This document discusses improvements made to a manufacturing process through kitting subassemblies, improving visual management, and reducing waste. Key changes included relocating trim assembly to a central location to remove trapped labor, building subassemblies in sequence, dedicating transport carts for work-in-process, and designing kit boxes with specific locations for all parts to pick correctly. These changes allowed reducing headcount, defects, and work-in-process while enhancing material flow and organization.

1. Kia Optima 2013
Kia– Sorento 2014 (3rd Row)
Hyundai – Santa Fe 2013

2. 1st Row
2nd Row
3rd Row

4. Before

5. After Relocation of all Trim to Foam assemblies to
a central location
-Allowed removal of trapped labor and head count reductions to be made
-Subassemblies built in sequence
-Reduced the amount of defects due to reducing the choices operators on
line have to make, now they choose the next available subassembly
-Enhanced Visual Management with better 5S, clear flow of material
-Control excess WIP

6. More examples of kitting
subassemblies

7. From this picture you
can see one of your 5S
stations that store the
cleaning supplies

8. These are WIP carts
for transport of Back
Frame
subassemblies, color
coded for better
Visual Management.
Again these
subassemblies are
built in sequence (JIT)

9. Track subassemblies
are kitted to the line.
Change was required
due to the original
objective of this
project which was to
increase the width of
the aisle to allow for
fork lift traffic

10. A wider view of the overall line
from which you can see some
improvements made

11. Back frame subassembly originally
required 3 operators per shift, we were
able to reduce to 1 per shift
After
-New layout
-Rearrangement of parts based on the
frequency of use we were able to reduce
to 1 operator
-Taking one part of one option of seat
and moving the assembly line

12. New location of all cushion and back trim to foam
sub assemblies for the plant. Allowed for many
benefits including reducing the required Indirect
Labor team members due to the newer closer
location of the trim warehouse

13. More examples of VM and
dedicated WIP carts

14. New wider aisle

15. Old Kit box, parts could be placed anywhere
and often would arrive at the line with
incorrect or missing parts, causing
throughput issues

17. New Kit box with a cut out and specified location for
all parts, position of part within kit totes are based on
the order of picking from the warehouse

18. CEO & the Board on the final
plant tour