How to speed up production and make it more efficient

Client context

The need was to reduce the Production Interval (PI) from 19 days to 10 days, in a context of increasing customer demand with new export sales. 

Initial findings revealed the following loss-making factors:

• Time wasted in finding the right parts (delivery of large crates of different parts to the edge of the line).
• Journeymen would go to the logistics store themselves to replenish their supplies of hardware and cutting tools, or when a part was missing.
• Workers changed shifts and products in progress remained stationary, as production was organized in Docks.
• Ergonomics/safety: risk of falling, high-rise workstations not secured.

Support put into place

• Line up the workshop. This was done in conjunction with the journeymen: we took all the instruction sheets that had been annotated by the journeymen for years, and created a product sheet. This enabled us to build a line balancing system together, and to determine the tools, parts and resources required for each workstation.
• Creation of new frames to improve work ergonomics and ensure safety (working on the ground as much as possible, and installation of a secure footbridge when working at height).
• Implementation of Lean logistics: supermarket and small train: 2x delivery per shift to bring the necessary parts kits to the line edge: control of the backlog.
• Introduction of a new human resources organization: performance and contingency management, introduction of reference journeymen, integration of control into the UAP, etc.

Results

• Capacity: installation of a line taking out a complete section and checked every 10 days
• Productivity: 46% reduction in hours clocked per section
• WIP: reduction from 9 (at PI 19) to 6 (at PI 10), i.e. 52%.
• Cycle time: reduction from 179 days to 82 days, i.e. a 52% reduction