Lean Manufacturing in Package Printing Operations

By Tom Polischuk

MPS installs ERP/MIS

Lean Manufacturing is all about efficiency and only doing work that adds real value to a company’s products. To achieve optimum results, companies need to have access to accurate, real-time information throughout the entire process, from order entry to product delivery.

Multi Packaging Solutions (MPS) is one company that recently found itself in need of a new ERP/MIS solution. MPS supplies packaging materials for the cosmetics, healthcare, horticultural, media, and value-added consumer markets. It had experienced rapid growth during the last three years, including a number of acquisitions. This led to multiple plants running multiple, disparate information systems, leading to inefficiencies and duplication of work.

After thorough investigation of possible solutions, MPS selected Radius Solutions’s PECAS Vision software to standardize operations across all its facilities and to provide timely access to critical business information. “In today’s world, you’re only as good as the information you can get your ands on,” said William Hogan, executive VP and CFO.

Both companies dedicated experienced people to lead the implementation efforts. The solution was rolled-out initially at two MPS locations in just five months. The company’s goal was to get all 12 facilities onto PECAS Vision Financials right away, while continuing the roll-out of the entire application suite at each remaining facility in a staged approach.

According to Nancy Smith, VP of customer assistance at MPS, the implementation has been a very smooth process. “In my opinion, the cutover went phenomenally well. I have been through a few large generic ERP system roll-outs and I know how bad things can get,” she said.

MPS has already realized many benefits from the implementation. “With our old systems, we had a lot of duplication in the processes required to service our customers,” stated Smith. “With PECAS Vision we are using half the number of people to service our customers, which has absolutely had a positive impact on our overhead costs.”

Lean Manufacturing has been an important topic for the package-printing industry (and all U.S. manufacturing, for that matter) for many years now. Printers have most likely engaged in Lean Manufacturing processes without even knowing it. Why? Because Lean is all about reducing/eliminating waste and improving productivity. Any business that hasn’t been seriously engaged in these activities is probably having a difficult time in today’s competitive landscape. When talking specifically about Lean Manufacturing, however, you are talking about a more formalized system, one derived from Japanese manufacturing successes and more specifically, from the Toyota Production System. When a company is implementing Lean concepts, it is probably engaged in just-in-time, value stream mapping, Kaizen events, 5S, or other waste-elimination processes with distinct nomenclature. In the end, however, the formalized nature of Lean Manufacturing offers the potential to produce results that are greater than what would be achieved with a less structured approach to productivity improvement.

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