Video: How digital display systems helped Harris RCS improve productivity by 20%

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), one of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult Centres, replaced manual processes at Harris RCS with digital display systems, creating significant OTIF delivery and productivity improvements.

Harris RCS is a successful family-run aerospace business. With growth in their sector and customers demanding excellence, considerable pressure was placed on their delivery performance. With the MTC’s support, Harris RCS identified scheduling as the root-cause of wasted time and failed deliveries. Understanding that SME resources are limited, the MTC assisted Harris RCS with utilising existing resources and IT infrastructure to improve scheduling and planning.

 

The MTC constructed a shared vision of a visual workplace, where the schedule was planned and communicated to the shop-floor via large plasma screens. User-specific dashboards were installed on the shop-floor displaying daily plans, performance and business intelligence in real time. The order status is communicated in a visual colour-coded system. The data is generated automatically, communicating accurate and reliable delivery dates to their customers.

Matthew Fielder, Operations Manager, Harris RCS said: “There is a real buzz that everyone can sense. We are actually getting people coming up to us with ideas for how we could further increase our efficiency. They didn’t just give us the displays, they brought a culture that changed our workforce.”

The Outcome

• Data has been transformed into an understandable format, assisting staff in good decision making
• The innovation has gone beyond supporting the scheduling process. The team are using the digital information to validate costs, pricing and identify opportunities for improvements. They are now able to verify the true impact of new investments
• The project has brought a new energy to the factory and employees are bringing ideas to the management team for further optimisation

Benefits to Harris RCS

• Achieved a 20% increase in productivity
• Improvement of On Time In Full (OTIF) to 98.3%
• Received a performance award in November 2017 from their customer, Pattonair
• Up-skilled staff

Magnus McFarlane, Lead Advisor, The MTC added: “The effective use of digital information can provide a significant boost to performance. Quick gains can be achieved through simple innovations that just require a bit of connected thinking, and investment in people, to deliver significant benefits.”

Watch the video below to learn more