Visual Knowledge Share Ltd Case Studies VKS Boosts Performance and Efficiency at Mobility Worldwide

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	VKS Boosts Performance and Efficiency at Mobility Worldwide Visual Knowledge Share Ltd

VKS Boosts Performance and Efficiency at Mobility Worldwide

Visual Knowledge Share Ltd

Technology Category	Functional Applications - Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) Sensors - Haptic Sensors
Applicable Industries	Automotive Transportation
Applicable Functions	Maintenance Quality Assurance
Use Cases	Autonomous Transport Systems Transportation Simulation
Services	Testing & Certification Training
Challenge	Mobility Worldwide, a charity that builds carts for individuals with physical disabilities in resource-poor countries, faced significant challenges in scaling up its production. The organization aimed to double its capacity from 2000 to 4000 carts per year, but faced hurdles due to lack of standardization, absence of bills of materials, and a workforce made up entirely of volunteers unfamiliar with lean manufacturing. The Columbia site, which produces the majority of the carts, operates at only 50% utilization due to volunteers typically working 3-4 hours at a time. The organization also faced logistical challenges due to the rural locations where the carts are deployed, making it difficult to supply replacement parts. Quality assurance was another major issue, as without verification of proper builds, the charity was unable to meet the long-term needs of its recipients. Read More
About Customer	Mobility Worldwide is a charity organization that builds and provides carts for individuals with physical disabilities in resource-poor countries where wheelchairs are neither affordable nor equipped for rural durability. These carts not only provide mobility but also offer opportunities for inventory storage for small vendors. The organization's founding site in Columbia, Missouri, is one of 30-40 affiliates worldwide and produces the majority of carts deployed across the world. The workforce at Mobility Worldwide is made up entirely of volunteers, who typically work 3-4 hours at a time. Read More
Solution	To overcome these challenges, Mobility Worldwide implemented VKS work instruction software. The first step was to introduce work instructions, which served as a method of discovery, revealing gaps in the current state of tribal knowledge. The organization adhered to a Toyota philosophy called quality at the source, meaning that they embedded all inspection criteria into work instructions. VKS also served as a manufacturing execution system (MES), directing volunteers through the workflow and eliminating the need for a heavy-duty onboarding and training process. The organization also began to apply lean methodologies like kanban, starting from the work instructions. To address the issue of training, Kaizen teams were formed from each of the 3 departments and team members became the VKS authors, helping to standardize processes via VKS software. This significantly reduced the learning curve and training time for volunteers. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Functional Applications - Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)

Sensors - Haptic Sensors

Applicable Industries

Automotive

Transportation

Applicable Functions

Maintenance

Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Autonomous Transport Systems

Transportation Simulation

Services

Testing & Certification

Training

Challenge

Mobility Worldwide, a charity that builds carts for individuals with physical disabilities in resource-poor countries, faced significant challenges in scaling up its production. The organization aimed to double its capacity from 2000 to 4000 carts per year, but faced hurdles due to lack of standardization, absence of bills of materials, and a workforce made up entirely of volunteers unfamiliar with lean manufacturing. The Columbia site, which produces the majority of the carts, operates at only 50% utilization due to volunteers typically working 3-4 hours at a time. The organization also faced logistical challenges due to the rural locations where the carts are deployed, making it difficult to supply replacement parts. Quality assurance was another major issue, as without verification of proper builds, the charity was unable to meet the long-term needs of its recipients.

About Customer

Mobility Worldwide is a charity organization that builds and provides carts for individuals with physical disabilities in resource-poor countries where wheelchairs are neither affordable nor equipped for rural durability. These carts not only provide mobility but also offer opportunities for inventory storage for small vendors. The organization's founding site in Columbia, Missouri, is one of 30-40 affiliates worldwide and produces the majority of carts deployed across the world. The workforce at Mobility Worldwide is made up entirely of volunteers, who typically work 3-4 hours at a time.

Solution

To overcome these challenges, Mobility Worldwide implemented VKS work instruction software. The first step was to introduce work instructions, which served as a method of discovery, revealing gaps in the current state of tribal knowledge. The organization adhered to a Toyota philosophy called quality at the source, meaning that they embedded all inspection criteria into work instructions. VKS also served as a manufacturing execution system (MES), directing volunteers through the workflow and eliminating the need for a heavy-duty onboarding and training process. The organization also began to apply lean methodologies like kanban, starting from the work instructions. To address the issue of training, Kaizen teams were formed from each of the 3 departments and team members became the VKS authors, helping to standardize processes via VKS software. This significantly reduced the learning curve and training time for volunteers.

Impact #1	The implementation of VKS work instruction software has brought about significant operational improvements at Mobility Worldwide. The standardized work instructions have given volunteers the confidence to try new things and spread out more widely across the shop floor, thus expanding horizontal capacity. The software has also helped in error-proofing, allowing volunteers to be confident in their abilities as their actions are confirmed as they move through standardized work instructions. The software has also helped identify process gaps for continuous improvement. For example, it helped define 'perpendicular' for quality standards in assembly, providing visual confirmation for volunteers. The impact of VKS extends beyond part traceability and standardization, enabling the organization to put a stamp on how the carts are built in the future.

Impact #1

The implementation of VKS work instruction software has brought about significant operational improvements at Mobility Worldwide. The standardized work instructions have given volunteers the confidence to try new things and spread out more widely across the shop floor, thus expanding horizontal capacity. The software has also helped in error-proofing, allowing volunteers to be confident in their abilities as their actions are confirmed as they move through standardized work instructions. The software has also helped identify process gaps for continuous improvement. For example, it helped define 'perpendicular' for quality standards in assembly, providing visual confirmation for volunteers. The impact of VKS extends beyond part traceability and standardization, enabling the organization to put a stamp on how the carts are built in the future.

Benefit #1	Reduced the time from when a volunteer walks on the shop floor to when the first component comes off the line from 40 minutes to about 10 minutes, a 400% increase in productivity.
Benefit #2	Reduced the learning curve and training time for volunteers by at least 75%.
Benefit #3	Reduced the manpower spent on onboarding new volunteers from 20 to 11-12, almost halving the manpower requirement.

Benefit #1

Reduced the time from when a volunteer walks on the shop floor to when the first component comes off the line from 40 minutes to about 10 minutes, a 400% increase in productivity.

Benefit #2

Reduced the learning curve and training time for volunteers by at least 75%.

Benefit #3

Reduced the manpower spent on onboarding new volunteers from 20 to 11-12, almost halving the manpower requirement.

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Overview

VKS Boosts Performance and Efficiency at Mobility Worldwide

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit