Kelvinside benefit from improved organisation with SMAS.
The challenge
In recent years, Kelvinside Electronics has grown through a series of fresh business wins. However, to cope with the increased workload, aspects of the company required an overhaul, something that SMAS were able to help with.
By successfully improving management, levels of service and quality to their customers, Kelvinside brought in increased business during 2006. SMAS became involved with the business during 2007 with the aim of supporting the organisation as it developed and implemented structures and processes capable of dealing with this increased workload.
Upon completion of the original intervention it became clear that, while Kelvinside had made progress, internally the organisation required further support in order to meet new challenges. Primarily, improvements were needed to develop the new product introduction (NPI) processes.
Kelvinside would also benefit from the addition of performance indicators and support mechanisms, the development of continuous improvement, a focus on customer delivery performance and the launch of robust capacity and resource measurement. A renewed focus on customer delivery performance would also bring future gains.
The company
Glasgow-based Kelvinside Electronics supplies high-quality customised products to a range of sectors, including:
- Defence
- Offshore
- Medical
- Aerospace
- Electronics
How SMAS helped
SMAS practitioners quickly devised a program of work to improve various areas of the business. Attention first fell on the creation of a Continuous Improvement Team. This combined individuals from the management, supervision and operators departments to develop, and implement, a continuous improvement strategy focused on Surface Mount Machinery.
Next, SMAS worked across several departments to develop efficiency, downtime measurement and reporting structures within the factory. Similarly, a cross-functional approach was used to review and develop the NPI process and supporting documentation.
A final step saw SMAS work with planning and scheduling management, sales management and manufacturing management to refocus the business and improve customer delivery performance.
Outcomes
Efficiency at Kelvinside is now greatly increased with a range of improvements - such as products not being released into manufacturing without the necessary documentation pack complete - being introduced. Another improvement is that individual operator efficiencies and downtime are recorded and reported - this has supported improved capacity planning and reduced overtime working.
Ann Burns, a member of the manufacturing management team, noted: "Operators now understand they are accountable for their time."
Other benefits include greater customer communications while key areas of waste and downtime in the Surface Mount Machinery continue to be flagged and resolved through the continuous improvement program which has brought improved capacity and delivery planning.
Kelvinside's manufacturing manager, Willie Dunlop, concluded:
SMAS helped us by providing insight as to what was possible, and gave us the conviction and direction to achieve our goals.
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