MAS helps furniture makers go against the grain

17th Mar 2008

For Somerset-based cabinet maker and designer, Halstock, a visit from the South West MAS has proved vital in boosting productivity by nearly 30 per cent and saving the company more than £90k.

Halstock employs 30 people and specialises in the design and manufacture of high-quality timber furniture, kitchens, bathrooms, libraries and other bespoke pieces.

The business was experiencing a loss of direction and staff morale was suffering as a result of the time it was taking for teams to complete their jobs, typically up to three months. The leadership team believed they if they complemented their traditional working practices with lean manufacturing processes they could significantly increase productivity. In order to do this, they called in the MAS.

Jasper Heinrich, production manager at Halstock, also recognised the need to implement a standard operating procedure across the production line and to re-design the layout of the workshop in order to create further space to work.

Having identified the key problems facing the business, the MAS introduced the team to a number of lean manufacturing tools and techniques and, through a practical simulation, demonstrated the benefits of improved workplace organisation. The team saw how a tidier workshop would create shorter lead times and help with manufacturing flexibility.

Charles Hill, MAS specialist who worked with Halstock, said: “Once we’d helped the team understand best practice and standard operating procedures, we agreed an action plan to implement the improvements.”

He added: “By creating different ‘zones’ in the workshop, communication across teams improved. Before any job commences the production team now meet to plan work and discuss any problems that may lead to delays or inefficiencies. This new structure means there are five to six people working on a project, and jobs are now taking no more than four weeks from start to finish. And Halstock can handle more business than ever before.

“In addition, jobs are coming in ‘under hours’ with people movement around the workshop significantly reduced through freeing up space to create extra project build areas. Previously, Halstock were using skilled cabinet makers to assist with the packaging of finished products, which was costing around £50k in wasted time a year. By employing someone full-time to manage the packaging department and other general workshop activity, cabinet makers are freed up to carry on with skilled work and the company has saved more than £30k.”

Jasper Heinrich said: “We have made a great deal of really positive improvements which have led to a big difference in productivity and team morale. Working with the MAS was the key to galvanising and creating a team effort, allowing individuals in the business to speak up and share their ideas for success.

“The MAS specialist connected well with our staff and helped define a team ethos. Overall, I have found the process very stimulating and we can see the differences in performance, especially those elements which are immeasurable. I have ensured the phrase, ‘we’ve always done it that way’, has been banned from the workshop floor!”

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