operations

Operations and Supply Chain Management

•Specialized assistance and measurement to improve productivity in manufacturing

•Determination of production/plant capacity

•Identification and management of production bottlenecks

•Development of targeted capacity

•Development of performance reporting

•Right sizing of levels of employment at different sales volume and product mix

•Quality management, quality improvement

•Lean manufacturing

•Six Sigma, process improvement

•Customer Service Enhancement

Value Stream Mapping

What is value stream mapping?
Value stream mapping (VSM) creates a visual representation of all product and information flows from the beginning of the supply chain to the final sale. By including all value adding and non-value adding (waste) activities in the value stream needed to produce the product, the current-state map identifies improvement opportunities and the logical sequence for implementing them. The future-state map is then drawn to create the blueprint for lean transformation. By incorporating the improvements to be implemented, the future-state map shows what the future process could and should resemble. By applying VSM to a high-priority pilot process, companies can demonstrate results that will assure continued interest in applying lean concepts.

What are the benefits of value stream mapping?
Implementation of value stream mapping will help

•reduce lead times
•reduce inventory and production costs
•improve quality

Cost Reduction
The Cost Reduction program is aimed at helping businesses achieve sustainable cost reduction.

About the program
Many businesses see increased sales as the only route to greater profits. This program recognizes that the reduction or removal of unnecessary costs can often contribute to bottom-line performance in a more immediate and direct way than sales effort alone. It helps companies identify unnecessary costs within their activities and develop creative and imaginative ways of reducing or removing them. It concentrates on sustainable cost reduction that will contribute to business growth. The program:

•provides a structured approach through opportunity identification, solution development and implementation. •targets specific, measurable objectives and monitors their achievement
•gives one-to-one support to companies throughout the process
•provides workshops on generic targets for cost reduction
•transfers knowledge to participants to ensure sustainability of the cost reduction activity

Who is the program aimed at?
Cost Reduction is open to companies in most business sectors that want or need to reduce their business costs. The program structure will be particularly attractive to medium-sized organizations.

Six Sigma
Six Sigma is the term adopted by Motorola in the 1980s to enable breakthrough quality improvements. This was necessary to compete with Japanese companies who were delivering higher levels of customer satisfaction, winning market share and operating with lower costs due to superior quality.

Six Sigma is a rigorous methodology to improve processes, increase customer satisfaction and reduce the Cost Of Poor Quality (COPQ) in a highly structured manner, focusing on the ruthless pursuit of process variation. Once process input variables are fully understood, processes can be optimized using robust designs. Six Sigma promotes a 'management-by-fact' philosophy, utilizing powerful statistics (where appropriate) that practitioners can understand. Improvements are measured financially.

The adoption of Six Sigma has spread from Motorola in the USA to Europe and Japan. There are a growing number of global companies on our doorstep who are now claiming to be adopting these same principles. These include:

•GE
•Sony
•Johnson & Johnson
•Allied Signal
•Ford

At a time when many companies are faced with the twin evils of reduced orders and reduced prices, Six Sigma's ability to optimize processes will improve operational efficiency, enable 'Right First Time' operations and make drastic inroads into the Costs Of Poor Quality (COPQ).

The methodology for achieving breakthrough results in process performance is supported by the deployment of a Six Sigma hierarchy, with 'Champions' and 'Black Belts' playing significant roles. The Black Belts are a cadre of Project Managers armed with knowledge of the best process improvement tools. The Black Belts follow a project rigor, which in its simplest form takes the structure -

•Define
•Measure
•Analyze
•Improve
•Control

These project steps provide a proven methodology to process improvement, and within each step exists an array of tools to be used to create World Class Organizations. This project work can be supplemented by any and all of the following workshops

One day executive overview •One week Green Belt training with a company certification •Four week Black Belt training with a company certification

Lean Enterprise and Lean Manufacturing

Part 1 - 5-S/Visual
5-S/visual is the process of creating workplace cleanliness and organization including visual signals. The 5-S process includes five steps: sort, set in order, shine, standardize, and sustain. By eliminating the unnecessary, establishing a place for what remains, and cleaning up remaining equipment, tools, and storage devices, clutter is reduced and needed items are readily found.

What are the benefits of 5-S/visual?
Implementation of 5-S/visual will help

•improve safety and communication
•reduce time wasted looking for tools and equipment
•reduce space requirements
•increase compliance with processes and procedures
•boost morale by creating a pleasant workplace

Part 2 - Kaizen
Kaizen is a two- to five-day process of teaching teams of company members to identify and eliminate non-value-adding (waste) activities. Teams develop lists of ideas for improvement and action plans to assure the ideas are implemented. At the conclusion of the workshop, the teams present their reports and plans to management.

What are the benefits of kaizen?

Implementation of kaizen will help

•increase employee involvement through team participation
•implement improvements in quality, cost, and delivery, the three key drivers of customer satisfaction
•obtain a faster return on investment
•improve process documentation, communication, and training

Part 3 - Kanban/Pull
Kanban/pull is a process that transforms a company's production strategy. A key objective of lean manufacturing is to link production processes by continuous flow. "Kanbans" (one of several types of pull signals) are replenishment signal cards that indicate how many parts or units need to be produced in order to replace those that have been either consumed by downstream processes or sold to customers.

What are the benefits of kanban/pull?
Implementation of kanban/pull will help

•reduce inventory and product obsolescence
•increase output
•reduce total costs