Knights make it to order
Norman Knights manufacture a range of film fronted and cellophane bags principally for the confectionery, sandwich and coffee markets. Products are made to order, requiring short lead times and responsive manufacture to achieve excellent customer service. The company had recently moved from supplying from stock to a ‘make to order’ business so to enure customer satifaction levels were sustained, long established working practises needed to be challenged.
"As a result of better stock control we have achieved a reduction in total stock holding, combined with improved debtor collection and creditor management, our financial position has been improved.
Other simple changes such as visibility from planning boards mean rescheduling is much simpler so that customer service is better too.
By the end of the year, the support from MAS-East will ensure we have improved even further."
Sangeet Shah
Managing Director.
MAS-East and the team from Norman Knights worked to introduce revised ways of working so that the ‘make to order’ concept rather than the ‘make to stock’ concept can be better supported.
The team was tasked with organising the workload through the production area using a visual planning board to ensure customer orders were scheduled from order receipt to delivery within agreed timescales, typically within days.
The supply of film was also reviewed and stocking systems developed to aid quick replenishment. These systems are designed to ensure on demand material supply and minimised stockholding on site, where space is at a premium.
These improvements were supported by the introduction of tighter internal systems including shop floor visual management and kanbanstock control. These systems have allowed production targets to be monitored, demonstrating that productivity has been maintained with a reduction in direct labour.
As a result of the improvements made, Norman Knights is able to keep up with increased demand and use a reduced but more flexible team of skilled staff. Customer satisfaction has been retained and the business is operating more effectively.
