Supply Chain Improvements Yield Greater Customer Confidence

Posted by Amy Fitzgerald on Nov 4, 2011 11:12:43 AM

 Roesch Inc. cuts operational costs and excess material inventory with help from IMEC.

Before implementing an upgrade to its enterprise manufacturing software system, Roesch Inc. saw an opportunity to make some long-needed improvements to its make-to-order process and material management systems. The resulting changes, executed with IMEC’s help, have enabled the Belleville manufacturer to meet customer on-time delivery requirements and cut nearly $200,000 in operational costs and excess material inventory.

The manufacturer of components used in the production of cooking equipment, HVAC, outdoor grills and ice-related products has seen demand increase for the commercial oven liners it supplies to rapidly expanding food giants such as Pizza Hut, KFC, and Taco Bell. To win more of this business, however, Roesch needed the flexibility to meet tight production schedules. To do so would require significant changes to its own material acquisition process.

“We literally entered everything manually, and sometimes more than once,” said Mike Koenigstein, Vice President of Manufacturing. “Order processing time was in minutes, but it took us several days to get raw material to the floor. We knew if we could make improvements to this process, we could get all of our key products out the door in days rather than weeks.”

Koenigstein turned to IMEC’s John Remsey, a specialist in efficiency and information technology, for assistance. Remsey worked with the Roesch team to map the entire order-to-production process, uncovering several steps that, if minimized or eliminated, would enable Roesch to gain greater control over its in-bound and out-bound value stream. The remaining process steps were then evaluated to determine if automation would improve them even further. Remsey counseled Koenigstein to have any sales or customer service staffer enter orders directly into the new software system, and trigger acquisition of the matching amount of raw material from supplier. “Now these transactions are simultaneous,” Koenigstein said.

As a result of the project, Roesch has already realized significant improvements in productivity and on-time delivery. Better yet, Koenigstein said “it’s giving our customers confidence that our supply chain can handle any schedule variations. That is a huge competitive advantage for us.”

Utilizing funding support from the MidAmerica Workforce Investment Board, Training Within Industry (TWI) specialist Ed Huey also worked with Roesch’s supervisors to implement consistent work practices and problem solving methods. Koenigstein appreciated the approach IMEC took to engage his team.

"IMEC takes the time to listen to everyone's perspectives and they're very patient. These projects have helped us to take a big step forward in modernizing our business processes.”-Mike Koenigstein, VP of Manufacturing

IMEC representatives are available to assist companies with whatever challenges they may be facing. Contact one of our local specialists to learn about ways IMEC can help your company.

Amy Fitzgerald

Written by Amy Fitzgerald

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