Do you have control over the quality of your production equipment?
If quality and uniformity in the production equipment is lacking, then there is a risk that production will suffer.
One of kaastrup|andersen's customers - a large, international production company - found that some of their fixtures and tools (for retaining product items during the production process) did not work optimally. They required adjustment and ongoing monitoring. Upon closer inspection, it turned out that the processes for purchasing, assessing and approving new fixtures were deficient. This meant that some fixtures did not live up to the requirements of production, and this entailed a real risk that the end products would be of inferior quality.
At the same time, the deficient and undocumented processes gave rise to extra work and frustration among the employees, who lacked clear guidelines and frameworks for the work of testing and approving new fixtures. A methodological approach and an in-depth analysis ensured the establishment of a comprehensive system-supported process flow with clearly defined frameworks and steps, so that new fixtures are approved and documented in the right way - so that production proceeds as it should.
Read more about how the customer and kaastrup|andersen succeeded with the project.
Challenge
Production at the customer's factories requires fixtures to retain the product items during the various stages of production. This means that the fixtures constitute a central element in the production, so quality and durability need to be better than all right. But the customer lacked an overview of the many fixtures in the individual factories, and there was no documentation on the fixtures, for example age, wear, and condition. And quite fundamentally: there was also no fixed process for how new fixtures were tested, evaluated, approved and registered, which entailed the risk of lack of precision in production and even, in the extreme consequence, faulty end products.
Solution
The project focused on a single factory, which subsequently becomes a template for the company's other factories. The initial step in the solution was to create an overview of which fixtures were available at the factory and ensure that the physical inventory of fixtures also corresponded to the inventory registered in the ERP system.
The central part of the project consisted of a thorough mapping and evaluation of the current processes, best practices and daily routines. The uncovering work also resulted in an overview of where the processes were lacking or completely missing - and this provided a good basis for creating a coherent and well-documented workflow concerning both new and existing fixtures. The project team consisted of participants from the daily operation, to ensure that all stakeholders and all necessary steps in, for example, the approval processes were included in the new, improved setup. It also means that the implementation task - making sure that the new setup becomes part of everyday life - is easier, as the affected employees have been responsible for the design of the new processes.
The new setup includes:
- Guidelines for inspecting the fixtures, including scheduling the inspections
- Test plans for both visual and functional testing of new and existing fixtures
- Process for how employees create and produce new test plans for new fixtures for new products
Establishment of processes in Power BI, so that the user is guided through the various elements that must form the basis for a complete approval of a new fixture before it can be used in the production of new product items
Result
The project's methodological approach to the major clean-up task was fundamental to its success. The overall overview of the fixtures’ 'life' at the customer, from purchase and approval to use, repair and disposal, ensures that the new setup covers all phases and tasks. The flow thus results in an internal approval of the fixtures - which guarantees that all necessary parameters have been examined before the fixture is used in production.
The clear, well-documented processes provide a sharp alignment in the handling of fixtures. At the same time, the work has become simpler and more transparent for the employees, who always know the status of a given fixture - and how it should be handled. The documentation of the fixtures and the framework for the ongoing maintenance of the fixtures will in the longer term form the basis for a more even flow of procurement of new fixtures and a better utilization of the individual elements that can be optimally maintained.
Overall, the project resulted in quality improvements, transparency, and general optimizations - elements that in the long term are expected to translate into concrete cost savings based on the new, streamlined processes.
The new setup ensures that the customer's end products always have the same, high quality, the fixtures have the longest possible durability and that the employees' tasks are clearly described. The customer is in the process of implementing the setup at the first factory and is looking forward to further roll-out at other factories.
kaastrup|andersen was responsible for the project management of the project in collaboration with the quality department and the product manager.
Is your factory setup optimal? kaastrup|andersen has extensive experience with production optimization and processes - and we ensure that analyses also result in action and noticeable gains for your business. We are ready for a non-binding talk about how we can together create further growth and momentum for your company. Call or write to Peter Nymann Andersen on 44127191 or pna@kaastrupandersen.dk.