Launching a New Facility Amid Crisis

INDUSTRY: Automotive Manufacturing

SERVICES: Crisis Management. Human Resources. Production. Logistics. Quality. Engineering.

Situation.

During the COVID pandemic, a Tier 1 roofing supplier opened a new facility which endured significant setbacks in product design, process engineering, and overall manufacturing capacity not enabling them to hit OEM volume targets. In response, the supplier opted to launch a new facility, but lacked the resources, and hired Seraph to ensure the second plant was operationally positioned in all functional areas for a successful launch.

Actions.

Deployed the Seraph Launch Strategy focusing on 5 key areas: Human Resources, Production, Logistics, Quality, and Engineering.

Human Resources 

• Partnered with a proven recruitment / staffing company to ensure expert support and mitigate the effects of a tight job market, which included a hiring ramp plan for all departments.
• Provided a detailed organization assessment and structure enhancing communication and overall effectiveness.
• Filtered and interviewed candidates and managed all workshops with cross-functional and cross-plant teams to ensure historical information transferred to the new facility.

Production

• Developed a baseline assessment of critical risk factors required for the launch including needed improvements to transition to the new facility.

Supply Chain Management (Logistics)

• Supported the plant layout design to optimize material flow, resources, including current and future needs.
• Developed a detailed PFEP (Plan for Each Part) with clear system parameters and interdependent with plant designs.
• Supported local team with SAP expertise, MRP setup and shop floor processes aligned to SAP ensuring to capture scrap within the system.

Quality

• Developed a detailed list of required equipment and timelines, resulting in a seven-phase tracking tool to provide clarity around delivery goals and insights for escalation.
• Ensured that the client’s quality systems were included in the master timeline and KPIs associated with the initial plant performance were created to allow a clear understanding of the main issues affecting overall part quality.

Engineering and Maintenance

• Set up a Technical Program Manager (TPM) and Project Management (PM) process, which allowed the strategy and plans to be set up in a structured and effective way in SAP, including functional location and PM task, which accounted for each piece of equipment.
• Ensured that work instructions and training processes were developed to enable the Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) to be used successfully in the new plant.
• Provided visibility into internal and external equipment-related processes by mapping out maintenance processes, along with workflows for spare management, MOR cycle, cycle counts, and maintenance work order systems.
• Capital tracker was implemented to empower management with the ability to view and understand capital spending versus budget for all process areas.
• A precise monitoring system and order management for spare parts and maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) – approximately 2,600 items were carried out for the final launch of the plant.

Results.

• Streamlined a complicated hiring process and created a robust tracking tool with visual KPI’s, which resulted in successfully hiring and onboarding an entire leadership team and the next two tiers of management to balance staff between both facilities.
• 30% reduction in headcount.
• Successfully transitioned client’s systems, processes and procedures due to the development of structure, operational processes and identification of the necessary resources to launch the new plant facility.
• Created a culture of discipline and mindset around data, standards and overall approach to process.