NATURE OF ASSIGNMENT:
Primary: Company Services / Operations Excellence
Primary Industry: Manufacturing & Processing
Company: $45 million manufacturer of office supplies
Situation: A mid-sized manufacturer of office supplies was failing operationally and financially. The Company purchased paper and converted the material into office forms and other related supplies - with material handling being a critical cost. A key issue for this Company was that its main high volume product line was taking almost three weeks to produce finished items.
Focus Scope: The Company engaged a Focus professional as an interim plant manager, with an emphasis on restructuring material handling and production processes in order to shorten production lead times.
Tasks Performed: Our Focus professional restructured and sped up production flow on the main high volume product line by linking production machinery with appropriate conveying devices. This action coupled with other changes in the production line shortened the time to produce a work order from three weeks to three days. Other product lines were similarly reviewed and restructured to improve overall product movement during the manufacturing process.
Results: As the results of the efforts of the Focus professional, the Company was able to realize a significant reduction in labor costs and inventory levels within a six month period.