The assessment

Critical Path Recovery’s assessment identified likely areas to target for improvement to improve JPH and reduce customer down time at their JIS (Just in Sequence) manufacturing facility.

Actions

Our areas of focus were separated into 7 actionable categories:

1. Pre-build

   • Installed countdown clock for pacing all operations

     
     

2. Final Inspection

   • Emphasis on meeting OEM quality inspection criteria

   • Implemented a pain “touch up” repair process

   
   

3. End of Line (EOL)

   • Added resources for load/unload

   • Installed stock product in repair station

   • Added buffing station containment until paint issues could be resolved

   • Tracked machine down time and implemented permanent corrective action of top 5 issues

   • Implemented a spare parts program

     
     

4. Organizational

   • Hired manpower to 85% of peak volume requirement (Ops and Logistics)

   • Trained new-hires to level 3

   • Filled open team lead positions (Ops and Logistics)

   • Developed Team Lead routines and Leader Standard Work (Ops and Logistics)

   • Installed tracking screen for shipping status visual management

   • Implemented effective data collection methodology to improve finer granularity of down time data for analysis

   • Installed production boards with hourly and shift targets

   • Initiated an S&OP process to stabilize Planning, Scheduling, and Production

   • Filled gaps in management experience and capability

     
     

5. Kitting

   • Implemented a “fast track” kitting process for recovery when something was missed

   • Installed dedicated rebuild station at the line

   • Installed tracking screen for visual management of line synchronization

   • Implemented “water spider” role to deliver finished racks and return empty racks to kitting

     
     

6. Logistics

   • Identified critical parts and installed safety stock

   • Added stock of critical parts line side

     
     

7. Quality

   • Installed a Quality Wall in paint to eliminate defect escapes to the line

   • Stored painted safety stock of high runners line side

   • Relocated incoming inspection to catch defects earlier

Key improvements

Used granular down time data to create Pareto charts to identify high impact root causes to implement containment and permanent corrective action.

• Revised work instructions to methods required to achieve the required JPH.

• Implemented flow racks for material storage line side

• Studied processes and identified opportunities for machine and human cycle time reduction and implemented improvements.

• Defined KPI’s, implemented visual management, and performed leader standard work to drive operations toward JPH and Quality targets.

• Identified shortcomings in management competency and proposed solutions to fill gaps.

Result

• Achieved a 74% increase in JPH in 11 days (23 to 40.1 JPH), which met the OEM production requirement.

• Created a 12-week convergence plan to capture all the continuous improvement actions required for the Tier 1 team to sustain performance and continue to improve for forecasted increases in JPH requirement.

• Remained engaged to ensure gains were sustained with containments in place and tracked and implemented continuous improvement actions to reduce and eliminate containment.

• Customer down time was eliminated.