Flow Manufacturing is all about seamlessly linking value adding processes to collapse the amount of time it takes to reliably and predictably produce and deliver quality products.
With flow comes a building of internal resource capabilities, improved equipment and process reliability, a robust performance management system to help ensure sustainability, and a consistent meeting of your organization’s goals.
Net result = improved profitability and ROI.
We can help you remove waste from your processes and better orchestrate your people, material and information flows. Our experienced consultants work closely with you and your teams to build your Flow Manufacturing How-To Playbook and implement.
Developed from four decades of lean implementations, we will load your Playbook with a collection of demonstrated improvement practices that increase speed, flexibility, and reliability, to help you get consistently better. For both the discrete and process manufacturer, that means eliminating the waste associated with making and transforming products, and the streamlining of overall administrative functions to rid them of the non-value adding activities inherent in their processes.
In concert with you, we will develop a manageable flow action plan to optimize your end-to-end value streams [suppliers to processes to customers] enabling you to achieve the lowest possible cost to produce while delivering the highest possible value to your customers.
Contact us to learn more about how we can help you with the How-To of Flow Manufacturing.
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Additional trainings and implementation services you might find of interest:
Case Study
Manufacturing Lead Time Reduction
Company: Leading Manufacturer/Distributor of Office Specialty Products
Length: 12 Months
Objectives: Reduce manufacturing lead time 20% for all core products.
Major Project Activities:
- Extensive operations assessment with remedial actions
- Series of Lean management trainings for 20 Managers
- Critical mass employee training in Changeover Reduction (SMED)
- Cell Design and Visual Workplace
- Facilitated numerous kaizen events
- Established audit process with countermeasures checklist
- Prescriptive consulting, coaching, and mentoring activities
Key Outcomes:
- Core products lead time cut by >25%
- Changeover reduced by 90% on target equipment
- Overall output up 20%
- Seasonal demand met without increasing labor cost
Case Study
Lean Business Processes Implementation
Company: Manufacturer of Specialty Hose and Hose Fittings
Engagement: 4 years
Objective: Implement lean manufacturing in production and the office environment; 6 facilities.
Approach:
- Facilitate lean strategy planning and deployment
- Extensive employee training in core lean improvement techniques
- Site-specific plant layout reconfiguration to accommodate product flow
- Train-the-Trainer Certification in Achieving Quick Changeover, Visual Workplace, and Autonomous Maintenance
- Facilitate numerous production and office small-group problem-solving workshops
- Project management coaching
Outcome:
- Key value stream lead times reduced by 30%
- Value adding ratios improved >500%
- Changeover improved ~50%
- Order entry time reduced ~30%
Case Study
Quick Changeover (SMED) Global Implementation
Company: Leading Manufacturer of Consumer Products (Hygiene-Infant Care)
Engagement: 5 years
Objective: Achieve minimal changeover/make-ready time on all value streams, consistent with high quality standards, at the lowest possible cost.
Approach:
- Develop customized Achieving Quick Changeover workshop
- Deliver 200+ Achieving Quick Changeover training events
- Train 3,000+ employees throughout Asia, EU, South America, and USA
Outcome: Results confidential
