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BAE Systems  About BAE SystemsThe troops deployed in BAE Systems’ Individual Equipment Division is a world leader in state-of-the-art survivability systems for the warfighter, protecting troops in the field since 1969. On it’s path of innovation, the Improved Outer Tactical Vest (IOTV), a new generation of protective gear for the U.S. Army was discovered as the next generation in soft body armor.
Business NeedsAs a life-saving device, superior quality was the cornerstone that all project efforts would place first and foremost. Under that condition, the delivery commitments to the Army and, ultimately, the men and women of the US Army were paramount.
The ultimate success for this endeavor, however, was the establishment of a lean, continuous improvement culture and a manufacturing model that would serve as the prototype for all manufacturing processes within the division. A new product being manufactured in a new facility provided a unique opportunity to establish a unique culture employing world class operational techniques.
“Standing up” the facility required leadership from within the company to lend a helping hand, and due to other growth within the division, there was a pressing need to bridge the short-term leadership need until the permanent Operations Manager for the new facility was in place. In addition to the needs at the new facility, it was necessary that all supporting and surrounding processes were capable of meeting the cost, quality and delivery needs. Immediate ChallengesAfter being awarded a $112 million contract for the IOTV, the Individual Equipment Division team faced an aggressive four month, 50% production throughput ramp up. As a product fresh out of the development process, ramping up to full scale production required some new manufacturing processes and methods and, in some cases, machinery. Bryan Stiles, VP of Operations for the Individual Equipment Division, seized this moment to not only meet an aggressive delivery schedule and “stand up” the needed capacity, but to integrate lean manufacturing disciplines into his team’s extensive “cut and sew” experience.
Much of the internal capacity increase was created through the addition of a new 33,000 sqare feet facility in
Definity Partners PlanImprovements began on the shop floor of the Grainger county facility integrating the BAE Systems team’s IOTV product knowledge and extensive sewing knowledge with world-class lean techniques. It was determined that the “carrier” was to be the product of the Grainger facility with the remaining assembly operations being completed at the
One by one, bottlenecks were broken down through process improvements and both throughput and productivity were ratcheted to new plateaus. Product variation created by the various product sizes were simplified using visual management techniques, allowing newly added associates to quickly contribute to the manufacturing process. Material flows were improved using kanban systems, point-of-use supermarkets, Just-In-Time production of key raw materials and intuitive visual management systems. Hands-on learning in the day-to-day operation were complimented with classroom learning with the Lean Manufacturing Simulation. As this journey was in progress, David Clary joined the BAE Systems team as the site Operations Manager and solidified the group of emerging leaders that continue to sustain a disciplined 5S program and continuous improvement culture.
The rapid carrier ramp-up in the Grainger facility provided an opportunity to extend best practices to the
Results
The Figures
Continuous ImprovementThe rapid carrier ramp-up in the Grainger facility provided an opportunity to extend best practices to the
All supporting material handling systems were streamlined with visual cues and organizational systems. The result was an IOTV manufacturing process that allowed the BAE Systems team to actually reduce overtime during the months of November and December- months containing the least number of scheduled work days!
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What they had to say Definity Partners understands the business needs and balances this with the human needs of all the employees to drive motivation in safety, quality, delivery, cost and continuous improvement in all that they do. Definity Partners will be an asset to any organization that has an immediate need to grow or improve their business culture.
Vice President Operations
Individual Equipment
BAE Systems
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