 
|
|
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.
|
