Keeping track of work and improving the workflow through its factories is critical, as is the use of visual displays to communicate the status of jobs. A Meggitt facility in Coventry invested in the T Cards Online Planning System, which has proven so popular that it has subsequently been taken up in other areas of the business, including its US hub in North Hollywood, California.
Meggitt had previously used a manual card-based system in some areas of this business. It was looking to digitise the process so it could display information throughout the factory. The new system was introduced in the MRO (Maintenance Repair and Overhaul) facility, to manage the administration and processing of customer enquiries and orders. It displays the status of jobs, and allows multiple users in different locations to log on and access the same information. Every action is logged, ensuring accountability for each stage of a task.
Meggitt customer service coordinator Kathy Kelly commented: “Having the status of all repair orders displayed in the office and on the shopfloor has been a real bonus. It’s easy to update and edit. As coordinator and the company face to our clients, getting information quicker on the whereabouts of units has made a big difference to the service we provide.”
Since then, it has been implemented in Goods Inwards, where it helps to ensure that items are allocated with speed and efficiency. Quality manager Brett Withington realised that the system could be easily adapted to manage and communicate the status of goods audits to key personnel. A bespoke system was designed and rolled out within a few days.
Operational excellence manager Simon Dixon then adapted the system to keep track of the stages of new and reviewed contracts. Now, that application has been expanded to include customer returns, management of subcontractors and Meggitt’s ‘quality clinic’. The visual nature of the system has helped with the speedy processing and rectification of returns, whilst the subcontractor board ensures that all the work allocated is managed and tracked with efficiency and clarity.
Simon confirmed, “The big advantage of the T Cards system is that it has made our process far more visible and accountable. Our old process was paper-driven and documents tended to get lost and mislaid, so there was a lot of chasing around looking for documents.”