Pull Flow Adoption to Streamline Production and Reduce Work in Progress

Client
Confidential
Sector
Manufacturing
Expertise
  • Business Intelligence and AI
  • Manufacturing Project Management

CONTEXT

Specializing in the manufacturing of electrical cables coated with high-performance materials, our client operated under a push flow production model, based on make-to-stock manufacturing. The company initiated a shift to a pull flow system to reduce work-in-progress, streamline flows, and increase organizational agility.

CHALLENGES

Without a dedicated project lead or reliable indicators to track actions, implemented initiatives progressed slowly. Coordination between planning and shop floor teams weakened, compromising the overall impact of the action plan. The company turned to Merkur to take over and drive the transformation forward.

ASSIGNMENT

Field support to structure the improvement plan and develop key tools.

Merkur stepped in with a human and methodical approach : action plan facilitation, team coordination, and implementation of tools to improve productivity monitoring and strengthen production planning.

This support helped reestablish team momentum and lay the foundation for a smoother, more responsive, and sustainable management system.

RESULTS

8% - 32%

lead time reduction across all products

OBJECTIVE AND ACTIONS

Rapid and effective deployment of the methods and tools needed to achieve the objectives.

  • Rapid and effective deployment of required tools and methods
  • Increased line productivity and more reliable lead timesny
  • Semi-real-time view of production status and priorities
  • Significant WIP reduction (from 8–12 reels to 1–2 on the floor)
  • Smoother production : fewer disruptions when adding orders
  • Greater visibility and responsiveness thanks to developed tools
  • Revitalized strategic project through pragmatic, human support
  • Strengthened cohesion between planning and operations team

TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES

Structured Excel dashboards (action follow-up, occupancy visuals)

Clock-in/clock-out tool to record production start/end times

Machine status boards for production tracking

Planning app for prioritization and capacity visibility

Data analysis for continuous improvement (performance, planning, capacity)

An Excel small-tool development project, in a Quick Win mode, considering the customer’s constraints (data access, software version, OS), delivering substantial gains in production monitoring and continuous improvement.

Julie Duquesne

Digital Transformation Consultant

Merkur

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