Manufacturing Integration: Managing Throughput and Organizational Change

Abstract

Private equity-owned manufacturing companies frequently buy competitors to bolster revenue and capture market share within their disciplines. Decisions regarding facilities, employees, and manufacturing flows are made as demand rises, synergies are pursued, and costs are subjected to greater scrutiny. Companies in this situation begin to make changes to maintain growth and continue to excel in their specialties.

This research focuses on implementing lean methodologies into a manufacturing space and recommends various improvements in a single manufacturing site. With demand increasing by nearly 100% the researcher proposes a shift in manufacturing strategy that decreases cycle times and overall throughput through the facility. Capacity analyses and manufacturing layout improvements, in addition to the manufacturing strategy, are explored through various departments of the product build process. The product in this case is an outdoor shade system.

The results of this research are still ongoing. However, the proposals in this investigation serve as a guide for the integration of two manufacturing companies and three facilities into one company servicing customers out of a single manufacturing site. It demonstrates that future product forecasts can be achieved with improved manufacturability and flow.