Jeff Tufnell searches the globe for software and other technology to help clients manage their workshop floor production efficiencies. [Jeff Tufnell is director of Jupiter Lean Manufacturing Consulting, based in Auckland]
In the last two years, Jeff says he has come across many clients using touch screens on the workshop floor and Empower workshop productivity and scheduling software, to schedule jobs and to track their jobs, tasks and staff in real time. He says that, with Empower, 55-inch television monitors on office walls and workshop floor walls report all jobs and tasks, as well as staff actual/budgeted times, in real time. Job scheduling and production planning is included. “Empower has an impressive client list of 200+ engineering and manufacturing firms including Donovans Engineering, Carac Engineering, Easy Access, Longveld Engineering, Rata Industries, Express Sheet Metal, Compass Trailers, McLay Boats, Makaira Boats, Alutech Windows, Delta Stock Crates, Active Engineering, Johnson and Couzins, McMullen and Wing. Empower suits general engineering, sheet metal, stainless and alloy fabrication, manufacturing all forms of metal based products and more.
With more than 20 years of industry experience in New Zealand engineering and manufacturing, Jeff has seen a lot: “Engineering firms using Empower can achieve a 20% to 40% reduction in labour times on jobs therefore 20% to 40% reduction in labour cost on jobs.” For an engineer with 10 workshop staff Empower projects 80 additional production hours per week, which is $5,970 additional revenue per week. “This is $292,530 additional revenue per year, which is largely additional profit, because overhead costs are covered within existing production levels. Over 10 years this is $2.92m additional revenue.”