Managing Automation - September 2007 - (Page 48)

ESSIVE MANUF PROGR IGH ACHIEVERACTURING H 2007 TOMASCO MULCIBER INC. OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE MASTERY An on-demand, Web-based software system puts an ailing auto parts manufacturer into high gear. B Y E M I LY - S U E S L O A N E company facts n 2002, TOMASCO mulciber Inc. was running on only two cylinders. The automotive metal stampings and weldings manufacturer, formed in 1987 as a joint-venture company for the Honda supplier system, was having difficulty meeting Honda’s requirements for Delta certification and fulfilling documentation requirements for ISO certification. The company often also found itself coming up short on inventory for its work in process, which meant consuming its safety stock or missing shipments, because of incorrect requirements data in its information system. At the time, TOMASCO was using an IBM AS/400-based system and Honda-written MRP software, which American associates found difficult to use and maintain. As a result, various departments had been purchasing their own software and creating independent databases. In late 2003, a small TOMASCO MULCIBER INC. group, led by Marty Staats, TOTAL REVENUE/EMPLOYEES: $88.3 million assistant vice president, (FY 2006)/543 employees (330 in Columbus, OH; 213 in Business Division, knew that Winchester, IN) the time had come to overLOCATION: Columbus, OH haul the legacy systems. INDUSTRY: Automotive They brought in Karen PatCEO: Norio Saito terson of Revolution Group PROJECT LEADER: Marty Staats to help map processes, identify informational gaps, and PROJECT NAME: Plexus Online implementation eventually develop a request CORE TECHNOLOGIES USED IN PROJECT: for quotes for a new system. Plexus on-demand manufacturing system Over a four-month perROI/BUSINESS BENEFIT: ROI within 14 months on iod, the team evaluated 49 a $750,000 investment in software and services business processes and September identified 131 manual processes, 69 independent databases, 88 duplications of effort, and four inter faced databases. They also learned that TOMASCO was using 14 different software products on four platforms. The team determined that any new system would have to manage all aspects of TOMASCO’s manufacturing and business operations, be cost-ef fective, easy to implement, and certified by Honda. It would have to be browser-based to enable access from anywhere; multi-lingual, including Japanese; and capable of real-time shop floor data collection. The team presented its analysis, cost estimates, and ROI projection to then-President Yasuharu Masuda, who gave them the green light. “He challenged us to find the best system and software for TOMASCO with the stipulation that we must have the buy-in and support of the American associates. He understood that we might need to go beyond the traditional ERP offerings to find our best fit,” Staats recalls. To fulfill this tall order, the team selected Plexus Systems LLC for its on-demand, Webbased software system. The Plexus Online implementation included 15 functional modules, which are accessed using a Web browser. The core implementation took about 18 months, and modules were added over the following year, as resources permitted, Staats says. As a result, TOMASCO says it has reduced its work-in-process inventory by 40% and optimized its finished goods inventory, improving shipping performance. An EDI module within the Plexus system has enabled TOMASCO to keep up with changes in Honda’s system, and TOMASCO has met both ISO certification ma 48 2007

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Managing Automation - September 2007

Contents Take 1 Europe’s Automation Chiefs Upbeat on ’08 Business Prospects Vendor Coalition Pushes Human Element of SOA Wireless: Users Still Approaching with Caution One Year Later, IBM Shows Plan for MRO’s Maximo Study: More Work Needed to Lure Next-Gen Talent Executive Q&A Notes Cover Story: 2008 Companies to Watch Special Report: The 2007 Progressive Manufacturing High Achievers Progressive Manufacturer of the Year Business Model Mastery Innovation Mastery Customer Mastery Supply Network Mastery Data & Integration Mastery Education & Training Mastery Operational Excellence Mastery Leadership Mastery Transformation: Orchestrating the Multi-Tier Supply Network Integration: The Timeless Quest for Accurate Data Industries: Maintenance No Longer on Schedule Product Scan Advertiser Index Next

Managing Automation - September 2007

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