25% productivity increase at an aerospace manufacturer
Background
Our client had just relocated its production to a low labor cost production facility and wanted to increase productivity and operational knowledge quickly to prepare for significant future volume growth.
Approach
The chosen solution, a new measurement system, was challenging to implement. The accumulation of hard data helped to shift certain paradigms that people believed drove the current performance, and uncovered other related problems. Ultimately the key roadblocks restraining productivity were removed and a new operational management approach was implemented. The approach combined the 'craftsmanship' style of the industry with a more time- and target-driven operational management system.
Results
The client achieved a 25% productivity increase within 9 months and a new KPI system allowing for the assessment of total production performance was put in place. Management learned to use a different lens for looking at operational performance. Staff became more attuned to time standards.
