A cross-functional group at Castle Bromwich proved that team work makes the Refocus dream work after making a relatively small parts sequencing change in D Block to bank a six-figure annual saving.
MP&L's Luke Peterson led a team made up of D Block group leaders, MP&L and DHL planning and operations colleagues to 'desequence' the left-hand Load Space Lining on the D7a production line which has resulted in cost-per-car saving of £3.89.
The change was simply to remove the need for a third-party supplier to sequence the parts before they went lineside.
Instead, associates now pick the parts themselves after the team created the space to allow a buffer of parts to continually sit on the line.
Group leader Mark Holder fabricated the racking using materials in the block workshop, fellow group leader Shazad Mansoor and CME engineer Amjad Mahmood created the process and incorporated into the associates' WES sheet while DHL's Wayne Spruce managed the linefeed process with Luke and MP&L colleague Katie Bower overseeing the project.
Well done all.
There's six variants of this particular part on Station 60 and up to now a third party supplier would sticker and sequence each part for the build. We've instead now just provided all six variants lineside thanks to the space the team have created and the associates just pick them themselves.
It seems like a really simple change but the team have removed the need for third party involvement, created the equipment needed lineside to safely store the parts and come up with the process to install them, including amending the 'bingo card' so associates know what to pick.