Consulting Services

Our consulting services are based on practical experience in industry.  We work with our clients to understand the situation and then align our strenghts with the needs.  A listing of services is provided below, however we will suggest a plan based on our understanding of your needs.  

Services

• Program Management - We are able to help with all five stages of a program
  • We specialize in business case scenarios and program start-ups
  • We work with you to establish integrated master plans (IMPS) and put the tools in place to sustain success
• Supplier Quality Improvement
  • Assess suppliers’ capabilities regarding facility resources, human resources (technical skills, quantity of resources), personnel collaborations, teamwork/communication, and priorities
  • Work with suppliers to improve production quality issues; we investigate shop floor and above the shop floor variables
• Evaluate and improve quality and production throughput of components at supplier’s facilities
• Process improvements via improved FTY, labor hours, waste, time to delivery
  • We work with the technial team and use a full suite of quality processes & tools (e.g., DMAIC & house of lean processes)
• In-situ training and use of tools to fill gaps in technical skills
• Proposal capture planning and writing

Case Study

Situation:  Capacity issues at a single supplier; second source desired

Support:  As a project and technial expert, liaisoned between the customer and the new supply source.  Spent time at new supplier facility to help ensure a thorough, realistic program plan was developed, monitored, and controlled.  As a project manager liaison, I was able to provide an objective perspective on the customer's requirements (including schedule and technical needs) and the supplier who was new to the materials and processes.  Importantly, E4S was able to work with programs on realistic production schedules and resource needs (including training needs) and risk matrix development (including identifying risks unknown to the new supplier); the lean interprises group (via review of their future state mapping and CPP, resource mapping, and training), production (shop floor set up, tooling, work instructions, etcetera scheduling), and procurement for nesting material need dates with production flow dates.

Result:  Executive Management's confidence in the IMP, detailed plans, and coordination between functions allowed the approval of starting different parts simultaneously (which greatly increases risk potential and opportunities for chaos and setbacks) versus a slower in-series ramp-up. 

Case Study

Situation:  High part nonconformance rate and extreme schedule issues during low rate production of aerospace composite panels.

Support:  Worked collaboratively with production staff and engineering, primarily on-site during first 8-months. Evaluated process against requirements and composite manufacturing best practices; provided expert insight regarding data to collect for quality analysis; and provided expert insight regarding process “should be” manufacturing times (both touch labor and calendar times) and flow. Recommended and demonstrated process changes to improve material handling and accuracy of data observed and collected. Conducted analysis of variables to determine key influences of quality issues and recommended changes to optimize process work instructions. Worked with client’s engineers to develop a training document for current and new employees to understand the nuances of the process. Worked with team to continue to drive failure rates and cycle time down over a 12-month period.  Simultaneously, developed production flow maps overlaid with actual vs. estimated labor hours.  Current versus future manpower needs developed and improved build flow changes recommended.     

Result:  Drove failure rate of composite aerospace panels from 63% to 26% during the first 6 month period. Final failure rate <1%.  Based on improved pass rate, recommended process flow improvements, and improved understanding of the process by production workers, the customer schedule improved from 14 months behind to on schedule within 12-months.

Case Study

Situation:  High failure rate of aerospace components, key variables influencing process unknown.

Support:  Worked collaboratively with the client’s technical and management teams to scope work and goals. Client’s goals converted to “SMART” goals and a plan developed using the DMAIC process. Educated newer employees on process nuances, typical pitfalls of lamination and bonding processes, and how SPC can be a productive tool. Worked with team on initial data collected and recommended data collection reduction after initial analysis. Educated team on use of Minitab to improve data analysis and graphical presentations to upper management. Improved data collection tool to automatically conduct and update analysis allowing quicker evaluation of data.      

Result:  Streamlined data collection form to directly feed into analysis software.  Determined key variables and variable interactions. Provided technical recommendations on significance of non-measureable variables (e.g., shop floor handling of materials).  Process moved from out of control and a failure rate average of 17% to in-control (2% failure rate), an improved lower control limit above the specification limit, and increased production rate in 2017 five times the 2015 rate, allowing customer schedule to be attained without additional shifts.