Park Air Systems - Tuned in for Growth
Park Air Systems, a world market leader in the design, manufacture and installation of communication systems for Air Traffic Control environments asked MAS East to help deliver performance improvement in the radio build cell and in the area used to integrate the radios into complex, bespoke integrated systems.
Key Achievements
- Improved performance of radio build cell
- Study of cell layout for new military radio
- Plans to improved efficiency of key process elements of systems build
Muti functional teams supported by a MAS specialist mapped the existing processes in both areas. The radio cell was familiar with Lean principles but this thinking had not spread to the systems processes. Opportunities were identified from the current state maps to improve performance and plans put in place to deliver those benefits.
A new five day front end process was put in place for the communication of a systems order to relevant managers, the creation of a manufacturing plan, drawings specification, parts list, loading of ERP system and ordering of long lead time items. This was combined with changes in the assembly area to improve flow and parts availability.
Further improvements were made in the radio build cell by making variant identification more visual and incorporating other activities into the cell.
The systems team now has a good understanding of how to apply Lean methodology to administration and manufacturing processes to reduce and eliminate non-value adding activities. This ensures progress will continue.
Detailed plans were put in place to deliver significant benefits in terms of space utilisation, productivity, lead time reduction and on time delivery.
The introduction of returnable packaging, colour coding of storage of components for different variants has helped to release space to incorporate customisation, final QA and packing into the cell to improve communication and reduce transportation.
The project supported by MAS-East led to substantial efficiency savings which has contributed to a 20% increase in turnover over a three year period.
