SMT’s revolutionary methodology challenges conventional cost-oriented wisdom and delivers a rapid and continuous flow of materials through the supply chain. Lead times are reduced, delivery performance is improved and productivity problems and potential solutions rapidly identified.
A number of methodologies designed to increase throughput and reduce inventories have been promoted over the past few years – most have had some success but all have also had major weaknesses.
SMT’s combination of Lean Principles and Constraint Management focus builds on their best elements to ensure management focus on true constraints to improved performance, not wasting valuable management resources on disparate, incremental and unfocused improvement initiatives. Harnessing this approach yields high payoffs in inventory, supply flexibility and lead time reduction.
But the real power of SMT’s approach is its potential as a productivity improvement methodology – as the focus for Performance Improvement Teams, the basis for new performance measurement systems and as a unifying theme to drive company policy formulation and execution.
Since quick response to the market and low inventory levels provide proven competitive advantages, SMT’s systems and technology can achieve a rapid and continuous flow of materials through the supply chain to match customer demands.
Implementation times are short, and the cash and commercial benefits are often immediate. For some of our clients, the SMT’s approach have reduced inventories by up to 90% and lead times by up to 60%, while maintaining or improving customer service.
SMT supports its improvement processes through deploy an array of lean and constraint management principles as well as change management methodologies.
Some of the tools and methods deployed:
- 5S – Seiri, Seito, Seiso, Seiketsu, Shitsuke
- Visual Workspace
- Six Sigma
- Kanban Replenishment
- TPM Total Productive Maintenance
- TOC Constraint Management
- Constraint Focused Scheduling
- TOC Evaporating Cloud
- TOC Critical Chain
- Self Directed Work Teams
- SMED Setup reduction
- Thinking on your Feet
- Train the Trainer