Manufacturer of Thermoformed Plastic Products

Background
The firm is a manufacturer of thermoformed plastic products including covers and/or panels used in workstations, medical equipment, and business machines. At certification, the firm had 116 employees and annual sales of approximately $8.5 million.

This leading manufacturer of thermoformed plastic products faces the many challenges presented by tight competition and a soft economy. Customers have delayed shipment of their orders, reduced quantities, or have cancelled orders completely, prompting the owner to take a serious look at the entire business. It was made clear to management that obtaining new business was going to require aggressive tactics and the abilities of the entire organization to work smarter and more economically than in the past.

Assistance Provided
The first and most important project was upgrading and integrating modules of the firm's "visual manufacturing" system, which would provide the firm with the ability to effectively handle and maintain the necessary information needed to manage individual customer orders from start to finish. This would give management and workers better access to vital and timely information for operating the business.

Project Results
The firm has gained a number of benefits from this successful project. First, the entire organization is now fully integrated. Order information is shared across a network and is available from any PC within the facility. Next, management now has the competitive tools they need to provide timely and accurate information to current and potential customers.

The results of this project exceeded management's expectations. Within a short time, sales increased over 30 percent and employment increased 13 percent. This project was also instrumental in fostering a stronger, more proactive partnership within the management team.  Other tangible results include an increase in shop productivity resulting in more products being shipped correctly and on time.