U.S. Manufacturing Roadmap Successfully Defined

INDUSTRY: Automotive and Electronics Manufacturing

SERVICES: Management of Launch. Construction. Process Design. Logistics. Quality Planning.

Situation.

During the height of the COVID pandemic, a European OEM needed to change suppliers for drivetrain assemblies to another European manufacturer. The OEM needed to expand its drivetrain capabilities to the US and trusted that this Tier 1 supplier who had robust logistical experience, but no US manufacturing presence, would carry out the directives. The new supplier was hired on one condition, that Seraph would help develop the physical plant, build-out, organizational chart, operations infrastructure necessary to fulfill JIT-JIS orders for the drivetrain assemblies.

Actions.

• Led the validation of a greenfield site for plant construction, including lease negotiations.
• Identified and addressed concerning trends with the lessee and builder, proposing alternatives that resulted in approximately $15M in savings.
• Managed the project by developing internal processes, a digital asset management system, and a comprehensive hiring and training plan to onboard 260 employees for the 300,000 square-foot facility.
• Created three-line concepts for each drive train component, analyzed for OEE and cycle time to ensure OEM volumes could be met.
• Developed timelines for internal and external logistics to ensure adequate materials delivery, while analyzing common failure points to mitigate risks and avoid downstream costs.

Results.

• Launched the manufacturing of an entirely new product line in a geographic footprint they had no familiarity.
• Achieved construction cost savings for the supplier of $15M.
• Smoothly transitioned to the Tier 1 and local team after Seraph’s 4-month engagement.