production meeting.
Change Over reduction programme – SMED

As a basis for the project, all Astec employees received training in the basic Lean manufacturing principles. This created a common understanding as to what opportunities for improvement existed and laid the foundation for the implementation of SMED and 5S.

All Astec machine shop operatives received training in SMED. Following the training, the operatives implemented the methodology and derived a number of opportunities to reduce the changeover times. Using data on average number of changeovers per week and the average changeover reduction identified during the training, the potential additional capacity which could be released equates to 1470 hours per year. The photographs below show the analysis carried out by the teams and the identification of the opportunities for improvement.

All Astec employees received training in 5S Workplace Organisation. The methodology was implemented in two areas of the factory. This photograph shows one of those areas after the training and a 5S Workshop in the area.

During the project, the potential move to a new site arose. A number of days of the project were re-directed to lead a team to develop a Lean layout for the new site. This photograph shows the Future State layout developed by the team using the principles learnt in earlier training sessions.

A set of shop floor key performance indicators, based on the SQCDP format, were created and introduced into the business..

Next Steps:
The company are starting preparations for the move to the new site. Ahead of this move, items/areas which do not meet the desired organisational standard to be introduced on the new site will be identified and rectified so that anything below standard will not be transferred. The training received by all personnel will be built upon as the management team endeavour to shape/drive expected post move behaviours throughout the business ahead of the move.

"Ian came on site and it was if he had been in the business all his life, he instinctively knew his way around the hot topics and adapted well to situations. His training and people skills were fantastic. As a business we learned a great deal and will soon be engaging with Ian for the next phase of the improvement process. I would have no hesitation recommending Ian as someone who can come in and help implement improved methods of work to benefit your organisation. Thank you Ian, see you soon."

CRAIG HYSLOP - MANAGING DIRECTOR AT ASTEC PRECISION ENGINEERING

Pinewood Associates
Office Screen Manufacturer

To assist the Company in improving operational efficiencies to support increasing Sales through application of the appropriate Lean Manufacturing tools and techniques.

Background:
Pinewood Associates Ltd have been successfully manufacturing quality Display Boards and Office Screens for reseller clients within the Education Supplies, Office Furniture, Stationery and Exhibition Industry for over 20 years. Increasing demand for its products had created a number of problems for the Management team and they approached IW Process Solutions to identify possible changes to increase productivity in line with the rising number of orders.

Project Objective:
To assess the current manufacturing processes and introduce changes to increase productivity and eliminate waste through the application of Lean Manufacturing Tools and Techniques.

Project Delivery:
The project was delivered in a number of phases which were prioritised by the Pinewood team, in relation to the differing levels of increased demand being experienced by the various manufacturing sections within the factory. A number of Lean Manufacturing techniques were to be used across the factory to create the Future State layout needed to improve efficiencies:

Cellular Manufacturing
Line Balancing/Single Piece Flow Implementation
Visual Process Management
Kanban Stock Control Procedures
Demand Levelling
5S Workplace Organisation

Current State:
The product experiencing the highest level of increased demand was Office Screens. This was a multi-stage process which had stations spread across the shop floor and a batch system was employed at each stage. Assembly personnel would move about from stage to stage as and when batches were completed at a stage. At the end of each day, production would stop to facilitate the packing of all the product produced that day ready for collection by courier.

There were two other primary manufacturing centres, one which focused on Aluminium framed product and another which produced PVC framed product.

Each manufacturing centre was supplied with wood, aluminium and PVC parts in various standard lengths from a Cutting area at one end of the factory. This area was continually under pressure with demand for parts coming from multiple centres at the same time. Occasionally, this led to production in one or more centres stopping waiting for parts to be cut. It had also forced the business to consider recruiting additional resource for this area.

At the other end of the factory was a Packing centre which packaged the Aluminium and PVC products manufactured each day.

Three sides of the factory were racked out to hold stocks of packaging, covering materials (rolls), accessories etc etc.

This photograph shows the adhesive application machine used in the process of manufacturing office screens. Some of the completed frames waiting to be processed can be seen stored in the racking behind the machine.

This photograph shows the Material Covering table following the application of the adhesive. The roll of material can be seen at the head of the table waiting to be rolled out over the frame.

Future State:
Office Screens:
The team were trained in the principles of Lean Manufacturing, focusing on line balancing and single piece flow, and then tasked with considering what changes they could make to their process based on what they'd learnt. Immediately they could see the relevance and a three stage process was developed, with two people permanently assigned to each stage (a saving of one person from the Current State). The work content was divided up so that each stage took approximately the same time so that single piece flow could be introduced. Additionally, the work content of stage 3 included the packaging of the product, thus extending the amount of time each day that could be spent producing. By the end of the training day, the team had marked out on the shop floor where all of the machines, assembly tables and parts were to be located to create a Flow line.
Once the layout changes had been made and the team settled with the new working methods, a Short Interval Control board was introduced to provide a visual display of the teams performance against target on an hour-by-hour basis.

Aluminium & PVC:
The creation of the Office Screens Flow line on one side of the factory then facilitated the moving of the other two manufacturing centres alongside it to create three Value Streams side-by-side. It also allowed the Packing Centre to be incorporated into the central factory area thus freeing the fourth side of the factory to be racked out for additional storage if required as volumes continued to grow and grow. Additionally, by moving these two manufacturing centres closer to the Cutting area, it significantly reduced the distance needing to be travelled delivering/collecting parts. A similar process management system to that employed in Office Screens, the Short Interval Control board, was planned to be introduced into these two centres.

Cutting Area:
To further reduce the pressure upon the Cutting area, a series of kanbans were created between the Cutting area and each Value Stream which would hold approximately 4 hours worth of all the various standard lengths of parts each Value Stream used. The parts were loaded into the kanbans on the Cutting side and emptied from the Value Stream side further reducing any travelling associated with delivering parts meaning more cutting time for the Cutter. The empty kanban was easily visible to the Cutter and would signal that this part would need replenishing but it meant that no "immediate" demand would be placed on the Cutting area from any Value Stream allowing the Cutter to plan what he needed to cut and when. Also, no production stoppages waiting for parts would occur.
Additonally, since Office Screens were the biggest growth area, another technique was used to average out the demand for parts for this Value Stream to control the time spent daily on parts for this Value Stream. The following spreadsheet shows how the seven months of Sales data was analysed and broken down to quantities used on average during a day to attempt to level the demand on the Cutting area for wooden parts:

Across the size range of Office Screen sold, it was calculated how many pieces of each part length were used in each product and multiplied by the amount of screens sold of that size over the seven months. This then gave the total number of each individual piece length used in all of the screens sold in the period, the column headed "7 monthly". This amount would automatically include the surge in Sales experienced by the business up to that point. From this total amount, a daily average was calculated and 10% added to allow for further growth in Sales. The 10% column therefore represents the levelled demand for wooden parts for the Cutting area. Finally, a "Safety" amount was calculated to cover for daily fluctuations in sizes sold to cover worst case scenario.

As a result of these changes, the business shelved plans to recruit additional resource for the Cutting Area.

Workplace Organisation:
To raise the standard of tidiness and cleanliness throughout the factory, all staff were trained in the 5S methodology and then given time to apply the methodology to their work areas.

"From the very first moment Ian saw the shop floor, it was obvious that he could see the opportunities for improvement and had a vision as to what our Future State would look like. The Flow Line Ian introduced with the team continues to deliver increased outputs and Productivity benefits."

LYN BOARDMAN - OPERATIONS DIRECTOR AT PINEWOOD ASSOCIATES

JTape Limited
Consumable Tape Manufacturer

To assist the Company in improving operational efficiencies to support increasing Sales along with the enhancement of the Quality Management System in line with the IATF 16949 accreditation.

Background:
JTape Ltd have been successfully manufacturing adhesive solutions for automotive bodyshops since 2003. The company have been experiencing year-on-year growth in Sales and had strategically decided that further growth could be achieved with the IATF 16949 accreditation. IW Process Solutions were approached to identify possible changes to increase productivity in line with the expected increase in orders, and through the use of a suitably skilled sub-Contractor, enhance the Quality Management System in line with the IATF 16949 standard.

Project Objective:
The overall business objective was to ready the organisation in all areas for an application for the IATF 16949 accreditation. The project was split into two primary sections:

1. To augment the Quality Management System within the business to encapsulate the required elements
  prescribed by the IATF 16949 standard.

2. To introduce Lean thinking into the manufacturing processes to improve efficiencies and create an
  infrastructure within the Operations function which met the requirements set out in IATF 16949.

Project Delivery:
In the following section, Current State describes the condition at the start of the project whilst Future State describes the actions implemented and the targeted condition.

1. Quality Management System (QMS)
Current State:
The company were accredited to the ISO 9001 standard before the project commenced. However, a comprehensive Gap Analysis was conducted of the current system against the IATF standard. This highlighted that a lot of work was required to bring the system up to the standard of ISO 9001 expected by IATF to provide the foundations upon which the IATF 16949 standard is based upon.

Future State:
Initial support was therefore focussed upon correcting the deficiencies in the ISO 9001 system. Once this had been achieved, regular reviews were carried out using the Gap Analysis as the datum to action the organisation to further modify the QMS such that it would meet the criteria dictated by all the clauses of the IATF 16949 standard. This work involved members from many Departments within the business, driven by the recently recruited Quality Manager, to ensure a unified approach across all business functions.

2. Lean Introduction
JTape manufacture and distribute all over the world an extensive range of innovative tape products into diverse sectors which includes: automotive, marine, aerospace, rail, construction and industrial. The factory is divided into several sections based upon the machines within the area. Each machine has its own methodology and various products from the range produced on them.

The Lean Introduction focused on four key aspects of the manufacturing operation:

i) Manufacturing Methodologies
A number of areas were observed to understand the methodology employed and the number of people involved. In most cases, an opportunity for improvement was identified through the application of Lean principles. Trials were carried out with the operatives to establish the new methodology. The new methods were documented in a Standard Operating Procedure in line with IATF 16949 requirements. Examples from the areas observed were:
Ident 1 Machine
Current State:
An operative ran the machine to produce the rolls of tape. These were then stored on a trolley. When enough trolleys were full, an extra two operatives were seconded to the area to then pack the rolls into the packaging format required. Timings were taken for a batch of 500 rolls to be produced on the machine and then the same 500 rolls to be packed. Total man hours for the batch were 24 minutes 44 seconds.
Future State:
A manufacturing cell was arranged such that all the packaging materials were on hand by the machine as well as a packing table. The new method required a slight reduction in machine speed to facilitate the machine operative packing the rolls in line whilst the machine was cycling on the next product. A batch of 500 were trialled through the cell and were completed in 13 minutes 40 seconds.
Another benefit of this method was that other operations did not have to be shut down to provide the resource for the packing activity, as was often the case.

Packing Section
Current State:
Three operatives were involved in the Packing process. One operative fed rolls into a wrapping machine and the conveyor took the wrapped roll through a shrink tunnel. A second operative took the roll as it came out of the shrink tunnel and stacked them into piles on the packing table. When the table was full, the rolls were unstacked and labelled, then re-stacked into the amounts required for the final packaging. A third operative helped with the labelling as did the feeder who came from the front of the line to assist. These stacks were then packed. Timings were taken for a batch of 500 rolls and the time to complete with the three operatives was 100 minutes.
Future State:
The feeder operative remained in place full time continually feeding rolls in at the front end. A timing mark was made on the conveyor belt to set an interval between rolls arriving out of the shrink tunnel. The second operative took the roll from the outfeed conveyor and applied the label. This was then placed on the table until a stack of the right quantity was achieved. This stack was then moved to the third operative who, whilst waiting, had made up the packaging and labelled it. All three operatives remained fixed in place with a fixed work content. A batch of 500 were trialled through the section using this method and they were completed in 34 minutes.
Following this trial, the Production Manager undertook to standardise all Packaging formats to suit this new methodology.

Guzetti Machine
Current State:
An operator ran the Guzetti machine to produce the rolls of tape. These were transported via conveyors to a wrapping machine where multiple rolls were collated and wrapped. These were then conveyored to a second operative who packed the product into the packaging format required. The wrapping machine constrained the speed of the Guzetti machine. Additionally, extra time was lost on both machines whilst the two operatives pre-made the outer packaging boxes to allow the packer operative to keep up.
Future State:
It was observed that the arrangement and location of the packing process was disorganised and inefficient. It was moved in line with the conveyor and the area around it organised to support the process. By doing this, the packing operative was able to keep up with the rate of product from the wrapping machine without the need for pre-making packaging boxes thus saving the downtime previously incurred doing this. Further improvement in time would allow the speed of the wrapping machine to be increased which would also facilitate a speed increase of the Guzetti machine.

ii) Performance Management
At the commencement of the project, there was no formal continuous improvement strategy within the business and although an appraisal system is in place, no performance data was collected from the operational processes. Additionally, there were no key performance indicators (KPI’s) in place at any level of the business.
To provide a foundation for a more focused performance management system, and a basis for continuous improvement, a three-tiered KPI structure has been introduced into the company:

Business KPI's: ON TIME IN FULL; SALES; QUALITY

Operational KPI's: ON TIME IN FULL; SAFETY; WASTAGE; UPTIME; EFFICIENCY

Process KPI's: MACHINE EFFICIENCIES

To support this structure, a Continuous Improvement Action Plan sits alongside the Operational KPI’s to document any actions arising from the KPI structure introduced.

iii) Workplace Organisation
Current State:
The standard of cleanliness and organisation within the factory is far below what would be expected. The photographs below illustrate the condition in most areas:

Future State:
Working through one area at a time, applying Workplace Organisation principles of “ a place for everything and everything in its place”, the factory was de-cluttered and cleaned, tidied and organised to an improved standard. Once all areas had achieved an interim standard, a photographic audit was carried out for each area highlighting where further work was required. A secondary improvement programme was initiated to take each area to the required standard in line with best practice.

iv) Process Control
Current State:
No shop floor data capture took place and process outputs were known but not used for continuous improvement. No key performance indicators existed.
Future State:
A number of techniques were introduced in order to create an infrastructure that would drive performance:
- Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s)
Once the Future State methodology had been created, this was then documented in an SOP which was included into the Work Order
  documentation launched for every job carried out in the factory. The document included information setting out which raw materials
  and packaging were to be used, expected output data as well as the step by step process definition.
- Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s)
Performance data from all processes captured and used to create a machine efficiency KPI.
- Process Audits
A process audit was introduced, to be carried out twice per 12 hour shift, whereby the Supervisor would spend time in each area that was
  manned on that shift. The audit would direct the Supervisor to check the process for the following:
- Are the correct materials and packaging being used?
- Does the product quality meet customer specification?
- Is the Operative following the Standard Operating Procedure?
- Is the process producing at the expected rate of output?
- Is the machine on schedule to deliver the Production Plan?
- Is the Workplace Organisation of the area to standard?

Project Outputs:
i) Manufacturing Methodologies

Productivity Improvements achieved from the application of Lean principles:
- Ident 1 45% [Additional Benefit: Improved space utilisation (no trolleys and no separate packing area)]
- Packing 65%
- Guzetti 15% [Additional Benefits: Improved space utilisation (no pre-made boxes filling area) and increased uptime due to not having to pre-make boxes]
- Advance 10%
- Double R 15%

Increased Capacity:
Due to the productivity improvements, and better labour utilisation, extra capacity has been created. During the period of the project, this has led to a significant increase in Sales Turnover.

ii) Performance Management
KPI structure providing greater focus on results and driving continuous improvement.

iii) Workplace Organisation
The introduction of Workplace Organisation principles will drastically improve the appearance of the factory and will contribute to improved efficiencies in all areas.

iv) Process Control
The process control structure introduced will contribute to reduced wastage and over time, should reduce non-conforming product being manufactured.

"Ian’s influence throughout the project has brought about significant changes within our business. Increased efficiencies have been realised and from the work that he has done, we have seen other ideas being generated from our teams as to further improvements. The appearance of the factory is vastly different following his intervention and we now have the foundations in place to drive our business forward to bigger and better things."

RAY RICHARDSON - FINANCE DIRECTOR AT JTAPE LIMITED

Northern Hi-Tec Limited
Electronics Design and Manufacture

To assist the Company in improving operational efficiencies to support significant volume increase from a customer.

Background:
Northern Hi-Tec (NHT) specialise in the provision of an integrated electronics’ design and manufacture services to their customers, working across multiple sectors both nationally and internationally, such as: aerospace, automotive, communications, computing, defence, industrial, medical, oil, gas and scientific instrumentation. This includes a range of activities from electronics’ design consultancy through to PCB assembly services and full turnkey manufacture and test solutions.

Within the sub-contract assembly area, one customer was looking for NHT to ramp up production of their product from circa 75 per week to 200 per week. Additionally, a second variant of this product was in the final stages of design and demand for this product was expected to match the first product. IW Process Solutions was asked to provide support to introduce the necessary changes to layout and manufacturing methods which would facilitate the ramp up of both products to meet customer demand.

Project Objective:
The overall business objective was to introduce appropriate manufacturing methodologies to enable the customer to ramp up production of two products in line with customer demand, achieving maximum efficiency and cost effectiveness.

Project Delivery:
Current State: Layout
The manufacturing process for the existing product, Variant 1, was set out in a room within the sub-assembly building. One quarter of the space in this room was dedicated to another product (Robot Area). The various stages of the process for Variant 1 were spread around the remaining space within the room and included several sub-assembly benches where certain parts of the process, such as manufacture of the battery cell, were carried out. Some processes were duplicated on multiple benches to facilitate multiple personnel carrying out the same sub-assembly stage at the same time. Due to the batch system in operation, most of the space in the room was given over to holding work-in-progress either on a multitude of small trolleys or on dedicated product storage benches.

The original layout of the process is illustrated below. The storage trolleys are not shown as these may potentially be in different parts of the room at any time during the day, depending upon which process steps were manned and which weren’t:

Current State: Method
The manufacturing process for Variant 1 was manned with three people, with additional resource provided by the Area Supervisor on an ad hoc basis. A batch system was in place with the three operatives moving from station to station as and when required. This resulted in levels of work-in-progress flexing throughout the process stages, building up significantly after a manned step until resource was allocated to the next process step at which time the level would start to reduce but would be building up elsewhere in the process. Significant levels of overtime were being worked to try and get as much product out to the customer as possible on a weekly basis.

There were several constraints within the process which added complexity and were significant contributors to the current methodology being as it was:

The product was to be used in a moist environment and therefore had to be water tight. To achieve this, approved sealing compounds had to be inserted into certain parts of the assembly which, when cured, would provide the required resistance to the ingress of moisture. The curing time for one of these compounds, UR5597, used at two different stages of the assembly process, was 16 hours.
The dispenser for UR5597 was in a small, enclosed section of the room (the blue bench in the illustration above). This meant that all product requiring this compound at the two different steps of the process had to be transported into this enclosed section and back again. Alternatively, bags of compound were used which were inefficient and more costly.
Parts supply to support the assembly process was not always achieved. This included parts supplied from

- external suppliers (eg wiring)
- internal suppliers (eg PCB’s)
- customer issued parts (eg enclosures)
This dictated at times what process steps could be manned, and when, and significantly contributed to the levels of work-in-progress
in the process.

All these factors resulted in an unpredictable output in terms of completed units and a lot of expediting and stress in achieving the output.

Future State: Method
To create a manufacturing system which would reliably deliver 200 units per week of Variant 1 efficiently and with minimum stress and overtime, and could also apply to Variant 2 when it was introduced, the project needed to focus on several key elements in parallel:

1. Manufacturing Methodology
The first step in determining the foundations of a manufacturing system is to translate Customer Demand in terms of how often a product is required to be produced to achieve the target number. This is the takt time for the product. When planned breaks were removed, it was determined that there were 36.5 productive hours in the normal working week, which equated to 2190 minutes. Therefore, a product was required every 11 minutes to meet demand. Additionally, it meant that any stage of the process could not take longer than 11 minutes as it would “bottleneck” the entire process and demand would not be met.

The second step was to understand the build process and establish the work content in terms of a standard time for every element of it, including all the sub-assembly operations. This data facilitated the splitting of the overall work content into “portions”, each of which were 11 minutes or under. Within the “portions”, all the sub-assembly operations were incorporated. When this was complete, the information determined that two additional operatives would be needed to reach the 200 per week target. Recruitment was initiated. When recruited, the new people did not have to learn all the build process straight away, just their “portion”, so they were competent in a much shorter period than normal.

Lastly, the layout required to support the future state methodology was developed. The process steps were brought closer together and a single piece/batch system introduced. Each process step had a dedicated person allocated who did not have to move to any other station. The batch system was only applicable to the steps where sealing compound was inserted. Additional dispensing equipment was purchased to eliminate the need for bagged compound and an oven created in the enclosed section of the room (this was an output from the work carried out looking into Curing Times – see below).

The layout for Variant 1 is illustrated below. The space saving was significant and the other half of the room could then potentially accommodate the Variant 2 process at a later date.

Future State: Layout 1

2. Curing Times

The 16-hour cure time for UR5597 compound was a major barrier to introducing flow into the process and being able to reduce the amount of work-in-progress found in the Current State, as well as achieving the target output.

A brainstorming session with the Technical team within the business generated the idea that heat usually had an impact in making things “set” quicker. The technical team conducted several experiments and concluded that if product could be held at around 50ºC, compound UR5597 would be “set” sufficiently after two hours to allow the product to be further processed.

This led to the creation of an oven within the assembly room by boarding out and insulating the enclosed section which originally had housed the compound dispenser. Heaters were purchased which blew hot air into the oven space from outside as and when needed to maintain the 50ºC threshold.

The manufacturing methodology was modified such that single piece flow was in operation from stages 1 to 3, except for the dispensing of the sealing compounds included in the Stage 3 “portion” of work content. The 11-minute takt time and the two-hour cure time in the oven equated to a batch size of 12 units being the most effective to optimise the flow as best as possible.

New trolleys (shown in red in the layout above) were acquired which would accommodate the batch size and could be wheeled into and out of the oven easily. The two “portions” of the process where compound UR5597 was dispensed, stages 1 & 3, loaded the batch onto the trolleys and deposited them into the oven. A timing system was set up so that an alarm sounded when the two-hour cycle was complete so the relevant stage of the process could then remove that batch and progress with the product towards completion.

3. Parts Supply

For the flow line to work effectively and eliminate the need for people to move around from station to station, constancy of supply of parts was crucial. The following improvements were made to try and achieve this:

External Suppliers - originally, NHT had single-sourced externally several of the components not supplied directly by the customer. Efforts to find secondary suppliers were initiated, which after a short time were successful.

Internal Suppliers - A weekly meeting was initiated for the Area Supervisor with the Production Manager in charge of PCB manufacturing process to set out the part requirements for the following week and agree a delivery schedule.

Customer Supplied - A similar remote meeting was initiated with the appropriate person at the Customer to agree the delivery schedule of their parts to NHT

As these three elements were being progressed, outputs started to increase, and the new methodology become more understood which started to reduce the amount of expediting required. A more stable delivery performance started to materialise and after a period, the weekly target of 200 units of Variant 1 was being achieved.
It was during this period that Variant 2 was released into Production. The same approach was used to determine the manufacturing methodology as for Variant 1. The product was simpler to manufacture as feedback from the assembly process for Variant 1 had been incorporated into the design of Variant 2, resulting in a smaller amount of work content necessary to manufacture the product.

The takt time for this product was the same as for Variant 1, 11 minutes, since the demand quantity was the same in the same working time.
The lower amount of work content meant that less assembly operatives were needed to achieve the target output of 200 units per week.
This product used the same sealing compounds, and therefore could “share” the dispensers and oven used for Variant 1.

The space saving from setting up the Variant 1 layout was developed to accommodate the layout for Variant 2, illustrated below. Variant 2 workstations are shown in green and the trolleys as purple.

Future State: Layout 2

Project Outputs:
The benefits arising from this project are:

Productivity Improvement
Current State – approximately 25 units per person per week
Future State – approximately 40 units per person per week [60% Improvement]

Space Utilisation
Current State – approximately 90% of the available space
Future State – approximately 60% of the available space [30% Improvement]

On Time In Full Delivery
Current State (75 units) – approximately 75%
Future State (200 units) – approximately 95% [20% Improvement]

"Ian’s encouraging & friendly style of project management soon won the support of the manufacturing team and he took them on a journey which reviewed a current state map and compared that with a future state requirement and worked out with the team the necessary output quantities and design flow for each key stage of the process.

We would like to thank Ian for his help and guidance with this project and would highly recommend Ian to anyone who has any type of manufacturing process challenge which would benefit from a fresh pair of experienced eyes………….it will pay you dividends."

GARY HEWITT - MANAGING DIRECTOR AT NORTHERN HI-TEC LIMITED

Force Technology Limited
Precision Compression Spring Manufacturer

To assist the Company in improving business process efficiencies to achieve increased growth targets.

Background:
Force Technology is a specialist in the global manufacturer of precision compression springs for automotive, marine, rail, construction, powergen and aerospace industries. It was established in 2015 and has seen 7 years of continuous growth due to its reputation for very high quality. It holds quality approvals for IATF16949 Automotive and AS9100 Aerospace as well as numerous company awards.

Force Technology, after several years of persistent high levels of growth, wished to further develop its approach to Lean manufacturing and operational culture and standard working practices, to help improve manufacturing efficiencies and on time deliveries.

Project Objective:
The overall business objective was to review all business processes to enable the company to improve efficiencies and achieve its increased growth targets.

Project Delivery:
The project was delivered through several phases:

Phase 1 - Process Mapping
The key business processes involved in converting a customer enquiry through to manufacture and delivery to the customer were Process Mapped using a Swim Lane approach. This highlighted an assortment of issues that had arisen right throughout the process on multiple occasions. Once the Current State Map had been completed, the issues identified were discussed and actions agreed as to improvements to implement to prevent reoccurrence of these issues. These actions were assigned to members of the Mapping team and progression meetings scheduled fortnightly to ensure completion in a timely manner.

Within a few months of completing the Process Map, the Company achieved it’s highest ever monthly Sales performance.

Phase 2 - 5S
The Company had previously implemented 5S throughout the Factory but had been experiencing a slippage with regard to the standards of organisation and tidiness for a period of time.

Several Workshops were delivered to the entire workforce to re-stimulate and refresh everybody’s understanding of the technique and the need to re-establish the previous standards.

5S implementation was given as an action to all Team Leaders/Supervisors for their areas to progress and attain the status whereby all areas had a set of Visual standards in place and daily activities identified to maintain that standard. Elements of 5S status checking were included in the kamishibai system for the Team Leaders/Supervisors.

Phase 3 - SMED
A Workshop was delivered to train members of the Coiling team as to the basic principles of SMED.

Immediately after the training, the team reviewed a video of a changeover which had been carried out the week before the Workshop. The team assessed the video and applied the theory learned during the training to the changeover process and identified a number of improvements that could be made to reduce the changeover time.

A potential 42% reduction in changeover time was identified. If this were to be achieved on all changeovers, which typically numbered 40-50 per week, the additional capacity that this would create could potentially generate another £400,000 in Sales. Some investment would be required for some of the improvement suggestions but there were a number which could immediately be rolled out to the rest of the team and implemented.

Phase 4 - Process Control/Standard Work
There were two primary techniques introduced to focus the management team upon controlling the process on an ongoing basis and prioritising improvement activities:

Kamishibai System

A Kamishibai system is a visual management technique which provides a simple but ideal and effective method for structuring standard routines or tasks in the factory based upon a person’s responsibilities and accountabilities. The technique defines what the standard routines or tasks are for each level of the management team and ensures that they are carried out at set times daily. These routines or tasks are all aimed to ensure that what is actually happening within the process is what is supposed to be happening and are primarily focused on the Inputs to the Process (People; Parts; Plant) using the Gemba 4P methodology. Are we on plan? Are we producing at the required rate? Are we producing scrap? Do we have the necessary resources?

As we move up the management structure towards Director level, an increasing number of the routines or tasks are aimed at ensuring that the Kamishibai system at the level below is being conducted correctly and in a timely manner. In this way, there should be nothing that occurs that isn’t planned as the process is being continually monitored.

2. War Room
The War Room is an area of the Factory where all process related information is kept such as Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s), Safety related data etc etc. It is often structured using a SQCDP (Safety; Quality; Cost; Delivery; People) format focussing on the Outputs from the Process. It becomes the hub for meetings and for the prioritisation of Continuous Improvement activity.

Once the War Room had been created, a two tier meeting approach was adopted:

Tier 1

Tier 1 meetings were held weekly. Attending these meetings were the Production Manager and the direct reports from each area of the Factory (Team Leaders/Supervisors). The agenda for the meeting was to review the previous week’s performance in terms of achieving the plan that had been set at the previous week’s Tier 1 meeting. The forthcoming week’s plan would then be discussed to ensure everybody was aware of each other’s responsibilities and their own targets to be achieved.

Tier 2

Tier 2 meetings were held monthly. Attending these meetings were the full management team. The agenda for these meetings were a review of process performance, individuals feedback as to progress with actions from the last meeting and prioritisation of Continuous Improvement activity for the forthcoming period. Findings from the kamishibai system from all levels would be part of the discussions at these meetings.

Project Benefits:
The benefits arising from this project so far are:

Capacity Improvement
30% volume growth in 9 months since the start of the project.

On Time In Full Delivery
10% improvement in OTD performance to 95%+ on a consistent basis.

"Ian’s support has been tremendous. He can work at all levels of the business, and he is very intuitive. His wealth of operational experience have made a huge impact at Force, and he is clearly one of the North West’s most experienced “gurus” in the practice Lean Manufacturing. We look forward to spending many more years working together to continuously improve and develop our business."

STEVE WILLIAMS - MANAGING DIRECTOR AT FORCE TECHNOLOGY LIMITED

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