Doing more with less

Quintiq’s business unit director, Koen Jacobs looks at how best to bolster customer satisfaction through Lean and Agile manufacturing processes.

Lean manufacturing principles, initially designed to solve issues in discrete automotive assembly, have long been a driving force behind the world’s leading producers in aerospace and beyond.

Why have these principles become accepted worldwide and across industries? The reach and longevity of Lean manufacturing can be explained by its simple premise and obvious value to all manufacturers - it aims to reduce waste of valuable time and resources. As complexity and customer demand have increased substantially, innovations in optimisation technology are utilised to achieve Lean operations that respond to growing challenges.

Today’s leading aerospace manufacturers are under pressure to deliver ever-growing numbers of aircraft at lower cost, but with higher standards and increased capabilities. On-time delivery is crucial to customers and manufacturers face penalties when aircraft are not delivered on time. These manufacturers anticipate continued growth in demand based on their long-term projections. The pressure to keep customers satisfied drives the need for aerospace manufacturers to ensure they are using the most advanced technology to make their operations as streamlined and efficient as possible. The right planning system needs to be able to take into consideration changing aircraft configurations, multi-layered chains of component makers struggling to deliver parts- and at times, unexpected disruptions such as late delivery of critical parts.

Managing complexity

A crucial component of the Lean manufacturing philosophy, just-in-time inventory, advocates keeping as little inventory on hand as possible. Less inventory translates into less waste. However, a tight inventory has to strike a balance between minimising waste and ensuring that there is enough product to maintain smooth operations and high on-time delivery levels. A flexible planning solution will maintain the best possible set of inventories based on the unique needs of the manufacturer’s operations and adjust over time in response to shifting conditions and demands.

While maintaining appropriate inventory stock levels is important, minimising work-in-process levels is equally crucial when thinking Lean. A key role of an optimisation solution is to minimise waiting time. The right solution is one designed specifically to handle high levels of complexity and maximise utilisation of resources, while providing real-time feedback on production.

In Lean manufacturing, autonomation is “automation with a human touch,” meaning a form of automation that is balanced by human judgment. Installing a machine that mindlessly produces products quickly despite a lack of demand quickly can lead to very costly waste. This philosophy carries forward to software. No matter how sophisticated the algorithm, planning systems need to be enhanced by people who can make judgment calls with their soft knowledge or context that may only exist outside the system. If specifications suddenly change — a part was damaged in transit or there is a delay in the supply chain — planners need to be able to make quick adjustments. Planners are empowered by a solution that provides full visibility of the supply chain which enables them to easily identify problems, relationships and consequences within the chain. Planners need to be able to easily override and lock in any planning decisions that they deem necessary. That decision support and flexibility allow the planner to better manage the complexities inherent in the process.

Increasing complexity in aerospace manufacturing is unavoidable. Leading manufacturers have found that using various planning tools that are not connected can limit flexibility, adaptability and the pace of reaction. Boeing has signed an agreement with its long-term partner, Dassault Systèmes to expand its end to end collaboration across design, engineering, analysis, manufacturing planning and shopfloor execution through Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform. This expanded collaboration is a key part of what Boeing has described as its digital transformation as it moves forward. Whether or not an aerospace manufacturing company chooses a platform such as this or uses various systems that have the ability to share information and interact, integration is key to keep with the velocity of the industry.

Continually meeting increasing demands and handling disruptions can be accomplished with the right Lean manufacturing tools that simultaneously consider and optimise all goals at once to arrive at the best overall plan to suit the business reality.

Lean and agile equals success

As we look towards the future, agility is becoming more necessary than ever. Existing long-term orders and future projections let us know that due to airline fleet shifts and the impending retirement of some aircraft models, manufacturers will see current backlogs continue to expand over at least the next twenty years, but likely much longer. In order to ensure that cost and quality is not compromised, agility will be key.

Many leaders in the industry are embracing the concept of ‘ready for rate’ which focuses on accelerating manufacturing ramp-up and improving quality by providing engineering and manufacturing planning stakeholders with cross-site digital continuity and real-time access to accurate product and product build information.

Companies that are moving to improve with this approach to agility can eliminate excess costs, delays, quality issues and waste before production even begins. Leveraging real-time analytics and powerful simulation, a ready for rate approach enables flexible production while delivering products with first-time quality, on budget, and on schedule. Aerospace manufacturers can take advantage of digital continuity to implement Lean practices that remove waste in critical areas of manufacturing. Planners can define and validate manufacturing processes down to individual work instructions virtually to eliminate potential issues and waste before they occur.

When this approach to agility is combined with the opportunity for continuous optimisation, it allows for real-time, informed decision-making and quick response to disruptions. This real-time visibility across the supply chain enables enhanced planning and execution that takes into consideration actual production performance. Quality is improved with traceability and real-time tracking of issues. These are the solutions that leading aerospace manufacturers are implementing now to set their business up for success in the coming decades. Manufacturing companies that are prepared to embrace these innovations will have the greatest opportunities for success. Companies who choose not to make this a priority will not fare as well.

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