Meet Demand with Confidence

When opportunity knocks, Lean Manufacturing through Value Stream Mapping can ensure your operations are ready to meet demand.

For manufacturers of all kinds and across all sectors, generating customer demand is just one key to business success. Delivering on it is another – and it comes with a completely different set of challenges.  

Over the past decade, through REMAP’s work to assess operational performance of over 100  Canadian small to medium enterprises (SMEs), one key theme has emerged loud and clear: when demand becomes plentiful, delivering on it can be an uphill battle – limiting a manufacturer’s ability to make the most of growth opportunities.  This is especially true in a constrained resource environment, where it’s hard to find labourers to work on the production line.  

Based on our observations and consultations with SMEs coast to coast via our Manufacturing Optimizations services, when manufacturing companies struggle to meet demand, the root cause often comes down to issues with operational flow – how a company’s product moves through the factory. In many cases, the business’s operational flow has not been optimized for productivity and efficiency and/or drives waste in one or more of its eight forms (shown below), as outlined in Lean manufacturing methodology.

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The Dos and Don’t’s of Improving Production Flow

Once companies identify waste in their production approach, the next step is determining how to tackle it.  

“When sub-optimal production flow occurs, some companies overcomplicate or worsen the situation by investing in advanced manufacturing technologies such as robotics and automation to ‘speed things up’ on the line, “explains Dr. Phil Dupuis, Director, Innovation Ecosystem, REMAP. “Unfortunately, they often end up with a very expensive robot that either collects dust or piles up even more work for the next step in the process to manage, exacerbating the underlying issue.”

“A good rule of thumb is to get your house in order first by addressing operational flow before considering any smart technology enablers,” adds Dupuis.

An operational flow reset requires taking a step back, understanding how your product currently moves through the factory, gathering data, plotting what the ideal future state looks like, and then planning how to get there.  This process is called Value Stream Mapping – a proven and globally recognized Lean Methodology tool that allows you to visualize and streamline production processes.

“The heart of Lean manufacturing, value stream mapping brings together employees from different areas of the business to visually map out and analyze current manufacturing workflows and key performance indicators (KPIs), allowing them to gain the actionable insights they need to map out the ideal manufacturing process chain,” says John McMahon, Director Smart Manufacturing. “If your think this sounds a bit basic, it is. But it also works – in large part because everyone can participate in the process and understand it.”

“With a little time and effort invested in Value Stream Mapping, companies will soon drive significant enhancements in efficiency, productivity and quality; supporting profitability, growth, and satisfied customers,” adds Dupuis.  

So when is the best time for companies to kick-off Value Stream Mapping?  According to Dupuis and McMahon, the best time to start is always now.

“When demand is high, it can seem like a bad time to take a step back and determine whether your factory’s production flow is working in a company’s and customer’s best interest. However, with the right guidance, VSM is the best possible use of company time and effort as it fixes the root cause of production issues, leveraging resources you already own,” explains McMahon.  

Are you ready to unlock manufacturing efficiency to meet demand?

REMAP can help!  

Whether you need to streamline operations, reduce waste, optimize production, or meet a surge in demand, REMAP knows that operational efficiency is key to your success. Our Lean Manufacturing through Value Stream Mapping (VSM) program is designed for future-focused leaders who want to unlock untapped competitive advantage in their manufacturing operations.

Our experienced team of trusted manufacturing and continuous improvement experts will lead you through a simple, three-step process to help you drive new levels of efficiency aligned to your strategic business objectives.

For more information or to book your FREE CONSULTATION visit: https://www.remapnetwork.org/advance  

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