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Lean Manufacturing
In Manufacturing, total cost, quality and total time to produce are three critical variables. We have recently introduced the Lean Manufacturing Company Physical™. It is a 3 day analysis of your operations in 4 categories:
- Layout and Time to Produce
- Quality systems
- Purchasing Systems and Vendor Programs
- Cost Reduction Systems
We look in these areas and provide a gap analysis against best practices from companies such as GE, Black & Decker, Stanley Tool Works, Pillsbury and others. Our analysis will include recommendations and their expected impacts on your operations.
Group50 can provide a complete review of your operation with these variables in mind. We will look at staffing, vendor quality, plant layouts, component cost, etc. with a view on reducing the total cost of a product and the time to produce it. Our manufacturing experts in cellular manufacturing and automation can review your processes and make recommendations on improving their costs and quality. We utilize Kaizen, FMEA, SPC, DFT and DFM techniques as part of our rigorous review of your manufacturing capability. We not only look at the shop floor, but review the systems that support it like MRP, inventory planning, scheduling and other support systems. We also benchmark what we see against best practices we have learned with world class companies. At the same time, we will provide an assessment of options such as outsourcing and rationalization. Our projects have routinely delivered 5% net of inflation cost improvements.
Far East Sourcing
We have skilled professionals who will work with you on developing a sound plan to cost effectively get product offshore. We will be there step by step until the approved goods arrive at your dock in less than half the time it would normally take for a new product in the US. Our experience has been that we get up to 50% reductions in cost when done properly depending on product configuration. We routinely have consultants in the Far East who know how to source products and get them fixed if you have a supplier who isn’t working out. We work through the process in several stage gates:
- Product specification
- Proposal and prototyping
- Engineering builds and process development
- Product sign off and production
Supply Chain
Our approach to a Supply Chain Management (SCM) project is that it not only needs to be defined, but it needs to be embraced by the organization. Because of our operating backgrounds, Winning Edge Consultants are experienced in defining strategies and working with teams throughout a company to create actionable items, implement and measure them against the goals and objectives and leave behind legacy processes and procedures. We have done projects like these in turnaround situations and stable companies. Winning Edge is able to commit significant resources to projects in all functional areas for an extended period of time.
Group50 consultants have led several SCM, strategic sourcing and cost reduction initiatives over the last 10 years. In every case, these efforts resulted in stable and streamlined supply chains with reduced costs by at least 5% net of inflation per year. This has been done by establishing high level visibility and commitment to the project and its implementation. Through the use of Hoshin planning (cascading measures) the organization is capable of measuring itself at every level and reporting the results on a monthly basis.
Winning Edge Consultants define Supply Chain Management improvements as those that are sustainable and driven to the bottom line. We also focus on the total cost of products and processes through Value Analysis, taking into account the cost of capital and day to day operating costs. We work on the responsiveness of the supply chain to maximize efficiency and improve service levels. Our consultants are conversant in best practices and the primary supply chain principles of:
- Understanding customer values and needs
- Managing supply chain assets
- Organization structure focused on the customer
- Integrated sourcing and services
- Sales and operations planning
- Customer driven metrics
- Strategic alliances
Our work will be to improve processes and practices in these 7 areas. Each level of the organization including corporate, middle level and customer facing personnel have an impact on these 7 principles.
We have completed several large scale analyses of fragmented and ineffective supply chain processes including:
- $1B metal plate fabrication, assembly, construction process
- $50M capital equipment manufacture of surface mount screen printer process
- $200M consumer products European operations process
- $220M BBQ Grill division of Sunbeam
We can provide a complete supply chain management project or work on a piece of it. Either way, you will be benefiting from world class best practices.
Turnaround & Acquisitions
Most acquisitions and turnarounds require the same basic steps: size up a business and its assets, understand its strengths and weaknesses and develop a plan for excellence. In both cases, tough decisions need to be made about personnel, products, facilities and cost structures. We can provide an unbiased view of the situation and a sound program for bringing the new business in or fixing the existing one, or both. Because of our operating backgrounds, we provide detailed financial and operational models that will support the decision making process. We know how things work and have a track record of making them more successful. We have been involved in both large and small projects. We have worked with our clients to acquire companies and help them integrate the new acquisitions into their existing businesses.
New or troubled organizations typically find themselves without a roadmap. We developed a strategic planning process called VASST™ to create that map. This process allows an organization to quickly identify its missions, values, objectives, milestones and review procedures. After going through this process, the team will come away with a very clear perspective of what is required of them and what their deliverables are. This is the first step in making sure a turnaround or acquisition is successful. Group50 can do analytical work for you, or, provide leadership resources to implement the transaction and subsequent integration.
Sales and Marketing
Group50 is about excellence in the marketplace. In our definition, Marketing and Sales includes Business Development and Product Development. We work closely with the client to understand the marketplace, the competition, the customers and the current situation. We look at how products and services are accepted by your customers and how they are sold in your distribution channels. We can get the story right and present to you the alternatives for improvement. We keep our focus on things that need to be done to have a "competitive edge" in the marketplace. We have worked on products such as the Pillsbury Dough Boy, DeWalt Power tools, Snakelight, Irons, Irrigation, nutraceuticals, health spas and others. We can create a complete marketing plan that will include end user research, channels of distribution, marketing and merchandising campaigns and Sales plans.
We have experience in working with sales organizations who interface with consumers, retailers, distributors, two step channels and others. We provide a complete view of the effectiveness of your sales force and the marketing programs. Our consultants have worked with companies such as GE, Pillsbury and Black & Decker who are known for their marketing excellence.
Product Development
When it comes to the development side, our product design team can work with your team to complete a design, prototype it and manufacture it. We can get the product on a turnkey basis from one of the dozens of companies we have worked with in the past. Examples of products we have done this for include steamers, electric toothbrushes, irrigation products and industrial controls. We are trained in the latest techniques in design including FMEA, reliability, quality control, CAD, SLA, QFD and other critical design techniques. Group50 can provide you with a complete product development program or any piece of it and leave your team with a legacy process that can be used over and over again.
Finance & Business Planning
Business analysisBusiness plan financial modelingFinancial systemsAudit system reviewReporting analysis
Business Systems
In today's challenging environment, every business needs integrated business systems to support it. We have consulting experts who know how to develop and integrate state-of-the-art business systems that are focused on easily disseminating information to the troops. It is important for a company to understand how good systems allow the business to measure itself, communicate with itself and run itself. Group50 resources can do a complete analysis of your systems and make recommendations that are suitable for your needs, anywhere in your business.
Group50 Consulting consists of a group of professionals who have worked together over the last ten years at Group50 and companies like GE, Chicago Bridge and Iron, Sunbeam, Black & Decker, Stanley Tool Works, Mills Pride, Textron and Rain Bird.
As you can see, we are a diverse group with the ability to
sharpen your competitive edge. Drop us a line at info@Group50.com
or call (909) 949-9083 anytime to discuss
how we can help. |
