TXM Visual Planning Board Clocks Up Seven Years in Operation in China

Client: Funwick Manufacturing

Location: Kunshan, China

TXM Managing Director, Tim McLean, returned to the location of his first ever lean consulting project at Funwick Manufacturing’s Fire Extinguisher manufacturing plant in KunShan, China last month. Over the seven years since Tim first worked with Funwick, the business has seen many changes of personnel and equipment and had relocated to a new site. However Tim was pleased to see that key elements of the lean planning systems that he established with the Funwick team in 2005 were still in place and providing benefits to the business. In particular the visual planning board that Tim helped Funwick to establish was still in active daily use along with a kitting process for raw materials for assembly. On the latest visit Tim was able to introduce TXM Senior Consultant, Justin Tao, who further improved the planning and kitting process and introduced a higher degree of lean rigour. Justin also helped Funwick establish kanban systems for key internally manufactured plastic mouldings.

Over the seven years, Tim was pleased to see that Funwick had developed in to a sophisticated manufacturing operation supplying high quality products to global companies including United Technologies and Cummins. Funwick’s processes and commitment to quality now put in the top tier of Chinese manufacturers.

Author: Timothy McLean

Timothy McLean is the Managing Director of TXM Lean Solutions and is an author of Lean books.