Overview
Industrial Stamping & Manufacturing Corporation (Roseville, MI) has almost 45 years of experience serving the manufacturing industry. From total stamping capabilities (prototype to production) including secondary operations, sub-assemblies, tapping and welding services, they offer their customers a complete solution.
Adam Tomlan is third generation Owner/General Manager of ISM. With increasing competition and more demands being requested of ISM, Tomlan realized success will be defined by efficiency. “An established system with defined parameters and measurables is equally important as equipment, if not more. Metal stamping companies are unique compared to ‘job shops’ in the fact we are not build-to-order but forecasted-to-build,” says Tomlan.
The Challenge
The need for automation software became apparent to President Adam Tomlan to eliminate scheduling issues, maximize work centre capabilities and assist with enhanced control of inventory. “We were looking for a system that could improve our Production Scheduling. Taking into consideration small quantities, on-time delivery, highly efficient production, and reducing our set-up times,” says Tomlan.
Tomlan soon discovered limited product availability specific to the metal stamping industry. He purchased one seat of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system of what was thought to be feasible. “From the moment I began implementation and training, I quickly discovered this is not the answer to our requirements,” says Tomlan.
Tomlan adds, “The market is flooded with ‘generic’ programs related to build-to-order. Our customers operate under different terms. We are responsible to ship product within in days or even hours. We must build to stock. We needed a system with a strong material planning module to eliminate running around and chaos in production,” said Tomlan.
The Continuing Result
“Time is money, and we needed a system that will decrease the amount of time taken to complete our typical business procedures,” says Tomlan. Shop Edge automated the process, eliminated steps, and helped Industrial Stamping optimize work flow at all operations.
Possible production problems are highlighted in several of the ISM production screens and allow easy manipulation right on the shop floor. Build quantities can now be easily changed on the fly, removed, reprioritized (higher or lower) or quickly inserted into the schedule. As changes to the production schedule are made, they are immediately reflected on terminals used by work center operators, plant team leaders, and material planners.
“The key to any business is simplicity and consistency. The Manager defines the system and the system controls the process. Shop Edge Software is our defining system. As management, we are able to define the manufacturing process and expectations. Once defined, the employee has a set guideline for expectations or measurables. These defined expectations or measurables also increase employee awareness and they will be more likely to submit continuous improvement projects,” reports Tomlan.
Conclusion
The automation project undertaken by Adam Tomlan has become a very successful strategic initiative at ISM. The company now has the capability to meet the challenges of increased competition and growing business demands in a forceful manner. The overall improvement in efficiency resulting from Adam’s vision for ISM have positioned ISM strongly within the industry and lead to additional business and overall profitability.