Shortening installation times can mean a significant cost reduction for your company. What can you do to continuously improve your processes in this area?
The basic prerequisite for continuous optimization of your installation times is, of course, that you define target times for the processing of installations in advance and also track them, i.e. make them measurable and verifiable. Unfortunately, experience shows that this is far from being implemented everywhere.
The target times should be broken down into individual work packages. You do not have to be as meticulous as is usual in automotive production and schedule the tightening of every single screw. Nevertheless, you should break down the entire installation activities into sections of a few hours and regularly check compliance with the set target times. This is the only way to achieve sustainable improvement.
Further levers to Reduce the cost of installations have already been described elsewhere.
Avoid duplication of work in the field and in the factory!
As a rule, initial commissioning is carried out in our own factory to check functionality before delivery. Firstly, this avoids delivering faulty goods. Secondly, repairs at the factory are more cost-effective than if they have to be carried out by field service technicians in the field.
With this procedure, however, it is worth checking carefully whether double and reactive services are incurred. For example, if a machine is completely de-cabled after initial commissioning and all cables are packed separately and your field service technicians have to pull them back through the cable ducts on site. This is not always absolutely necessary. As many components as possible should also be packed in a pre-assembled state.
Many things are obvious. Nevertheless, it often makes a significant difference to hold a workshop together with the technicians and colleagues from final assembly, in which this topic is fundamentally examined. Also bear in mind that just two hours less assembly work per machine in the field, with 1500 machines a year, is already equivalent to saving two entire technicians. As a rule, however, there is much more to be gained, as this duplication of work is not uncommon.
Optimize the packaging logic!
The packaging logic also sometimes causes unnecessary effort. This can essentially be driven by two factors:
- The wrong packing sequence: Is the part at the top of a delivery box the one that has to be installed first in the field? Or does the technician have to unpack everything first until he reaches the desired part? Make sure you implement a sensible arrangement here. This saves time and money.
- Lack of space: Efficient packaging logic means that a technician can immediately remove the items from the packaging, position them and screw them together. If this is not the case, as described above, he must first temporarily store the parts that are not required near the machine. The correct packaging sequence can ensure that fewer components are left lying around and hinder the technician's movements. After all, if the technician first has to run around half the equipment before he can continue working, a lot of time is lost and the efficiency of the installation suffers significantly. Ergonomic aspects also play a major role here.
Implement a sensible delivery sequence!
If you have 10 large shipping boxes delivered at the same time, this can cause problems in the field. Space is usually very limited and your service technician can't work well if he has to fight his way through all the junk at every step. Individual components often have to be unpacked and pre-assembled a little further away, which means unnecessary walking around.
Make it as easy as possible for your technician so that he can do his work in a targeted manner. Otherwise, time will not only be lost searching for components and moving boxes around. For safety reasons, it is also better to give the technician enough space to work. Therefore, deliver in sensible stages. The following formula applies: Delivery sequence = installation sequence.
Check the customer's preparation!
The worst-case scenario: Your employees arrive at the customer's premises, need electricity, gas or water for the installation and there is no suitable connection. Or the foundation is too weak to support the system. You should check this beforehand to avoid any surprises. In most cases, such circumstances are easily avoidable, which makes the whole thing all the more annoying when in doubt.
For larger machines and systems, you should therefore also coordinate with the customer on site. A lot is often said on the phone. You or one of your employees had better convince yourself that the conditions for carrying out the order have been created. It is very unfortunate if one of your technicians sits on site at the customer's premises for two days and cannot do anything. In most cases, you will then be stuck with these costs.
For many readers, this is certainly a matter of course. Unfortunately, however, it happens again and again that some service desperados do not attach the necessary importance to on-site consultation. After all, this usually works out somehow, but in case of doubt it can lead to very embarrassing mistakes. This should be avoided at all costs - after all, we are not building Berlin Airport.
Develop innovative tools and processes!
Here you can let off steam and get creative. Which steps take up the most time in the field when installing your machines? Are there any tools or software that can shorten these steps? This is where it becomes very machine-specific, which is why no simple answer can be given.
- - For example, is it possible to develop wedge shoes that automatically level themselves when working together? This could easily save you 4 hours per machine in most cases.
- - Can engineering write a standard routine to run and log all the necessary tests on its own during commissioning? This could quickly save you half a day.
- - Can you use a robot that marks the drill holes for the installation of the system itself and drills them independently? It may be possible to cooperate with another company that supplies the necessary equipment.
Workshops or time studies can again help with implementation in order to identify potential time and cost savings. What can you do here with internal or external development capacity? Calculate the business case for the investment and convince the management to provide budget for this.
Of course, you will need to spend some time examining the optimization areas mentioned. In most cases, however, it is worth rethinking your own processes and saving costs as a result.
