Wilson Perumal & Company completed a series of quick operational interventions, driving significant improvements in costs, service levels, and productivity. A consistent theme was a focus on front-line management. While manufacturing in the US has been picking up over the last few years, production management skill sets have not caught up since the drain of outsourcing.

PROJECT 1: Resolved a 1000+ parts backlog and improved production output to 30% above target in just five weeks
At a repair/overhaul facility only realizing 34% of its capacity, we partnered to improve performance in a production area nearly two months behind schedule with a backlog of 1,221 parts. By implementing a daily production meeting, setting clear targets for workers, and getting supervisors more actively engaged in supporting and executing the schedule, the area was re-focused. Cross-functional teams were built to aggressively solve production issues and create an improvement strategy for the entire product line. With the framework provided, teams continue to meet and proactively address their issues.

PROJECT 2: Improved schedule conformance from 11% to 79% and turned around a program running behind schedule to deliver the initial order on time
With the delivery of a key production program significantly past due and ongoing production delays, we worked alongside a cross-functional team to pull the program back on track in six weeks. The WP&C team surfaced issues, clarified roles, provided supervisor training, implemented new production meetings and input shop floor visual boards. The team also developed plans to improve the pre-production processes as well as translated the improvements for application to other programs.

PROJECT 3: Resolved backlog, lowered operating costs, and increased throughput by 2x with existing headcount and resources
With a mandate to reduce backlog and support planned 2x growth, we set a high-tech company’s production facility back on the right course. In a matter of five weeks, the WP&C team partnered with and trained supervisors to take advantage of a rearranged production floor, re-slotted parts warehouse, new visual controls, and job aids. We also laid out a plan for new testing equipment and established new finished goods inventory targets and part reorder points.