A major contractor for the U.S. Air Force implemented a shop-floor decision support system in selected manufacturing sites. The project integrated data from several existing manufacturing support systems to provide first-level shop management and production control personnel with a centralized source of information. Additionally, a finite scheduling application tool, FACTOR [1], was provided to assist in the creation of shop schedule. Implemented concurrently was a WIP tracking system which accumulators and reports the status of work-in-process. The project implementation resulted to a 26% productivity improvement and most importantly, contributed to the production personnels functional shift from data collection/expediting to a true planning/continuous improvement role. It also reduced delinquent deliveries to 14% while increasing inventory turns by 14%. Continued improvements in overall shop performance are anticipated as users further acquaint themselves to the tools of the system.
