Mar 16 2015
Lean Engineering Case Study | Pascal Chaloyard (PDF)
“Potain, a manufacturer and supplier of tower cranes in La Clayette, France, where it made all the mechanical and electrical systems, safety devices and cabs for cranes manufactured in Europe. The diversity of components manufactured was wide and production was in small runs, indeed in single units.
The factory, on a hill, had a handicap in terms of flow as, each time the business grew, a new building had to be built at a different altitude from the others. The organisation was by trade, which penalized production flows.
A layout reorganization project was launched in 1997. The objective was to improve flows, flexibility, responsiveness and competitiveness. It took two years to review the designs of all hoists, cabinets, safety systems and cabs. We took advantage of new crane, hoist mechanisms and cabs.
The results
- -66% primary components
- -40% subassemblies
- -20% costs
- -70% lead times”
Source: docs.google.com
A great case study from Pascal Chaloyard.
See on Scoop.it – lean manufacturing
March 16, 2015 @ 8:12 am
The site shut down in 2008 leaving more than 500 people unemployed and the company was bought by Manitowoc. One site remains in Saint Nizier sous Charlieu (Loire) and people were also fired there. The Lean turnaround wasn’t taken and it’s a huge waste of knowledge and business for many small companies, people and families in this part of France.
I don’t know the root causes but probably management was poor and the direct final cause was the economic crisis of 2007.
http://www.lejsl.com/saone-et-loire/2012/12/15/potain-s-en-va-pour-de-bon
http://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/bourgogne/2012/12/17/les-grues-potain-et-la-clayette-71-la-fin-d-une-histoire-vieille-de-84-ans-166405.html
March 16, 2015 @ 9:37 am
Recent case studies are confidential, and therefore cannot be posted; older case studies can. The problem, however, is that their credibility may be damaged by unrelated events that have happened since.
Pascal describes work that was started in 1997 and completed in 1999. Yes, the site shut down nine years later in the midst of the financial crisis. Nine years is enough time for the benefits of a successful project to be undone by forces that have nothing to do with the project.
One the greatest success stories of Lean in the 1990s in the US was Wiremold, but he company was acquired in 2001 by Legrand, which, according to Wiremold alumni, promptly reversed all the improvements they had made.