Corus Living Solutions, North Wales: Case Study
Outstanding Productivity Gains
“Our aim is to improve productivity to the extent that we can complete a module every 75 minutes by the end of 2008. MAS Wales input has set us well on the path to achieving that. Furthermore, our advisor's obvious experience in the field earned him the respect of the workforce, ensuring that improvements were implemented quickly and effectively.”
Simon Bell, operations manager, Corus Living Solutions.
Introduction
Corus Living Solutions is the North Wales based modular manufacturing division of Corus. The company came into being five years ago as Corus sought to diversify its operations.
With the awarding of a substantial five-year MOD contract for the design, supply and erection of modular buildings to upgrade accommodation and provide a range of services for the British Army garrisons at Aldershot and around Salisbury Plain, staffing levels have increased from 40 to 300.
The contract is worth £92m, will last for six years.
The accommodation modules are being built at Corus' Shotton works. The production facility at Shotton is the most advanced of its type in the UK, and Corus has secured a unique opportunity to mass produce modular buildings built to exacting Ministry of Defence standards.
The MOD contract forms part of the government's plan to upgrade soldiers' living quarters.
“The modular buildings manufactured by Corus Living Solutions provide a high quality, practical solution to the urgent need for new military accommodation, being fast to assemble, and cost effective,” explains Simon Bell, operations manager with Corus Living Solutions.
“Because the modules are effectively finished rooms, complete with carpets and furniture the need for on-site trades is substantially reduced. This is a significant benefit to the MOD with the sites being secure military bases.”
Working with Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) Wales
The magnitude of the MOD contract drove Corus Living Solutions to rethink its operations.
MAS advisors FDM-UK, supported by Knowledge Bank for Business (KB4B) - the organisation aimed at improving the skills, financial strength and business strategy of companies in Wales - were called in to help enhance existing systems.
“The size of the MOD contract brought about rapid business growth, and with it a massive increase in staffing levels,” explains Simon Bell.
“Dramatic growth of this nature will inevitably bring up issues. Therefore, we called upon MAS Wales expertise to help us bring stability to the operation and secure high productivity levels.”
"Managing the production lines effectively means that we can accept other business too, and we are currently looking at a contract with a major supermarket chain,” he adds.
CLS is also looking at expanding into other sectors, among them hotels, residential apartments, care homes and prisons.
“We are on a cycle of continuous improvement on the factory floor,” asserts Simon Bell. “Our aim is to improve productivity to the extent that we can complete a module every 75 minutes by the end of 2008.”
“MAS Wales input has set us well on the path to achieving that. Furthermore, our advisor's obvious experience in the field earned him the respect of the workforce, ensuring that improvements were implemented quickly and effectively.”
Benefits of working with MAS & FDM-UK
FDM-UK's input was necessary to help standardise the operation, improve the layout of materials, tools and documentation, and share knowledge across the shifts.
The project was successful thanks to input by MAS Wales and by the team members at CLS, and has resulted in improved productivity, better health and safety adherence, and improved quality of modules.
The introduction of a cycle time counter, with the aim of improving takt time (the maximum time allowed to produce a product in order to meet demand) has seen improved process, and had a positive impact on teamworking and product flow.
MAS Wales helped with this, and in unplugging bottlenecks. Having taken a long hard look at the 50 workstations on the factory floor, and identified where the problems lay.
Paul Byard, MAS Wales chief executive, says:
“In five years' time Corus Living Solutions wants to be the clear leader in the manufacture of modular volumetric buildings. MAS & FDM-UK were happy to have set the company on the right track to achieving that. The company is a major employer in North Wales, and when projected business growth comes to fruition employment levels will expand.”
