CHALLENGE

A portfolio company operating a medical device manufacturing facility in Madison, Wisconsin, aimed to achieve a 17% improvement in 90 days in incremental capacity with no CapEx investment to address the increasing backlog generated by a newly established sales team.  Collaborating with the company’s President, ETONIEN was engaged to facilitate a Kaizen workshop focused on enhancing production while either maintaining or reducing the variable workforce at the facility.  

OUR ROLE

• More capacity regarding manufacturing operation 
• Higher revenue per FTE
• Elimination of waste within their business processes

SOLUTIONS

• Conducted 2-3 weeks of data analysis to identify the operational bottlenecks and areas for opportunity
• Engaged line operators, supervisors and site leaders to ensure consensus and change management was appropriately conveyed
• Executed a 50-day sustainment plan to ensure new business processes took root and personnel were able to sustain increased capacity numbers
• Completed all physical layout and process changes within 1 week with no significant customer delays

OUTCOME

• 23% increase in production line capacity
• 8% reduction in product defects and scrap 
•  $122,000 in raw material savings and indirect spend 
• 2 FTEs redirected to increase incremental capacity of 2 other product lines