Breaking the Mold on Job Shops

Abstract

Job shops lack disciplined manufacturing strategy and execution. High variation of work results in high levels of WIP, unbalanced loads, poor shop floor visibility, underutilized machinery, and ultimately poor on time delivery, high costs, long lead times, and poor quality. To break the mold on mediocrity, job shops must build a strong foundation from which the company can grow, synchronize operations, and build the factory of the future. The research outlines the key initiatives and tools necessary for a job shop to execute this strategy and achieve operational excellence.

The strategy is explored through the lens of Company X, a CNC machining supplier serving the aerospace and defense industry. Execution to this strategy introduced a strong culture of continuous improvement and bias for action. Initial results include an improvement in on-time delivery performance at Company X from 50% to 96%. The on-time delivery performance led booked orders to hit record levels, during a global pandemic. Company X is now better positioned to execute the strategic initiatives to sustain on time delivery performance and achieve decreased costs, increased quality, and shortened lead times. Company X will break the mold on job shops and become the industry standard supplier for aerospace and defense.