Client Case Studies

Challenge:

Vertically integrated manufacture of air-conditioning chiller units from copper cooling coils and sheet metal through to assembly. Orders were consolidated over a 30-day period, grouped into batches of similar products and could easily take 2-3 months or more to fill. The existing facility had become too small to contain growing demand and it became necessary to design and build a new in 400,000 sq. ft. facility.

Solution:

Lay out the new factory in a Mixed Model flow for any product to be assembled on any day to customer order instead of in batches if similar products. Synchronise production of the majority of the machined parts to replenish components only as used in assembly. Calculate the batch quantities of manufactured components that optimise inventory and machine utilisation, reducing the former by increasing the latter using a customised design algorithm.

Results:

Order lead time reduced by 6-8 weeks. First year cash benefit $18 million with $3.7 million per annum thereafter in inventory carrying costs, reduced cost of quality and productivity.

Challenge:

In the UK, this medium sized specialist consultancy company needed better to crystallise its marketing strategy in its important client sector: utilities, which was undergoing complex and massive change driven by new laws governing licenses to operate and free market competition.

Solution:

Our Synatus Partner was engaged as an independent sector specialist to examine the company’s product and service offerings and to develop a multi-dimensioned pictorial representation of the continuum of linked services with dimensions of type of client, stage in deregulation, and phase in the development life-cycle of new business processes and systems. He performed a gap analysis with particular existing large clients and the market in general. Not only was he was able to identify new opportunities for additional services to be offered to existing clients, but also, he was able to propose new sales opportunities to new clients.

Results:

The firm’s sales force used the recommendations to shape better its marketing plan, and realising the benefit of additional sales.

Challenge:

Chairman of ferry company wanted a ticket booth check-in system as seen on cross channel ferry operations. This was seen to be a customer service improvement initiative.

Solution:

Project management of client team: Definition, collection and analysis of traffic flow data. Development of a dynamic simulation model incorporating queuing theory, customer processing times and traffic flow.

Results:

Defined the number of booths & staffing requirements by time of day, day of week and week of year. Production of implementation plan for both terminals.

Challenge:

3 year R&D project with 4 partners to develop integrated assessment tool for LCC and LCA.

Solution:

TSB part funded consortium to develop modules to add to existing building modelling and virtualisation tools.

Results:

About to launch IMPACT tool within suite of IES VE tools.

Challenge:

To fulfill the role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) after incumbent had left to take up the Director of ICT post at Aston University.

Solution:

Ian was taken on to fulfill the role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) whilst the new person was recruited.

Results:

Ian fulfilled the CTO role whilst also holding the Chair of Health & Social Information Exchange Steering Committee (HaSCIE: e-sap), involving the Council and Health Service Primary & Acute Care Trusts. He was subsequently retained to become Joint E-Government Programme Manager (E-GPM) in which role he set up the Programme Management Office, established the programme, monitored & reported progress made to the ODPM on the E-Government Programme. He then handed over the role/function to the newly recruited Director of Performance & Development. Ian subsequently inducted his successor.

Challenge:

Problems with the maintenance area. Poor service level

Solution:

Increase efficiency and organize the area.

Results:

Reengineering and implementing disruptive process changes in the maintenance area of a mining company boosting efficiency in more than 100%.

Challenge:

Development of an Optimum Pricing Model for Network Transactions

Solution:

Development of an optimum pricing structure to facilitate the use of its network for ATM transactions by each member institution; detailed assessment of costing structures, infrastructure costs, control procedures, cash and investment flows, transaction databases as well as an in-depth analysis of the books of account; Evaluating current process flows in an ATM environment and developing potential structures with the proliferation of the debit card

Results:

Designed and implemented a mechanism for interbank settlement on ATM transactions through the Visa network

Challenge:

This Antwerp-based pharmaceutical company realised that its home-grown customer service and manufacturing systems were in urgent need of replacement as they had become difficult and very expensive to maintain.

Solution:

The Operations Director engaged a Big4 firm of management consultants, including our Synatus Partner, to review the business requirements and to select a package of Enterprise Requirements Planning (ERP) software, including new CRM and manufacturing planning able to cope with lot control and the full traceability required by the industry.

Results:

Our consultant provided the CRM expertise to tailor the standard ERP package offering and provided project management to launch the project. All customer service modules were implemented successfully and a more robust and cheaper-to-own solution was the result.