Global manufacturers welcome collaborative lean software

Nissan Forklift, Detector Electronics (part of Kidde) and Brooks Automation are among early adopters of new software which promises to help manufacturers automate and optimise demand-driven, lean flow manufacturing processes. The software, developed by privately-held US-based Pelion Systems, is Collaborative Flow Manufacturing 2.0 (CFM), and all three users say it has helped them to improve financial performance by reducing cycle times and improving factory efficiencies. “CFM provides the technology foundation for our lean flow initiative that we previously managed through a … manual process that was very difficult to maintain over time,” says Dick Bredehoft, director of manufacturing at Detector. “We now have the flexibility to modify and enhance our manufacturing process like never before.” Its implementation, including training, took less than a month. What’s interesting is the scope of the suite; it has a factory optimiser based on a shopfloor simulation tool, a supply chain modeller/improver for optimising materials replenishment and a web-based system for internal and external supply chain event and planning management. Tom Plunkett, Pelion’s president and CEO, says: “Most manufacturers have some form of lean initiative, yet few have achieved their goals. Now, our sophisticated lean flow software automates the shop floor design, manages supplier relationships and enables a true demand-driven system for successful lean flow initiatives.” The system supports Keizan, Six Sigman and similar initiatives associated with lean internal and external operations, and the vendor says it’s goal is to help sustain these via a mix of graphical simulation building pictures of best value streams, with workflow and communication – and to cement in resulting improvements. It’s about automating process, linking in suppliers and working with existing ERP systems. Pricing is around the $50—200,000 mark.