Productivity efficiency improvements balances rising material costs for Schmitz UK

摘要

UK - Since April this year, changes in the manufacturing operations at the Schmitz Car-gobull (UK) Ltd trailer manufacturing site at Harelaw, UK, have led to a massive improvement in manufacturing output. The key focus has been on 'TAKT-time', a German word relating to the time taken for each manufacturing process (or assembly works at each manufacturing station) to be completed. According to Paul Avery, general manager of operations at Schmitz Cargobull UK until April this year, the so-called 'TAKT-time' for each station making an SKO refrigerated trailer had been 68 minutes; the target for April 2009 was 44 minutes, a target, which, he said, the company was already hitting.