Shop-floor control

Any company that wishes to be a world class manufacturer must first gain full control of its shop floor processes. The author tells the story of one such company. Early in 1993, Nortel Defence Systems (now Cogent), part of the global telecoms corporation Northern Telecom (Nortel), opened a new facility on a greenfield site in Newport, South Wales. The Newport facility is purpose built, and includes, among other areas, a major area for the production of specialist and complex cables, both electrical and fibre optic. Manufacturing is normally for one off items and includes prototype cables, using product and process development. Cogent Defence Systems consists of several businesses, which have extensive experience in communications for secure and harsh environments. One of Cogent's business policies is to become a world class manufacturer. `Policy' is a business requirement; its solution is strategy. The solutions determined to support this strategy are summarised. The strategy developed so far includes the implementation of shop floor control, followed by finite capacity planning and scheduling. Materials requirements, calculated to the finite capacity plan, are identified next, with the company forming closer links with suppliers. Meanwhile, continuous improvement philosophies are being put into place.