IMI Critical has been applying Lean manufacturing techniques across a range of back office functions, achieving substantial efficiency gains in each case.
In IMI CCI Brno, Czech Republic, Value Stream Mapping methodology was applied to the process for the finance team's month end close process. The team was trained in Lean basics, and then created a map of their current process and an ideal future process, with a timeline showing how the future process would be achieved. Forty two actions were identified and assigned to different team members. As a result of the work, the team achieved a 16% improvement in the time required to complete the month end close.
Meanwhile in IMI Remosa in Italy, a Lean project has successfully reduced the cost of the inventory carried by the business by some 21% in just 12 months, while maintaining on time delivery at over 90%. A careful analysis of the business's inventory trends showed that stocks of raw materials remained constant regardless of orders and output. By modularising the valve design, putting stock materials to better use and adopting 'just in time' manufacturing, the business was able to "drastically reduce our stock and improve our plant key performance indicators" according to Mauro Natalini, Operations & Lean Manager for IMI Remosa.
