Manufacturing operations is the central process of any manufacturer and operational excellence on the shop floor is the competitive imperative.  “Lean manufacturing” is the current buzzword for the process for achieving operational excellence.  Six sigma quality programs, manufacturing cells for high throughput,  kanban and point of use programs are excellent methodologies for “lean” manufacturing.  We have seen many clients that have spent tens of thousands of dollars and hundreds of man-hours (not to mention hundreds of thousands of dollars on high-priced consultants and black-belt training).  Most of these programs have achieved savings: component cost is down, inventory is down, and productivity is up significantly.   We have assisted our clients to employ these effective proven methodologies with similar results.

The truth is that making parts faster at a lower cost will not necessarily make you more completive.  You must make the right parts at the right time in the right quantity.  This will not come from any of the “lean” methodologies, but from supply chain forecasting tools and the Master Production Schedule module of the ERP. If the settings do not reflect accurate demand of machine schedules (with accurate routings, standards and bills of material), your “lean “ efforts only produce the wrong parts and components faster: inventories will go up, customer service fill rates will decline and shop floor planning will revert to scheduling based on the Hot Lists.

At Valacrity, we understand the interplay of lean manufacturing and the best practices of demand forecasting and Master Production Scheduling .  We offer comprehensive services that employ lean manufacturing with demand management and best practice master scheduling,  Services include

·         Six sigma programs and training

·         Kanban and point of use programs

·         Kaizen  (continuous improvement programs) and training

·         Demand management

·         Forecast accuracy measurement

·         Master production scheduling (MPS) improvement

·         Manufacturing resource planning (MRP) improvement

We find that many small and mid-size manufacturers have not yet moved to formal planning systems such as MRP, MPS and demand management and other SCM tools.  We have developed shortlists of appropriate and economical ERP and SCM solutions designed for the smaller businesses.  Some systems cost little or nothing to get started with fully functional ERP.  Our experienced personnel can help you rapidly select and implement these systems in your business.