The client is a Fortune 500 company operating as one of the world's largest suppliers of aerospace and defense products. They serve commercial and business aviation companies, military and defense sectors, and airports.
The Challenge
Collins Aerospace approached us after they experienced a failed AS9100 audit due to having expired materials on the assembly floor. The client had grown significantly over the past year and their existing Materials Management process was no longer sustainable for their current workload. Upon our review, their process relied heavily on a single person manually tracking all materials with an expiration date.
Passed Audit
1
The resulting system must comply with AS9100 requirements.
Intuitive Process
2
Technicians are able to follow the process with minimal training.
Zero Waste
3
The system achieves its goals with the least amount of technician effort and time.
0
Failed Quality Audits
1
Modernized Materials Management System
Design
CyberMedics designed a Materials Management System to augment the current inventory management system, allowing accurate tracking of materials and expiration dates.
To uncover Collins' process failures, we held an in-person kaizen event. As a team, we set new system goals based on existing system weaknesses:
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Single person reliant for logging material expirations
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Absence of a formal material tracking process
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Paper-based record keeping
Develop
CyberMedics developed a date of expiration system that automatically tracks specific material locations and notifies of upcoming expiring dates.
Having completed the design phase, we were able to focus development on the features that would provide the most value to the customer. The system we developed included:
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Auto-escalating notifications for upcoming expirations
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Easy-to-use digital material location tracking
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Seamless integration into existing inventory system
deliver
CyberMedics worked closely with the end users to ensure the system startup was as smooth as possible.
We introduced the system gradually to preserve data integrity and ongoing operations. Working closely with Collins' technicians, we ensured their understanding of the new process and system. Once confident in its smooth operation, we assessed its impact.
Impact
Working with Collins, we standardized their management processes so no expired materials would end up on the assembly floor.
In just a few weeks, we successfully analyzed material flow and generated reports for spotting process issues. The new system's main impact is broadening quality compliance responsibility across the organization, no longer dependent on a single person.
To solve Collins Aerospace’s problem, our team set out to discover what frustrations their technicians were experiencing on the assembly floor. After meeting with the client, we identified their pain points, such as wanting a system that was reliable and intuitive, and that didn’t involve double-checking data.
Materials Management System
Case Study
Our team created a user-friendly Materials Management System. This innovative solution offers real-time insights into material quantities, expiry dates, and locations. By effectively tracking materials, the system provides alerts for expirations and facilitates swift inventory updates.