Case Studies

Company Background

Expert Automotive Trim is a BBBEE- Level 1 manufacturer that supplies upholstery and cut textile parts to the furniture industry. Established 20 years ago, the Durban based company has recently evolved to supply the automotive industry with interior trim components.

Project Scope

• Establishing robust production management systems
• Develop greater levels of efficiency in planning and executing the firm’s production requirements.
• Time and motion studies were undertaken to create production standards, production planning and measurement systems were implemented, visual management and 5S systems established, and supervisors trained on the fundamentals of lean.

Project Outcomes

• Improved throughput resulting in an additional 25% production capacity, allowing Expert Automotive Trim to source new business.
• Finished goods inventory reduced by 20% based on the implementation of an E-KANBAN
• Visual process management and 5S gave the management at Expert Automotive Trim the tools required to drive continuous improvement

Impacts

Thanks to the additional capacity that Expert Automotive Trim unlocked, the business has since increased its order volumes and taken on a new client. Improved control of finished goods stock has also resulted in improvements to customer deliveries and has been extended to also drive improvements in supplier delivery control.

Comments from Company Representatives

Pragasen Naidoo, the companys Managing Director, noted We have seen very positive benefits from the training and systems introduced through the project. The management team now have tools to assist in better management of production control. Monitoring of production efficiencies is new and has been beneficial and allowed better management of production. The project has added a new level of management to Expert Automotive Trim and we see this as a tool to assist us in progressing to new levels.