RiverRouge Ltd has supported us with the turnaround of our UK Manufacturing Operations in 2012. The consultancy played an instrumental role in implementing a new strategy and stabilising our business operations in the UK. The hands on approach and practical experience of RiverRouge allowed us to fully integrate one of their consultants to head up our UK Manufacturing Operations as an interim part of the management team. This direct influence on the business enabled us to make significant and sustainable improvements in the organisation in a very short timeframe.
Mahle Powertrain – Quality Control and Launch Support
As Mahle Powertrain started to experience Quality and Out-put problems with a few of their key manufacturing lines we were asked to stabilise quality performance, reduce scrap rates and enable the higher yields to catch up on a back-log of parts which their end customers were urgently waiting for. Additionally during the time of this project a new product was launched on a new manufacturing line for which we were also asked to provide launch support until peak volumes could be reached.
- Defect Reduction and Problem Resolution through 8D Processes
- Active Customer Management and Customer requirements management
- Improvements of Rework Processes
- Interim shopfloor management
- Improvements of manufacturing process layouts and handling procedures
- Interim Launch Project Management Support using APQP Methodology
- Control Plan implementation
- PPAP Line Release Support including Capability Studies, MSA’s and FAIR
- Full Standardisation roll out to include Standard Operating Procedures and Layered Process Audits as well as Product Audits
Quality on the existing manufacturing lines was stabilized fairly quickly but for the catch-up of the arrears a new shift pattern had to be introduced which at the time was a major undertaking and also involved recruitment activity support as well as a new team structure on the shopfloor. After the first big improvements had been completed we engaged heavily with the customers to implement further improvements in quality and PPAP processes which enabled further variants to be included in the production programs to increase revenues. Furthermore, the comprehensive launch support project for a new product line enabled the onboarding of a further blue chip end customer which increased revenue contributions even further.
