Restoring Operational Performance for a Seasonal Manufacturer
OVERVIEW
- Revenue: $20,000,000
- General Description: Manufacturing
- Geographic Location: United States
- Markets Served: Commercial & Industrial
THE SITUATION
A seasonal U.S. manufacturer faced a critical operational crisis as it entered peak season. With over $1 million in late orders—representing more than 5% of annual revenue—the company was drowning in chaos. Every customer was calling demanding updates. Every salesperson was pushing to get their orders prioritized. The result: nothing was a true priority because everything was treated as urgent.
The shop floor lacked structure and discipline. Without clear scheduling systems or production visibility, employees worked hard but inefficiently. Equipment breakdowns were frequent, yet preventative maintenance was nonexistent. The company had no reliable way to track what was being produced versus what should be produced, making it impossible to identify bottlenecks or address performance gaps.
Leadership recognized they had an operational problem but couldn’t see the full picture from inside the business. They needed an experienced partner who could bring order to the chaos and implement systems that would prevent future crises.
THE SOLUTION
JACO Advisory Group was brought in to assess operations and implement immediate improvements to clear the backlog and restore performance. The engagement focused on bringing structure, visibility, and accountability to manufacturing operations.
Establishing Production Discipline and Visibility
JACO implemented hour-by-hour production boards that tracked actual output against targets by person and by shift. This tool gave everyone—from operators to leadership—immediate visibility into performance. The team could see in real-time whether they were on track or falling behind.
The JACO team also established true prioritization discipline. Instead of allowing every order to be labeled “rush,” JACO limited priority requests to one or two orders at a time. This forced difficult but necessary conversations about what truly mattered and allowed the production team to work efficiently rather than constantly switching between jobs.
Implementing 5S and Operational Standards
JACO introduced 5S methodology to bring order to the shop floor—organizing workspaces, eliminating clutter, and creating visual controls that made the abnormal appear obvious. These changes reduced wasted time searching for tools and materials while creating a foundation for a culture of continuous improvement.
Starting the Journey to Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
JACO conducted OEE workshops and implemented foundational tracking systems to measure equipment performance. With reliable data in place, the organization began addressing unplanned downtime through increased associate awareness and fact-based decision-making. Data replaced gut feel, enabling teams to prioritize improvement opportunities, measure results, and focus efforts where they mattered most.
While a full OEE rollout required more time than the initial engagement allowed, these foundational steps established a practical framework to support the company’s long-term journey toward building a culture of continuous improvement.
Addressing Equipment Reliability
Insights gained through OEE tracking revealed equipment reliability as a primary operational constraint. Frequent breakdowns disrupted production schedules and created recurring bottlenecks. JACO worked with leadership to prioritize capital investments in critical infrastructure—such as heat exchangers essential to press operations.
These targeted investments significantly improved equipment uptime, stabilized production flow, and reduced unplanned interruptions, laying the groundwork for sustained operational performance improvements.
Uncovering the Real Constraint
As operational performance improved and the backlog cleared, a critical question emerged: where were the sales to fill the newly available capacity? JACO’s assessment of the sales function revealed significant gaps—no CRM system, no structured reporting on customer contacts or pipeline activity, no visibility into which accounts salespeople were targeting or how often they were engaging prospects. The company had addressed its operational constraints, but the sales process and discipline proved to be the real bottleneck preventing sustainable growth.
THE OUTCOME
Within three months, JACO helped the company eliminate its $1 million backlog and restore operational discipline. Production became predictable, equipment reliability improved, and the team had systems in place to maintain performance. The hour-by-hour boards and prioritization discipline became part of the company’s daily rhythm, creating accountability and transparency throughout the operation.
The OEE framework provided leadership with visibility into lost production time that had previously been invisible. Rather than guessing where problems existed, the company could now use data to prioritize improvements—identifying which equipment needed attention, where quality issues were occurring, and when performance was falling short of capability. This visibility transformed reactive firefighting into proactive problem-solving.
The 5S implementation served as the foundation for reestablishing the company’s culture. By creating organized, standardized workspaces with visual controls, 5S gave employees ownership over their areas and pride in their work. The discipline required to maintain 5S standards—sorting, straightening, cleaning, standardizing, and sustaining—became a daily practice that reinforced accountability and continuous improvement throughout the organization. What began as workplace organization evolved into the cultural foundation that supported all other operational improvements.
Through its partnership with JACO Advisory Group, the company proved that even established manufacturers can implement significant operational improvements quickly when guided by experienced advisors who understand manufacturing challenges firsthand. The engagement demonstrated the value of bringing structure to chaos, creating visibility where none existed, and maintaining the discipline to focus on what truly matters—even when that means having difficult conversations about priorities and constraints.
Ready to Restore Operational Performance in Your Manufacturing Business?
If your operation is struggling with backlog, inefficiency, or unclear priorities, JACO Advisory Group can help. We bring structure to chaos, implement systems that stick, and uncover the real constraints holding your business back. Contact us for a confidential consultation.
