Bensons control

Bensons Control Panels

Case Study

Bensons, a control panel manufacturer in Normanton, serves a diverse client-base, from the HVAC sector to the Commonwealth Games.

The Challenge

Bensons were faced with mass inefficiencies due to manual-intensive product design methods that didn’t utilise product rationalisation and Design for Manufacture principles.

With a heavy reliance on key staff members and ongoing firefighting, there were huge opportunities to increase productivity within both the design team and production.

The Solution

Guided by Volkswagen's modular transversal toolkit, improvements were proposed to modularise the design process; the development of a rationalised AutoCAD library being the key area of improvement.
Through a series of intensive workshops and data analysis, Fluere pinpointed waste reduction opportunities, relinquishing time to be spent adding value.
We also tackled scheduling challenges within our Operational Improvement Review which led to implementing a Kanban T-card system.

The Outcomes

The Bensons team and the pilot ‘proof of concept’ achieved some outstanding results by working smarter, NOT harder.

Testimony

“I was confident that improvements could be made & knew that ‘Lean’ was the answer. Fluere created a training & mentoring programme through our new ‘Shopfloor Champions’ positions and by working collaboratively with our team identified meaningful KPI’s. The engagement with our team was impressive and has ensured the success and sustainability of the activity.

We’ve improved our productivity and in-process quality at the same time as improving our turnaround time, despite the current supply chain challenges.

Working with Fluere over the last three years has allowed us to gain a greater insight into the overall productivity of the business; we’re more cost effective, more efficient, and we have a long future ahead of us!”