Patrick,
I was afraid someone was going to ask a question that I wasn't able to answer. You could have picked any number of such questions. But anyway.... Here was the goal of our switch to Cell Manufacturing:
Let the production workers work, collect only data that we reasonably need, and streamline the process as much as possible.
The "gaps" were in deciding how Vantage could track -- from manufacturing all the way through to Accounting -- what we wanted to do in the plant. In other words, don't have the software determine how you make the product -- decide the best way to make the product and then see if the software works for that process.
We simplified our routers, reduced the number of open jobs significantly, and wanted two weeks worth of inventory available at each cell BEFORE a new set of assemblies was started (due to supply problems, then stopping jobs and thus having to switch over to a new job). The 'gap' I'm speaking of was how to track the costs associated with building an assembly into the financials so that we could see if we were making money or not, without having to clock on to numbers of jobs each day.
What we came up with is that we open one job per cell per month, and then close that job at month end. This job collects all labor for the cell.
Our wire cutting and some crimping is all done on one machine, so those steps were set up as 'sub-assemblies' (which we call wire kits). Thus the costs for that portion of the assembly is collected separately in it's own job as well.
Reports that we run, then, get Efficiency information from the Cell job, add to that the cost of the subassemblies, and then get the number of Assemblies produced for the week/month from each cell from the supervisor.
Another tedious job that we have virtually eliminated is the meticulous issuing of materials for jobs. Now, each cell is supplied (as I mentioned) with two weeks of materials at bins next to the cell. Parts are mass issued and transfered to the cell bins for use in the cell.
I probably don't have all these details straight, but the motivation in the cells and the production speed has increased. Our biggest concern now is getting in the materials we need to keep production going.
Troy Funte
Liberty Electronics
I was afraid someone was going to ask a question that I wasn't able to answer. You could have picked any number of such questions. But anyway.... Here was the goal of our switch to Cell Manufacturing:
Let the production workers work, collect only data that we reasonably need, and streamline the process as much as possible.
The "gaps" were in deciding how Vantage could track -- from manufacturing all the way through to Accounting -- what we wanted to do in the plant. In other words, don't have the software determine how you make the product -- decide the best way to make the product and then see if the software works for that process.
We simplified our routers, reduced the number of open jobs significantly, and wanted two weeks worth of inventory available at each cell BEFORE a new set of assemblies was started (due to supply problems, then stopping jobs and thus having to switch over to a new job). The 'gap' I'm speaking of was how to track the costs associated with building an assembly into the financials so that we could see if we were making money or not, without having to clock on to numbers of jobs each day.
What we came up with is that we open one job per cell per month, and then close that job at month end. This job collects all labor for the cell.
Our wire cutting and some crimping is all done on one machine, so those steps were set up as 'sub-assemblies' (which we call wire kits). Thus the costs for that portion of the assembly is collected separately in it's own job as well.
Reports that we run, then, get Efficiency information from the Cell job, add to that the cost of the subassemblies, and then get the number of Assemblies produced for the week/month from each cell from the supervisor.
Another tedious job that we have virtually eliminated is the meticulous issuing of materials for jobs. Now, each cell is supplied (as I mentioned) with two weeks of materials at bins next to the cell. Parts are mass issued and transfered to the cell bins for use in the cell.
I probably don't have all these details straight, but the motivation in the cells and the production speed has increased. Our biggest concern now is getting in the materials we need to keep production going.
Troy Funte
Liberty Electronics
----- Original Message -----
From: Winter, Patrick
To: 'vantage@yahoogroups.com'
Sent: Thursday, June 27, 2002 10:14 AM
Subject: RE: [Vantage] Re: DC Lag Time
Troy,
You have an extremely interesting story to tell for us Production/Computer
types.
Can you elaborate on some of the 'gaps' that had to be ironed out?
Patrick
-----Original Message-----
From: Troy Funte [mailto:tfunte@...]
Sent: Thursday, June 27, 2002 8:46 AM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Vantage] Re: DC Lag Time
On the subject of time policy, we have swung to another side of the fence...
We recently junked out Time Clocks after we estimated that Employees were
costing the company in excess of $200,000 per year just by adding up "the
time it takes to clock in and out of jobs, and on and off at the beginning
and end of the day." We switched over to a cell (lean manufacturing)
concept that has the supervisor keeping track of time on paper (just total
hrs per day), while the employee focuses on work. Each 'cell' works on one
assembly for each week, so there is little job changeover time required.
One clerk can enter the whole company's time into Vantage in under an hour
per day.
We found that over the years we used Data Collection we were amassing HUGE
amounts of Labor Detail which we didn't trust anyway because of inaccurate
time punching. The supervisors were spending just as much (or more) time
adjusting the time punches in Vantage as they are now writing things down on
paper. Plus, the simplicity of the cells has given us far more accurate
efficiencies for our workflow, and the cells are motivated to keep up
attendance and production.
I know this can't work in every situation, but it has been a transformation
of sorts at Liberty -- thanks to the undying diligence of one of our
managers who kept following this process through. It took some time for
other managers to get on board and iron out the 'gaps' in functionality, but
it is working very well.
Incidently, none of the above means an employee can waltz in 5 minutes late.
There are still strict policies for attendance, but many of the Data
Collection headaches and time-wasting has been eliminated.
Just trying to think out of the box, so to speak.
Troy Funte
Liberty Electronics
----- Original Message -----
From: Aaron Hoyt
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, June 27, 2002 9:21 AM
Subject: RE: [Vantage] Re: DC Lag Time
Before I start, I first want to thank those who have offered solutions,
including the one below by Greg, but feel this needs further explanation
to
address some issues about this that have not been covered.
You are exactly right about the "overly rigid clocking policy". We have
one
here.
But, that being said, we deal with a shop full of hair splitters
(tolerance
specs routinely in the range of .0001"). The policy is to allow early
clock
ins and late clock out's, but the "hair splitters" seem to have a real
problem if the clock did not update soon enough. The bigger issue for
them
is when they wait for the change and walk out the door to find employees
from our second building already passing the end of our driveway because
their clock updated first. For us, the problem is compounded by the fact
that this problem gets worse with activity on other computers. For
example...
Computer A refreshes 20 seconds after computer b. Computer b changes to
3:30 and the line starts scanning their bar-coded ID badges (custom made
for
quicker data collection). Computer A now misses it's next update because
there was so much activity on computer b, c, d, and e. Here we have an
example where the next update for the clock goes from 3:29 to 3:31 and I
have a line of 25 employee's that are all upset (group mentality) that
they
were held up an extra minute and almost 2 minutes in line and an extra 3
minutes waiting for the others to pass then end of the driveway so they
can
leave. Now they all want to see the extra dime in their paychecks.
Granted This all means nothing to me because I still have another hour and
a
half before I can make my exit, and I am not based on hourly anyway, but
it
makes for a bunch of repeatedly unhappy employees.
Now I am not even touching on the cost of bathroom pranks by unhappy
employees and poor work performance to "get back at" employer.
If you start looking at all the extra costs, this is a big deal to us.
All that considered, I can't say that I can just let Epicor off the hook
for
this because our policy is to strict and we have to hire precise people.
All in all, I agree, that we are way to uptight about a couple of seconds,
but unfortunately I don't see our management changing soon and really feel
that if Epicor is concerned with "product improvement" this is a very
specific issue that could use some attention.
I have added myself to Incident # 799874MPS as suggested by Joanne and
hope
that this is given some attention.
Again, thanks for suggestions. We have our own little "work around", and
I
will be addressing this with management to bring other's suggestions to
see
if anything is acceptable for our situation.
Aaron Hoyt
Information Systems Manager
Design Standards Corp.
PO Box 1620
Charlestown, NH 03603
Tel 603-826-7744
<mailto:aaron.hoyt@...>
(Practice Save Computing, get a free online virus scan at:
http://housecall.antivirus.com/)
-----Original Message-----
From: Greg Krumrey [mailto:gkrumrey@...]
Sent: Thursday, June 27, 2002 7:07 AM
To: 'vantage@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: RE: [Vantage] Re: DC Lag Time
Did anyone mention the allowance times for clock-in/clock-out?
These can be set so a person clocking in between 6:50 and 7:00 AM looks
like
they clocked in at exactly 7:00. It can also adjust labor details, etc.
automatically. Same for clocking out, but in reverse: 4:30 to 4:45 counts
as
4:45.
If someone is in doubt, they make sure they clock in by 6:58 and they wait
until 4:31 or 4:32 (on their watch) to make sure they cleared the limit
before clocking out. No close calls, less stress.
Even if someone had 30 seconds to spare, a person in front of them at the
time clock, one extra red light or a slow elevator could use that up.
When Vantage should be exact and correct, I would think this problem is
more
with employees splitting hairs when they could just clock in a few minutes
early and/or management with a overly rigid clocking policy.
Just my .02.
Greg Krumrey, Information Manager, Patriot Machine, Inc.
Voice: 636-940-1776 x 130, fax: 636-940-8933
email: mailto:greg.krumrey@...
Alt: mailto:greg@... Web: www.patriot-machine.com
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Useful links for the Yahoo!Groups Vantage Board are: ( Note: You must have
already linked your email address to a yahoo id to enable access. )
(1) To access the Files Section of our Yahoo!Group for Report Builder and
Crystal Reports and other 'goodies', please goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.
(2) To search through old msg's goto:
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(3) To view links to Vendors that provide Vantage services goto:
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Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Useful links for the Yahoo!Groups Vantage Board are: ( Note: You must have already linked your email address to a yahoo id to enable access. )
(1) To access the Files Section of our Yahoo!Group for Report Builder and Crystal Reports and other 'goodies', please goto: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.
(2) To search through old msg's goto: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages
(3) To view links to Vendors that provide Vantage services goto: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/links
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
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