SUDELEC Electronic Solutions

SUDELEC is an expert in the manufacture of electronic cards and systems.

It operates in cutting-edge sectors that require a very high level of expertise: aeronautics, industrial computing, industry, medical, energy, etc.

SUDELEC carries out the complete stages of design, CAD and industrialization of the cards.

SUDELEC in 3 figures

3000000

Components installed each month

1200

square meters of implantation

workers

Expectations

In connection with a strong development of its activity, and after several years of continuous improvement on the field, SUDELEC launched actions of progress on its planning and its piloting of workshop. Good practices were already well anchored, like the prohibition to launch OFs with missing components or the will not to launch too many OFs simultaneously in workshop.

To advance in its approach, SUDELEC has embarked on a project to diagnose, simulate and manage its flows.

The objectives of the project were to:

Have an intelligent control panel that empowers team members and facilitates decision making,
Detect anomalies quickly and react quickly,
Access and use relevant performance indicators,
Have a “real time” visual management tool interfaced with the ERP,
Eliminate low value-added tasks such as manual writing of magnetic labels,
Align its visual management tools in terms of image with its general level of excellence: new building, technical means, quality of its services, industrial organization and customer performance.

Solutions

SUDELEC being an expert in electronics and digital technology, it was natural to choose digital tools from the Factory of the Future for its manufacturing workshops.

However, SUDELEC’s management was also attentive to the deployment of good flow management practices aligned with its Lean Manufacturing actions within the GIFAS/Space Aero program.

The Conwip pull flow supported by a digital board appeared to be the right approach to ensure production rates, control work-in-process, limit throughput times and ensure OTD, all in compliance with the Lean approach.

Project approach

An initial flow diagnosis was necessary to analyze the specificities of SUDELEC’s activity. It allowed to understand the piloting methods used and to organize the transition to a pulled flow in Conwip.

We then conducted a training session for all the players with the Conwip Game to explain the upcoming developments.

Then we implemented our two software tools:

The WipSim simulator to analyze and optimize the existing lines and to dimension different scenarios of future development of the activity,
The SmartWip digital panel for daily control of production lines.

The simulator is not intended to be used permanently. It is used to resize resources and work-in-progress when major changes in production rates are envisaged.

The digital board, on the other hand, is used on a daily basis for piloting and as a focal point for short interval managements (SIMs) in the workshop.

Results

The main results of this project are as follows:

10% reduction in lead times,
Autonomy of the production on the management of the flows,
Anticipation and limitation of bottlenecks,
Autonomy and time saving in planning,
Better management of production contingencies.

“We have gained in efficiency and coherence thanks to a 4.0 workshop management solution adapted to the high technological level of our products” Serge CALMARD, CEO.