Urban Manufacturing

Process Improvement Strategy Guidance Saves $100,000 in a Single Year

Urban Manufacturing has been a staple in the prototype, machining and supply business since 1978. With a facility of over 80,000 square feet, 120 employees and a list of high profile clients, the management team was always on the lookout to find ways to remain at the forefront in a highly competitive industry. And as a longtime client of SVA, their professionals were ready to assist when Urban Manufacturing’s management team were looking for ways to reduce costs, create efficiencies and improve customer service with faster delivery times.

SVA’s supply chain consultant conducted a personalized process improvement strategy workshop focusing on the precise areas Urban’s management team had identified. The workshop was then followed by subsequent planning meetings with key managers to implement the recommendations.

One of the ideas generated from the initial process improvement workshop was to evaluate the effect of reducing the amount of expendable tooling used in the factory. Expendable tooling, sometimes referred to as consumables, is used as part of the machining process. They are an expensive but necessary part of doing business. If expendable tools are not used properly or to their fullest potential, machine shops such as Urban incur increased production costs. As part of the machine setup time reduction initiative, SVA emphasized to all employees the need to use expendable tooling in the proper manner.

“If you look at our shop floor today, you’ll see noticeable improvements,” stated Tom Urbanchek, Vice President of Sales. By working with a core team from Urban, SVA was able to save the company more than $100,000 over the course of a year.

“Because of SVA’s manufacturing experience and knowledge, our employees respect and trust their advice and opinions,” stated Tom. “Not only did SVA help us save money, they assisted us in changing our culture to one of continuous improvement.”