The Challenge

A global manufacturer of industrial engines with multiple production facilities across the UK, Europe, South America and Asia had identified a number of suppliers where performance was below expectations and was severely impacting production lines causing disruption and a loss of
revenue.

One such supplier was highlighted as a significant risk due to consistent failure of their sub-tier supplier to deliver raw castings across multiple parts into their facility for machining. The significant arrears situation was further complicated by a design change requiring a stock-build on
two of the constrained parts.

G&P were tasked with working with the supplier and their sub-tier supply chain to manage their recovery.

The Solution

G&P identified and allocated specialist supply chain performance engineers to support the supplier on behalf of our customer.

G&P’s project team met the supplier team and discussed the steps at a kick-off meeting. The G&P engineers then conducted an in-depth analysis of both current and historical issues and developed mutually agreed action plans to resolve the supply issues as quickly as possible. The G&P team worked with the supplier and their sub-tier, developing pro-active working relationships to monitor the action plans and provide help where needed.

G&P’s team-working approach provided a conduit to effective communication, assisted with integration of improvement activities, provided focussed analysis of forward-view parts management by utlising bespoke trackers, all aimed at driving up schedule adherence.

The Results

By prioritising critical path activities and daily feedback to our customer, the G&P team provided all-important confidence that supply of critical parts was secure and that the agreed improvement journey was being competently managed to the planned timings.

Additionally, G&P was further entrusted by the customer to support a NPI project team at this supplier, developing schedules and identifying sufficient stock levels of parts to facilitate engineering change with minimum disruption to production.