Problem
Voice of Customer (VOC) about long lead times led to comprehensive process improvement in parts business to dramatically increase speed from customer order to fulfillment.
Approach
- Conducted an enterprise gemba walk with executive team to define the entire, in-house value add process.
- Utilize best practice lean tools to create sustainable behavior patterns and time efficient office processes.
- Create visually explicit environment with high involvement throughout the value-add process as well as vertically within the organizational management.
Recommendations
- Create lean office cell for order processing.
- Utilize takt alignment measured twice a day to increase reactivity to customers.
- Advance to handle customer demand variability and order complexity utilizing hanedashi concepts.
Results
- Lead time improvement of 300% for 95% of volume. Featured on www.iSixSigma.com, May 27, 2013.
- Robust multi-discipline cell met VOC requirements 72% of the time, now comparable with competition. All while handling an unusual 50% personnel turnover.
