Plains Consulting LLC provides operational and manufacturing excellence consulting services to help clients continuously improve processes and eliminate waste. They use proven tools and methods like Lean, Total Productive Maintenance, 5S, SMED, and TPM to facilitate sustainable changes through team-based workshops and coaching. With over 25 years of experience in continuous improvement, Plains Consulting can help clients implement operational excellence practices to improve productivity, quality, costs and safety.

1. Plains Consulting LLC.
Operational/Manufacturing Excellence
Improve the bottom-line impact of existing “value stre ams.”
To run your core business well, you’ve got to produce and deliver excellent
services, andproducts to customers rapidly, reliably and at a competitive cost.
Operational/Manufacturing Excellence means eliminating waste from processes…
continuously. The cornerstones of Operational/Manufacturing Excellence are Lean
and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM). More than a set of tools, these
methodologies depend on systemic change. The principles can be easy to grasp,
but not so easy to implement.
Plains Consulting LLC provides proven experts who consult with manufacturing
organizations and provide team-based improvement tools that make changes
sustainable.
We work collaboratively with clients on everything from defining current state
situations, future state ambitions, and current performance gaps. We collectively
deploy specific team based tools/workshops and coaching needed on both the
technical and the human sides of change.
With more than 25 years’ experience in Continuous Improvement activities in a
major international chemical manufacturing company, Plains Consulting LLC can
help you make operational excellence a way of life.
Contact :
Plains Consulting LLC
Jim Heptinstall SME
Phone 609-540-0255
E-mail jheptinstall@comcast.net

2. Some examples of potential manufacturing support
Problem:
Cluttered workstations/shops/offices wheretimeis wasted searching for tools,
parts, supplies needed to complete tasks.
Safety incidents - slips/trips/falls - occur
Solution:
3 day 5S/WorkplaceOrganization Cross-functionalTeamBased Workshops.
Sort; Shine; Set In Place; Standardize; Sustain
Result:
An organized and visualworkplacewheretools and equipment are located where
they are needed.
Problem:
High WIP inventory/long productchangeovers/long equipment down time for
repair/long cycle times for batch reactors.
Solution:
3 day SMED (SingleMinute Exchange of Die)/QCO (Quick Change Over)
Cross-FunctionalTeamBased Workshop. Definethecurrent process; drivewaste
out of the process, and stream line the process
Result:
Reduced change over time and/or down time with standard work practices
created to ensurerepeatability. Inventory levels are reduced

3. Problem:
High maintenance cost, unreliable equipment, high overtime, repeated
equipment problems/maintenance, and operations/maintenance at odds with
each other over priorities
Solution:
Defined and planned deployment of TPM (Total ProductiveMaintenance) tools
based on the results of a currentpractice Maintenance Assessmentaction plans
designed to close performancegaps as compared to best practice metrics.
Journey could take 12 to 18 months. Tools used might include:
1. Equipment Criticality Assessment/FMECA
2. Maintenance strategies developed for critical equipment
3. Analysis of deficiencies and corrections needed in Work Order flow
4. Analysis of deficiencies and corrections needed in Planning/Scheduling
and Word Order Execution process
5. TEC (Total Equipment Care) Cross-Functionalteams clean and inspect,
define current problems and solutions, define correctstandard operating
procedures/inspections, and makeeverything visual for identified critical
under- performing equipment.
6. Equipment Ownership Teams (operations and maintenance personnel)
collectively monitor and maintain equipment using visual management and
standard work practices to sustain equipment performance
7. Focused Equipment ImprovementTeams reviewed operational data (OEE
losses, repetitive equipment repairs/overhauls, equipmentbad actors,
overtime
Result:
Reduced maintenance cost/improved equipment reliability/better working
relationships/moreproductivity/reduced WIP and/or productinventory

4. Problem:
High accident or incident rates, disgruntled employees, inconsistent priorities
between departments and groups, high employee turnover
Solution:
1. Supervisory Leadership Workshopsdefineand develop key leadership and
communication skills. Build accountability into the organization
2. Structured Site Walk Though (Gemba Walks) defines a process for assuring
everyonein the organization is on the same page and priorities are aligned.
3. Workshops on EffectiveMeetings and Team Building help improve
communication and optimize time management.
Result:
An aligned organization with consistentpriorities and focus.
All goals are clear and understood by all levels of the organization
Line management is accountable for their area of responsibility