
Holistic
Manufacturing
is a revolutionary approach that focuses on the 'entire' manufacturing
process, bringing together both technology and human systems in order
to identify and reduce production variability. The result for manufacturing
companies: guaranteed process improvements that yield substantial cost
savings and increased profits at the bottom-line!
How Does Holistic Manufacturing Work?
The essence of Holistic Manufacturing
is to find those key variations in the manufacturing process that, if
reduced, would yield the greatest potential for an increase in output
or efficiency. HMC's scientific, flexible
approach first characterizes process variability and then identifies
the improvement opportunities. This helps focus resources on those areas
most likely to produce the largest return.
First,
we gather data to surface key factors influencing performance.
We establish
the links between product variety, process variables and productivity
outcomes and study these links in detail.
We look at the
range of performance after removing exceptions to quantify the improvement
opportunity and confirm how much variability is controllable.
This gives us a solid understanding of which areas
of the process need correcting and which are the highest-leverage opportunities.
We organize teams that include client staff as well
as HMC consultants to focus on each of
the areas identified in the diagnostic analysis. The teams meet regularly
to analyze information, make decisions, implement action plans and monitor
progress. HMC provides the necessary Holistic
Tools, including:
Human
Systems services
Maintenance
Organization
Product Wheel
scheduling
Dynamic Operating
procedures and
Communication
Boards
Throughout the project, these teams are trained in
the Holistic philosophy with the aim that they continue meeting - and
improving - long after HMC has gone.
We also offer the Holistic
Data System, a proprietary software product for gathering
and analyzing real-time shop-floor production data.
Examples of Results
We have been applying our approach globally since 1995 and have achieved
amazing results for our clients. Below we have listed a sampling of
our achievements:
A 56% increase in output from PET line
of a bottling plant in South America.
A
30% increase in output for a bottling line in Europe with an increase
in the number of line changeovers, later increased to 50% by the company
themselves through
continuous improvement.
A
doubling of output for a food equipment manufacturer in 6 months with
lower lead
times (8 weeks down to 1), 41% less overtime, and reduced set-up time.
A
6 fold reduction in raw material losses for a tobacco manufacturer
in Argentina
A
44% increase in average monthly cigarette output for a US Consumer
Goods
manufacturer in just 2 months!