Evaluation and Improvement of the Design Process within Henrob Ltd

Abstract

Henrob is a large engineering organisation that specialises in the manufacture of joining technology for use in the automotive sector. The company has recently been acquired by the large industrial organisation Atlas Copco Group. As part of this acquisition, Henrob has been tasked with the implementation of lean manufacturing methods to firstly evaluate and then improve product development lead time within the UK design team. The role of lean management methods within manufacturing organisations is very well understood. However, the role of lean within new product development is less well so. If Henrob could employ the well-known benefits of lean thinking like waste reduction and information flow and be aware of the complex and intangible nature of the product development stage, leading to reduced product lead times and improved process efficiency, then this could represent a substantial competitive advantage over its competitors. This research is a quantitative cross-sectional study using the experimental research method to test a series of hypotheses. The research initially used process mapping to uncover inefficiencies within the design process that were subsequently addressed by further research. The research experiments were based around the use of new CAD templates designed to reduce errors and improve work flow through the design office. The research was partially successful with regards to lead time reduction and increasing design output. However, improved information flow and higher quality, more cost-effective designs were considered more important outcomes of the research.