Potential analysis in ski production

Project period: December 2017 - January 2018
Germany, Bavaria
Consultants involved: 1

Initial situation

At the market leader among the German ski production companies, a Potential analysis was to be carried out with the aim of developing suggestions for improvement in production. The analysis should deliberately be carried out by external experts in order to avoid the "operational blindness" of internal dynamics. Thus, the management commissioned REFA-Consulting to review planning and manufacturing processes as well as plant utilisation.

Aim of the REFA counselling

The aim of the counselling was to conduct detailed analyses and to develop proposals for improved workflows and an optimised material flow.

REFA approach

Recording the actual situation

• Detailed analysis of the capacity planning of employees and machines
• Workflow analyses of the employees
• Activity analyses of the employees in order to record the productive and unproductive time fractions of the employees
• Material flow analyses to determine how large the temporal scope of material supply and material disposal is
• Setup time analyses in order to record and evaluate the activities and workflows of the individual setup steps in detail
• Utilisation degree analyses of the plants.

Potential determination
From the above analyses, the potentials were identified and, where possible, monetarily evaluated.

Measures to tap potential (excerpt)

Potential 1:
Cleaning in the grinding shop

Depending on the grinding line and the shift, different cleaning stages require different amounts of time. During cleaning, which is carried out by an employee, the machines are switched off and are not productive during this time.

Example: Cleaning at the end of the night shift, effort: 87 min. (1 employee)

Proposal: Cleaning by 4 employees at the same time (possibly external)
New effort: approx. 20 min

This would increase the OEE:

• 67 min per day
• 335 min per week
• 16,750 min or 280 h per year

The external cleaning team could also be used on the other grinding lines and plants.

Possible potential:

• significant OEE increase on all plants
• Employees can carry out other activities during this time
• Increase of the motivation of the employees

Potential 2:
Pause regulation grinding lines

The grinding lines are emptied before the pause (2 x early shift, 1 x late shift, 1 x night shift) and do not produce during the pause. After the pause, the line must be started again. In the process, the 1st ski runs through the whole plant.

Proposal: during pause times, a "jumper" is employed to look after the plant.

Possible potential:

• 270 min per day
• 1,350 min per week
• 67,500 min or 1,125 h per year

Potential 3:
Inspection rounds at the beginning of the shift

Inspection rounds are carried out on all grinding lines at the beginning of the shift. The condition of the plants, the grindstones and the blades are checked and the tools are changed if necessary. Standards or checklists are missing. During the inspection, the machines are switched off and are not productive during this time.

Proposal: Inspection rounds are standardised and carried out across shifts by 2 employees.

Possible potential for OEE increase:

• approx. 45 min per day (for all roads)
• approx. 225 min per week
• approx. 11,250 min or 187 h per year

Potential 4:
Side wall milling

The extraction at the side wall milling stations is not optimal. A large proportion of the chips fall into the plant. This means that the station has to be cleaned / vacuumed every day.

Proposal: Optimising extraction (new effort: 5 min / day)

Possible potential for OEE increase:

• 13 min per day
• 65 min per week
• 3,250 min or 54 h per year

Potential 5:
Internal logistics

After completing a job, the employees take the transport trolleys to the next process step themselves or fetch an empty trolley for a job.

Proposal: Use of a "hall logistician" who takes over the trolley handling. The employees can stay at their workplaces and process the orders.

Possible potential to increase productivity:

• approx. 20 min per employee / day (estimate)
• approx. 100 min per employee / week
• approx. 5,000 min or 83 h per employee / year