COMMITMENT TO QUALITY LEADERSHIP
Today’s market requirements demand much briefer delivery times than in the past and classical production models fail to meet these expectations.
For this reason MARINI has implemented a new logistics and production model, and has invested in a future with growth at the same pace as its customers’ needs.
MARINI Top Management has decided to develop state-of-the-art product management methodologies in order to increase manufacturing efficiency, reduce delivery lead time, and increase quality:
- Kanban module management
- Kaizen philosophy for continuous improvement in procedures
- Lean projects
- Pre-delivery inspection
KANBAN MODULE MANAGEMENT
Kanban is a method to emphasize ‘just-in-time’ delivery. In MARINI, the focus has been placed on significantly reducing delivery time to the customer and improving Service Level.
The new model is based on producing modules that are finalized and completed for the specific contract only at the end of the process. In the production process two points of decoupling have been incorporated and a Kanban system recovery for the ‘just-sold’ modules (see Figure 1). The first point is located after the construction process of the frames that make up the individual modules and the second before the final process of customization. In parallel, MARINI has reached the targets to reduce the WIP inventory and to increase the productivity through “hunting wastage”.
KAIZEN PHILOSOPHY FOR THE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF PROCESSES
Kaizen means “improvement” or “change for the best”. It is a mix of practices that focus upon various improvements of manufacturing processes.
In order to improve efficiency, MARINI has optimized the collection time for components and tools. A precise «instruction manual» has been compiled, explaining all the steps required to produce the various plant modules, in a very detailed and visual way. As a result, production efficiency has increased, production costs have been reduced and overall quality has improved!
Another part of the project has utilized the Kanban method, not only for internal production but also with the external supply chain, with the target of reaching “zero missing parts” when the production of the various macro-modules starts.
Lean Project
MARINI has established high performance standards for environment, health and safety. In addition they have re-designed the entire the factory layout in order to optimize the material flow. The design of all the workstations has also been reviewed and optimized in order to have all the tools and the materials available when and where needed.
MARINI has also implemented various management control systems, including Visual Management, which means sharing information faster and in a more user-friendly way.