America's manufacturing industry is a powerful engine driving the nation's economy, making up 11% of employment and 12% of the US gross domestic product (GDP) in 2005. In the past decade, the industry contributed 22% of the country's economic growth or 28% with the addition of software production.
During this growth period, the sector has confronted a variety of challenges that have steadily increased costs and reduced margins. For example, the increased costs for oil, natural gas, steel, and copper have not been equally offset by pricing increases. Plus, investments and focus on aftermarket service have increased due to customer reluctance to purchase new equipment.
The industrial manufacturing sector is large and diverse; so are the challenges it faces. To expand product lines or geographical reach, some companies are seeking acquisition candidates, while others are looking to divest underperforming units. Calls for corporate accountability and new regulations have necessitated new internal controls and management certifications. Meanwhile, industrial manufacturing companies are trying to figure out how to get the most out of their IT and human capital investments. Thomas Group can facilitate the necessary corporate culture changes and tools to adapt to the ever-evolving manufacturing so that no company has to face these difficulties alone.
Thomas Group helped a major manufacturer of imaging components and systems to improve its manufacturing loading and productivity, increase warehouse coordination and efficiency, reduce inventory, and decrease logistics costs through manufacturing process improvement.
As a senior executive for the company said, "Excellent methodology. They have the courage to tell us what we need to hear versus what’s politically correct. Thomas Group was committed to our success.”
Our commitment helped our client achieve:
Thomas Group’s roots are firmly planted in manufacturing. In fact, our First Pass Yield (quality) and Total Cycle Time® (speed) process management concepts were born out the work we performed in the emerging semiconductor industry over 30 years ago. Since that time we have helped many clients improve their manufacturing capabilities and become industry leaders.
Thomas Group's clients achieve high levels of success because we focus on the root causes that prevent businesses from achieving optimal success. We help our clients understand functional interdependencies, organize with a single-minded purpose, recognize the importance of individual contributions, and finally, implement an action plan that changes performance and positively impacts the bottomline for years to come. In fact, our Process Value ManagementTM methodology is a foundational imperative for effective implementation of other improvement/management concepts such as Total Quality Management (TQM), Kaizen, Six Sigma, and Lean Manufacturing.
Thomas Group can help your company achieve greatness, but you have to take the first step.