Automotive-138

The Situation:

A major supplier of tools for the automotive industry was struggling to schedule work orders effectively, complete work orders on time and generate meaningful, actionable metrics on the shop floor’s performance.

The Driver Goal:

Implement shop floor controls, visual displays and a system for managing to provide all managers with actionable reporting to reduce manufacturing cycle time, optimize shop floor productivity and improve manufacturing fill rates.

Actions Taken:

• Developed and implemented a System for Managing, including visual display boards that provide management with daily snapshots of the status of each work center and weekly trend graphs of work center performance including Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and Schedule Attainment
• Implemented a daily work center scheduling program requiring lead persons to assign and follow up on work
• Developed OEE reports and Schedule Attainment reporting by combining data from several operational systems
• Improved the capacity planning process with manufacturing by enhancing existing reports
• Implemented a weekly Planning and Operations Meeting designed to improve communication, discuss potential problems, enhance scheduling, reduce overloaded work centers and improve on time delivery to the warehouse
• Modified main work centers for improved planning and eliminated multiple queues in the same work center to reduce cycle time through the shop
• Completed an operator skills flexibility matrix and training plan
• Developed roles and responsibilities for operators, leads, and supervisors
• Implemented downtime reporting for the machine shop

• All management and supervision trained on the use of the system for managing
• Completed training on SMED for supervisors and operators
• Manufacturing manager boasts that “For the first time since Baan was implemented in 1999, we finally have measurements we can use to manage the business again.”